Janet Fookes
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Janet Evelyn Fookes, Baroness Fookes, Template:Post-nominals (born 21 February 1936) is a British politician.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A member of the Conservative Party, she is a life peer in the House of Lords. She was previously a member of the House of Commons from 1970 to 1997, representing the constituencies of Merton and Morden (1970–74) and Plymouth Drake (1974–97). She was a Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons from 1992 to 1997, and presently is a Deputy Speaker in the House of Lords.
Biography
Fookes was educated at Royal Holloway College, University of London. She worked as a teacher from 1958 to 1970. She served as a Councillor on Hastings Borough Council from 1960 to 1961, and 1963–70.
Fookes was elected a Member of Parliament (MP) representing Merton and Morden in 1970. When this constituency was abolished, she was elected MP for Plymouth Drake in 1974. Drake was never a safe seat, but Fookes managed to survive many strong challenges in each general election she fought, including winning by a majority of just 34 at the October 1974 general election. She served as one of three Deputy Speakers of the House of Commons from 1992 to 1997. She retired from the House of Commons in 1997, when the number of Plymouth seats fell from three to two, after 27 years as an MP: as she humorously put it, "longer than a life sentence".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Fookes served on the Council of the RSPCA 1975–92, and was its chair from 1979 to 1981. She was also a member of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (1987–97). She is an Ambassador for unemployment charity, Tomorrow's People Trust.
Honours
On 30 September 1997, she was made a Life Peer as Baroness Fookes, of Plymouth in the County of Devon.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>
She had previously been made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 1989 New Year's Honours,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> and was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant of County of East Sussex on 30 August 2001.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This gave her the Post Nominal Letters "DL" for Life. She was moved to the retired list on 21 February 2011 upon reaching the Mandatory retirement age of 75.
Arms
References
Bibliography
- Times Guide to the House of Commons editions 1970–1992
External links
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- 1936 births
- 20th-century British women politicians
- Living people
- Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies
- Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
- Councillors in East Sussex
- Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire
- Deputy lieutenants of East Sussex
- Deputy speakers of the British House of Commons
- Life peeresses created by Elizabeth II
- Life peers created by Elizabeth II
- Conservative Party (UK) life peers
- UK MPs 1970–1974
- UK MPs 1974
- UK MPs 1974–1979
- UK MPs 1979–1983
- UK MPs 1983–1987
- UK MPs 1987–1992
- UK MPs 1992–1997
- Alumni of Royal Holloway, University of London
- Schoolteachers from London
- Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for constituencies in Devon
- People from Lewisham
- Politicians from Plymouth, Devon
- RSPCA workers
- Women councillors in England
- Women legislative deputy speakers