ÿþ<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <title>Event History - Merseyside Conservative Ladies' Lunch Club</title> <meta name="description" content="The Website of Merseyside Conservative Ladies' Lunch Club" /> <meta name="keywords" content="Merseyside Ladies Lunch Club, Merseyside Ladies, Liverpool Conservatives, conservative, party, conservatives" /> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" /> <link href="StyleSheet.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> </head> <body> <img src="http://www.liverpoolconservatives.org/templateimages/spacer.gif" alt="" width="1" height="3" /><br /> <table align="center" style="background-color: #FFFFFF;" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td> <table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td><br /><img src="images/mainlogo.gif" border="0" alt="" /><br /><br /></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="background-color: #cecfce"> <table width="746" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td align="right"> <span style="font-variant: small-caps; color: #666666; font-size: 105%"> | <a href="mllc_home.htm"class="navtab">Home</a> | </span> <span style="font-variant: small-caps; color: #666666; font-size: 105%"><a href="events.htm" class="navtab">Upcoming Events</a> | </span> <span style="font-variant: small-caps; color: #666666; font-size: 105%"><a href="history.htm" class="navtab">Event History</a> | </span> <span style="font-variant: small-caps; color: #666666; font-size: 105%"><a href="location.htm" class="navtab">Location</a> | </span> <span style="font-variant: small-caps; color: #666666; font-size: 105%"><a href="contact.htm" class="navtab">Contact Us</a> | </span> <span style="font-variant: small-caps; color: #666666; font-size: 105%"><a href="links.htm" class="navtab">Links</a> | </span> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left"> <img src="http://www.liverpoolconservatives.org/templateimage/spacer.gif" width="1" height="5" alt="" /> <table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td width="10"> <img src="http://www.liverpoolconservatives.org/templateimage/spacer.gif" width="10" height="1" alt="" /></td> <td width="145" valign="top"> <br /> <a href="mllc_home.htm" class="strongheading">Merseyside Conservative Ladies' Lunch Club</a><br /> - <a href="events.htm" class="Pages">Upcoming Events</a><br /> - <a href="history.htm" class="Pages">Event History</a><br /> - <a href="location.htm" class="Pages">Location</a><br /> - <a href="contact.htm" class="Pages">Contact Us</a><br /> - <a href="links.htm" class="Pages">Links</a><br /> <br /> <hr noshade="noshade" size="1" style="color: #d5d5d5" /> <br /> <span class="strongheading">Event History</span><br /> - <a href="#0708" class="Pages">2007/08</a><br /> - <a href="#0607" class="Pages">2006/07</a><br /> - <a href="#0506" class="Pages">2005/06</a><br /> <br /> <hr noshade="noshade" size="1" style="color: #d5d5d5" /> </td> <td width="10"> <img src="http://www.liverpoolconservatives.org/templateimage/spacer.gif" width="10" height="1" alt="" /></td> <td valign="top" width="567"> <a name="content117"></a> <div align="center"> </div> <img src="http://www.liverpoolconservatives.org/templateimage/spacer.gif" width="1" height="5" alt="" /><table width="567" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td width="11"> &nbsp;</td> <td id="evhistory" style="background-image: url(http://www.liverpoolconservatives.org/templateimage/title-bg.gif); text-align: left; padding-top: 2px; color: #FFFFFF; font-weight: bold;"> Event History</td> <td width="11"> &nbsp;</td> </tr> </table> <p align="left"> </p> <table> <tr id="041209"><td class="boldheading">4th December 2009 <tr><td colspan="2">Jonathan Aitken</td></tr> <tr><td><img src="images/s-b-tree.jpg" alt="No portrait available" height="206px" width="137px" />&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td> <p> Political Perspective - Past and Present</p> </td></tr> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> <tr id="061109"><td class="boldheading">6th November 2009</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.conservatives.com/People/Prospective_Parliamentary_Candidates/Jones_Ben.aspx" class="Pages">Ben Jones</a></td></tr> <tr><td><img src="images/Ben_Jones.jpg" alt="Ben Jones" width="137" />&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td valign> <p> Ben was born in May 1978 in Liverpool and was brought up in Rainhill and St Helens. He studied Politics at the University of Liverpool. </p> <p> After several years in management consultancy (specialising in advising government and public sector bodies), working for Accenture and KPMG, Ben now works for a medical regulator. </p> <p> He is a school governor and member of the school&#8217;s finance committee. </p> <p> Ben is a Liverpool FC fan, regularly attending games. Ben joined the Conservative Party in 1992. </p> <p> He was Secretary of the St Helens South Conservative Association, and in 1997 he spoke at the Party Conference aged 17. </p> <p> Ben helped manage the final two weeks of Stephen O&#8217;Brien&#8217;s 2001 General Election campaign. </p> <p> In 2004 he was a member of the James Committee, working on the Department of Work and Pensions Team, identifying inefficiencies in government IT projects. </p> <p> Recently