Janet Royall, Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
Janet Anne Royall, Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, PC (born 20 August 1955), is a British Labour Co-operative Party politician. She was Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council. She is the principal of Somerville College, Oxford.
Education and early political career
[edit]Royall grew up in Gloucestershire in Hucclecote and Newnham on Severn, where her parents ran a shop.[1]
Royall was educated at the Royal Forest of Dean Grammar School and Westfield College, University of London, where she gained a BA in Spanish and French in 1977.
Royall was a special adviser to Neil Kinnock, the leader of the Labour Party, in the 1980s, and she has remained a close ally of his ever since. She sought selection as Labour's candidate for Ogmore in a 2002 by-election, losing to Huw Irranca-Davies. In 2003 she became head of the European Commission office in Wales.[2]
House of Lords
[edit]On 25 June 2004, she was created a life peer as Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, of Blaisdon in the County of Gloucestershire.[3] She spoke for the Health, International Development and Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
On 24 January 2008 Royall was appointed government chief whip in the House of Lords, on the resignation of Lord Grocott. She was appointed a Privy Counsellor later in the year. On 3 October 2008, she was appointed to the cabinet by Gordon Brown, as Leader of the unelected House of Lords and Lord President of the Council. On 5 June 2009, Royall was succeeded as Lord President by Lord Mandelson, the Business Secretary, and was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
She voted for a 100% elected House, on the last occasion that the House of Lords voted on Reform of the House of Lords in March 2007.[4] She has called for a national referendum on any reforms of the chamber.
In September 2012, she spoke out against the proposed badger cull.[5]
She announced in May 2015 that she would not seek re-election as the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords.[6]
In 2016, she chaired an investigation into allegations of antisemitism in Oxford University Labour Club and was subsequently one of two Vice-Chairs of the Chakrabarti Inquiry into antisemitism in the UK Labour Party.[7]
Principal of Somerville College
[edit]In February 2017, Somerville College, Oxford, announced the selection of Baroness Royall as its next principal.[8] She succeeded Alice Prochaska at the end of August 2017.[8]
Personal life
[edit]She was married to Stuart Hercock from 1980 until his death in 2010, and has a daughter, Charlie, and two sons, Ned and Harry.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ "Baroness Royall talks cost of living, utility bills and immigration ahead of elections". Gloucester Citizen.
- ^ "Euro appointment under fire". BBC. 16 May 2003.
- ^ "No. 57341". The London Gazette. 30 June 2004. p. 8139.
- ^ "Public Whip".
- ^ "Big Issue: Baroness Jan Royall of Blaisdon on the badger cull". This is Gloucestershire.
- ^ "Baroness Royall to step down as Labour leader in the Lords".
- ^ The Jewish Chronicle. “Shami Chakrabarti Is yet to Comment on Release of Royall Report into Labour Antisemitism.” Accessed July 29, 2020. https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/shami-chakrabarti-is-yet-to-comment-on-release-of-royall-report-into-labour-antisemitism-1.61744
- ^ a b Announcement of new Principal at Somerville College, Somerville College, 9 Feb 2017.
- ^ "Royall of Blaisdon, Baroness, (Janet Anne Royall) (born 20 Aug. 1955)". Who's Who. 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U44490.
External links
[edit]- Profile at www.parliament.uk
- Baroness Royall of Blaisdon from Dod Online
- The Rt Hon the Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, PC at Debrett's People of Today
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- 1955 births
- Alumni of Westfield College
- Alumni of the University of London
- Chancellors of the Duchy of Lancaster
- Female members of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom
- Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms
- Labour Co-operative life peers
- Leaders of the House of Lords
- Living people
- Life peeresses created by Elizabeth II
- Members of the Fabian Society
- Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
- People from Newnham on Severn
- People from the Borough of Tewkesbury
- Principals of Somerville College, Oxford
- New Labour
- One Nation Labour