Virginia Bottomley
Encyclopedia
Virginia Bottomley, Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone, PC, DL
(née
Virginia Hilda Brunette Maxwell Garnett, born 12 March 1948, Dunoon
, Scotland) is a British Conservative Party
politician. She was a Member of Parliament
(MP) in the House of Commons from 1984 to 2005. She was raised to the peerage
in 2005. Considered to be a "One Nation Conservative", Bottomley is a Life Member of the Tory Reform Group
.
to W. John Garnett, former director of what was then called The Industrial Society
, and Barbara Rutherford-Smith, teacher and elected Conservative member of the Inner London Education Authority
. Her aunt on her father's side was Labour
Greater London Council
Member Peggy Jay
.
She met Peter, now Sir Peter Bottomley her husband, when she was 12.
, an independent school
for girls in Putney
in south-west London, before going up to the University of Essex
(BA). She later graduated from the London School of Economics
with the degree of Master of Arts
(MA).
, social worker, magistrate
(Justice of the Peace
), and Chairman of the Inner London Juvenile Court.
with 21,545 votes in a by-election in 1984
(filling the seat left vacant by the death of Maurice Macmillan, son of former prime minister Harold Macmillan
), as the Member for South West Surrey, received her first ministerial position in 1988 as a junior Environment
Minister and was appointed Minister of Health in 1989. She was appointed a member of the Privy Council
(PC) upon joining John Major
's Cabinet as Secretary of State for Health
in 1992 and served until 1995.
She then served as Secretary of State for National Heritage from 1995 to 1997. After the 1997 general election
, she returned to the backbenches
, also becoming a headhunter
in the charity
and public sector
s, now also leading the Odgers Board practice.
was called. On 24 June 2005 she was created a Life Peer
with the title Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone, of St Helens in the County of Isle of Wight, the parish where she was baptised and celebrated her marriage.
and a Pro-Chancellor
of the University of Surrey
. She was on the founding Council of the University of the Arts, London. She is also a Council Member of the Ditchley Foundation
and President of Farnham Castle
Centre for International Briefing. Since 2000 she has sat on the Supervisory Board of Akzo Nobel
. She is a non-executive director of Bupa
. She is on the Advisory Council of the International Chamber of Commerce UK (ICC UK) and the Judge School of Management
, Cambridge. Bottomley has been a trustee and is a fellow of the Industry and Parliament Trust. She was National President of the Abbeyfield Society and a Vice-Patron of Carers and of Cruse Bereavement Care. She is a lay Canon of Guildford Cathedral
, and a Freeman of the City of London
. In 2006, she was elected and installed as Chancellor of the University of Hull
, succeeding Lord Armstrong of Ilminster
in April 2006. She was also appointed a Deputy Lieutenant
of Surrey
in March of that year.
Virginia Garnett married Peter Bottomley
in 1967; since 1975 he has been an MP. They live in Milford, Surrey
and also maintain residences in London and on the Isle of Wight. They have three children, Cecilia, Adela and Joshua. Peter and Virginia Bottomley had been parents together before their marriage.
Her brother, Christopher Garnett
, is a former chief executive of the GNER railway, and Peter Jay
, the former British Ambassador to the United States, is a cousin, as are Lord Hunt of Chesterton (Labour), Lord Oakshott of Seagrove Bay (Lib-Dem) and Baron Jay of Ewelme, former British Ambassador to France. Her stepmother is Dame
Julia Cleverdon
.
In 2007 she was a signatory to a letter supporting former BP
CEO Lord Browne
.
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Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Virginia Hilda Brunette Maxwell Garnett, born 12 March 1948, Dunoon
Dunoon
Dunoon is a resort town situated on the Cowal Peninsula in Argyll, Scotland. It sits on the Firth of Clyde to the south of Holy Loch and to the west of Gourock.-Waterfront:...
, Scotland) is a British Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician. She was a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) in the House of Commons from 1984 to 2005. She was raised to the peerage
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
in 2005. Considered to be a "One Nation Conservative", Bottomley is a Life Member of the Tory Reform Group
Tory Reform Group
The Tory Reform Group is a group aligned to, but independent of, the British Conservative Party, that works to promote the values of the One Nation Tory vision...
.
Early life
Virginia Hilda Brunette Maxwell Garnett was born in DunoonDunoon
Dunoon is a resort town situated on the Cowal Peninsula in Argyll, Scotland. It sits on the Firth of Clyde to the south of Holy Loch and to the west of Gourock.-Waterfront:...
to W. John Garnett, former director of what was then called The Industrial Society
The Work Foundation
The Work Foundation is a British not-for-profit organisation and independent authority providing advice, consultancy and research on the future of work, improving the quality of working life, leadership, economic and organisational effectiveness. The foundation works with government, business...