he was a member of the City Seats Team in Liverpool helping increase the vote across the city by 37% in the 2008 local elections. </p> <p> He was selected to fight Halton at the next general election in November 2008. </p> </td></tr> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> <tr id="091009"><td class="boldheading">9th October 2009</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.conservatives.com/People/Prospective_European_Parliamentary_Candidates/Karim_Sajjad.aspx" class="Pages">Sajjid Karim</a></td></tr> <tr><td><img src="images/Sajjad_Karim.jpg" alt="Sajjad Karim" width="137px" style="height: 206px" />&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td valign> <p> Sajjad was elected to Pendle Borough Council in May 1994, where he served for eight years holding key chairmanships and vice chairmanships. </p> <p> In June 2004, he was elected as a Member of the European Parliament for the North West of England. </p> <p> He serves on the European Parliament's Committee on International Trade and is Rapporteur on EU-India Trade Relations. He is also a member of the European Parliament's Sub-Committee on Human Rights. He is a member of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with the Gulf States and the Delegation for South Asia. </p> <p> He is Chairman of the European Parliament Friends of Pakistan Group and Vice-Chairman of the European Parliament's Equality and Diversity Intergroup. </p> <p> Sajjad was born in Blackburn on 11th July 1970. He qualified as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales on 3rd February 1997. He was initially made an equity partner in the firm where he qualified and has since established two specialist law practices in the North West of England. <br /> </p> </td></tr> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> <tr id="060309"><td class="boldheading">6th March 2009</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2">Mrs Gillian Clarke - Life at No11 Downing Street</td></tr> <tr><td><img src="images/gillian_clarke.jpg" alt="No portrait available" height="206px" width="137px"/>&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td> <p> Kenneth Clarke met wife Gillian when both were students at Cambridge University during the early 1960s. The daughter of teachers from Kent rarely appears in public with her husband, preferring lower-profile fundraising work for charity. </p> <p> The Clarkes have a shared passion for birdwatching. Mrs Clarke, 64, is unable to drive and is a frequent bus passenger. She is also a highly skilled quilt-maker. </p> </td></tr> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> <tr id="060209"><td class="boldheading">6th February 2009</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2">Jeremy Hunt MP</td></tr> <tr><td><img src="images/jeremy_hunt.jpg" alt="Jeremy Hunt" height="206px" width="137px" />&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td> <p> Born on 1 November 1966, Jeremy studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he gained a first class honours degree. <br /> <br /> After a brief period as a management consultant, he went to Japan for two years where he supported himself teaching English whilst he learnt Japanese. On his return to the UK, Jeremy set up his own educational publishing business, Hotcourses. The company, which employs over 150 people, has become the UK's largest publisher of guides and websites to help people find the right school, college, university or course. <br /> <br /> Jeremy has a particular interest in international development, especially in Africa, where he has founded a charity to help fund the education of AIDS orphans. His EDM calling for tangible interim targets towards the 2010 universal access target secured 216 signatures from Members of Parliament and led to a change in both government and international policy, with interim targets for access to HIV/AIDS medication being adopted for all developing countries.</p> <p>Jeremywas elected Conservative Member of Parliament for South West Surrey in May 2005. Although South West Surrey was the number 3 Liberal Democrat target seat in the country, with a Conservative majority of only 861, Jeremy managed to increase the majority to 5,711 with a 4.6% swing to the Conservatives. <br /> <br /> In July 2007 Jeremy was promoted to the Shadow Cabinet to take on the role of Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media &amp; Sport. As well as the vital Olympics brief, Jeremy sees the role as having a major relevance to the quality of life agenda. As a former publisher, he understands the challenges faced by the UK's arts creative industries and knows first hand how vital they are for the UK's economy. <br /> <br /> Jeremy had previously served from December 2005 to July 2007 as Shadow Minister for Disabled People. Jeremy has long had an interest in social issues and used his Shadow Ministerial position to campaign for a better deal for parents of severely disabled children and for carers. He also pressed for simplification of the highly complex benefit system and for the removal of all disincentives in the system that prevent or discourage disabled people from working.