, and Barbara Rutherford-Smith, teacher and elected Conservative member of the Inner London Education Authority
Inner London Education Authority
The Inner London Education Authority was the education authority for the 12 inner London boroughs from 1965 until its abolition in 1990.-History:...
. Her aunt on her father's side was Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Greater London Council
Greater London Council
The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
Member Peggy Jay
Peggy Jay
Margaret Christian "Peggy" Garnett Jay was an English Labour councillor.As a young girl, Peggy Garnett attended St Paul's Girls' School in London, where she befriended Shiela Grant Duff. In 1931, she went up to Somerville College, Oxford, but she left two years later to marry Douglas Jay...
.
She met Peter, now Sir Peter Bottomley her husband, when she was 12.
Education
Bottomley was educated at Putney High SchoolPutney High School
Putney High School is an independent all-girls school in Putney, London. It is run by the Girls' Day School Trust, a union of 26 schools with 19,500 students and 3,500 staff.-Location and information:...
, an independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
for girls in Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
in south-west London, before going up to the University of Essex
University of Essex
The University of Essex is a British campus university whose original and largest campus is near the town of Colchester, England. Established in 1963 and receiving its Royal Charter in 1965...
(BA). She later graduated from the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
with the degree of Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
(MA).
Early career
Bottomley started as a social scientist, researcher for Child Poverty Action GroupChild Poverty Action Group
Child Poverty Action Group is a UK charity that works to alleviate poverty and social exclusion.The stated aims of the CPAG are:CPAG programs include:* Research and publish the latest facts and figures of family and child poverty in the UK...
, social worker, magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
(Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
), and Chairman of the Inner London Juvenile Court.
Member of Parliament and in government
After unsuccessfully contesting the Isle of Wight in the 1983 General Election (34,904 votes), she was elected to ParliamentParliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
with 21,545 votes in a by-election in 1984
South West Surrey by-election, 1984
The South West Surrey by-election, 1984 was a parliamentary by-election held on 3 May 1984 for the British House of Commons constituency of South West Surrey.- Previous MP :...
(filling the seat left vacant by the death of Maurice Macmillan, son of former prime minister Harold Macmillan
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
), as the Member for South West Surrey, received her first ministerial position in 1988 as a junior Environment
Secretary of State for the Environment
The Secretary of State for the Environment was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Department of the Environment . This was created by Edward Heath as a combination of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Building and Works on 15...
Minister and was appointed Minister of Health in 1989. She was appointed a member of the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(PC) upon joining John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
's Cabinet as Secretary of State for Health
Secretary of State for Health
Secretary of State for Health is a UK cabinet position responsible for the Department of Health.The first Boards of Health were created by Orders in Council dated 21 June, 14 November, and 21 November 1831. In 1848 a General Board of Health was created with the First Commissioner of Woods and...
in 1992 and served until 1995.
She then served as Secretary of State for National Heritage from 1995 to 1997. After the 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
, she returned to the backbenches
Backbencher
In Westminster parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislator who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition...
, also becoming a headhunter
Recruiter
A recruiter is someone engaging in recruitment, or the solicitation of individuals to fill jobs or positions within a corporation, nonprofit organization, sports team, the military, etc. Recruiters may work within an organization's human resources department or on an outsourced basis...
in the charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
and public sector
Public sector
The public sector, sometimes referred to as the state sector, is a part of the state that deals with either the production, delivery and allocation of goods and services by and for the government or its citizens, whether national, regional or local/municipal.Examples of public sector activity range...
s, now also leading the Odgers Board practice.
Retirement
She stepped down from the House of Commons when the 2005 General ElectionUnited Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
was called. On 24 June 2005 she was created a Life Peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
with the title Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone, of St Helens in the County of Isle of Wight, the parish where she was baptised and celebrated her marriage.
Personal life
Bottomley is involved with charitable and academic bodies in addition to business. She is a Governor of the London School of EconomicsLondon School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
and a Pro-Chancellor
Pro-Chancellor
A Pro-Chancellor is an officer of some universities in Commonwealth countries. The Pro-Chancellor acts as a deputy to the Chancellor and as practical chairman of the University Council...
of the University of Surrey
University of Surrey
The University of Surrey is a university located within the county town of Guildford, Surrey in the South East of England. It received its charter on 9 September 1966, and was previously situated near Battersea Park in south-west London. The institution was known as Battersea College of Technology...
. She was on the founding Council of the University of the Arts, London. She is also a Council Member of the Ditchley Foundation
Ditchley Foundation
The Ditchley Foundation is a British organisation based at Ditchley House near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, which aims to promote international relations, especially Anglo-American relations, through a programme of around fifteen annual conferences on matters of international interest...
and President of Farnham Castle
Farnham Castle
Farnham Castle is a castle in Farnham, Surrey, England .First built in 1138 by Henri de Blois, grandson of William the Conqueror, Bishop of Winchester, the castle was to become the home of the Bishops of Winchester for over 800 years. The original building was demolished by Henry II in 1155 after...
Centre for International Briefing. Since 2000 she has sat on the Supervisory Board of Akzo Nobel
Akzo Nobel
Akzo Nobel N.V., trading as AkzoNobel, is a Dutch multinational, active in the fields of decorative paints, performance coatings and specialty chemicals. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the company has activities in more than 80 countries, and employs approximately 55,000 people. Sales in 2010 were EUR...
. She is a non-executive director of Bupa
Bupa
Bupa is a large British healthcare organisation, with bases on three continents and more than ten million customers in over 200 countries. It is a private healthcare company, in direct contrast to the UK's National Health Services, which are tax-funded healthcare systems and do not require private...
. She is on the Advisory Council of the International Chamber of Commerce UK (ICC UK) and the Judge School of Management
Judge Business School
Cambridge Judge Business School, formerly known as the Judge Institute of Management Studies, is the business school of the University of Cambridge. Established in 1990, the School is a provider of management education and is consistently ranked as one of the world's leading business schools. It is...
, Cambridge. Bottomley has been a trustee and is a fellow of the Industry and Parliament Trust. She was National President of the Abbeyfield Society and a Vice-Patron of Carers and of Cruse Bereavement Care. She is a lay Canon of Guildford Cathedral
Guildford Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of the Holy Spirit, Guildford is the Anglican cathedral at Guildford, Surrey, England.-Construction:Guildford was made a diocese in its own right in 1927, and work on its new cathedral, designed by Sir Edward Maufe, began nine years later, with the foundation stone being laid...
, and a Freeman of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. In 2006, she was elected and installed as Chancellor of the University of Hull
University of Hull
The University of Hull, known informally as Hull University, is an English university, founded in 1927, located in Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire...
, succeeding Lord Armstrong of Ilminster
Robert Armstrong, Baron Armstrong of Ilminster
Robert Temple Armstrong, Baron Armstrong of Ilminster GCB, CVO , son of the musician Sir Thomas Armstrong, is a British life peer and former civil servant.-Life:...
in April 2006. She was also appointed a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
in March of that year.
Virginia Garnett married Peter Bottomley
Peter Bottomley
Sir Peter James Bottomley is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Worthing West...
in 1967; since 1975 he has been an MP. They live in Milford, Surrey
Milford, Surrey
Milford is a large village, situated south west of Godalming in Surrey, England. Nearby villages include Witley, Elstead and Eashing, and the hamlets of Enton and Hydestile. It is situated in the Borough of Waverley.-Transportation:...
and also maintain residences in London and on the Isle of Wight. They have three children, Cecilia, Adela and Joshua. Peter and Virginia Bottomley had been parents together before their marriage.
Her brother, Christopher Garnett
Christopher Garnett
Christopher Garnett is a member of the Board of the Olympic Delivery Authority, and was until recently the Chief Executive Officer of Great North Eastern Railway and simultaneously Senior Vice President and Chief Executive of the Rail Division of Sea Containers, GNER's parent company.Before this,...
, is a former chief executive of the GNER railway, and Peter Jay
Peter Jay
Peter Jay is a British economist, broadcaster and diplomat.-Background:Peter Jay is the son of Douglas and Peggy Jay, both of whom were Labour Party politicians...
, the former British Ambassador to the United States, is a cousin, as are Lord Hunt of Chesterton (Labour), Lord Oakshott of Seagrove Bay (Lib-Dem) and Baron Jay of Ewelme, former British Ambassador to France. Her stepmother is Dame
Dame (title)
The title of Dame is the female equivalent of the honour of knighthood in the British honours system . It is also the equivalent form address to 'Sir' for a knight...
Julia Cleverdon
Julia Cleverdon
Dame Julia Charity Cleverdon, DCVO, CBE is a British charity worker who served for 16 years as Chief Executive of Business in the Community, one of the Prince's Charities of Charles, Prince of Wales.-Biography:...
.
In 2007 she was a signatory to a letter supporting former BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
CEO Lord Browne
John Browne, Baron Browne of Madingley
Edmund John Philip Browne, Baron Browne of Madingley, FRS FREng is President of the Royal Academy of Engineering and was group Chief Executive of BP until his resignation on 1 May 2007...
.
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