</p> </td></tr> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> <tr id="051208"><td class="boldheading">5th December 2008</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.person.page&personID=123492" class="Pages">Chris Grayling MP</a></td></tr> <tr><td><img src="images/chris_grayling.jpg" alt="Chris Grayling" width="137" />&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td valign> <p> Chris has been MP for Epsom and Ewell since 2001. He is currently the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. </p> <p> He has previously served as Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, as Shadow Minister for Health, as Shadow Minister for Higher and Further Education and as an Opposition Whip. He has also served as a member of the influential House of Commons Transport Select Committee. </p> <p> Before his election he was a local councillor in the London Borough of Merton.</p> <p>Chris has been at the forefront of the ongoing battle to save Epsom Hospital, in the face of NHS plans to downgrade it and build a new hospital at St Helier. He has consistently argued that the new plan is not affordable and has put forward alternative ideas to the NHS that would upgrade local hospital services for much less money. During the course of the campaign he has organised petitions that have attracted support from tens of thousands of people and organised public meetings attended by thousands of local residents. </p> <p>He is also working hard to resist Government plans to build thousands of new houses in the constituency over the next twenty years and to secure improved policing in the area. And as a commuter himself, he is well aware of the difficulties caused by inadequate transport links, and is working with local train operators to try to improve services</p> </td></tr> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> <tr id="071108"><td class="boldheading"> 7th November 2008</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2">Cllr Brenda Porter</td></tr> <tr><td> <img src="images/brenda_porter.jpg" alt="Awaiting Image" width="137px" style="height: 206px" />&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td valign> <p> Elected in 2000 as an Ainsdale Ward Councillor with a majority of 3, this is currently 1800. <br /> <br /> In her capacity as a councillor she has been Chair of Licensing, Spokesperson on health and sat on environmental and social care scrutiny committees. <br /> Became Conservative Chief Whip in 2005, becoming Deputy Leader in 2007. <br /> <br /> As Cabinet Member for Communities Portfolio she is also Sefton Equalities Partnership Chairman. <br /> Selected Parliamentary Candidate for Southport on Saturday 6th October. <br /> </p> <p> Brenda was born in Liverpool but spent much of her childhood in Hong Kong with her mother, two brothers and army officer father. <br /> She has lived in Southport for thirty years and is actively involved with her community being a founder member of Ainsdale Civic Society and a member of the Ainsdale Horticultural Society. <br /> <br /> Prior to being elected as a local councillor Brenda's work was in management within charitable and religious organisations. <br /> She enjoys entertaining being a trained cook and fundraising for worthy causes is still a priority. <br /> </p> </td></tr> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> </table> <table> <th id="0708" colspan="2">Speakers from 2007/08</th> <tr id="031008"><td class="boldheading"> 3rd October 2008</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2"> Tony Caldeira - Chairman of the City of Liverpool Conservatives</td></tr> <td> &nbsp;<img src="images/b-tree.jpg" alt="No portrait available" /></td><td> <p> Tony is playing a key role along side Chris Grayling in rebuilding the Party in Liverpool, he is also on the Conservative Party's approved list of candidates.</p> <p> &nbsp;</p> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> </table> <table> <tr id="070308"><td class="boldheading">7th March 2008</td></tr> <tr><td>Laurence Robertson</td></tr> <tr><td> <img src="images/portrait-LaurenceRobertson.jpg" alt="Laurence Robertson" width="137" height="206" /><br /> </td><td> <p class="subtitle"> Member of Parliament for Tewkesbury <br /> Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland </p> <div class="floatrightim"> <p> Laurence was born in March 1958 and is married to Susan with one daughter, Jemma, aged 15. <br /> <br /> He was educated at St James's C.E. Secondary School; Farnworth Grammar School and Bolton Institute of Higher Education. <br /> <br /> As a charity fund-raising, public relations and special events consultant he has raised over £1 million for charity. Previously a company director, factory owner and work study engineer. As a consultant has worked for over 80 companies. <br /> Personally, Laurence is interested in all sports especially golf, horses and marathon running. He has run 6 marathons including the 1994 New York City event, where he raised £10,000 for charity. Other interests include reading, writing, travelling, the countryside and the Church.</p> </div> <p> Laurence was a candidate in Makerfiled in the 1987 General Election and Ashfield in 1992. He was successfully voted in as Member of Parliament for Tewkesbury in May 1997. <br /> Laurence has held numerous offices in the party both locally and nationally. Between 1988-1991 he has been Chairman of Governors of a primary school with 250 pupils, Visitor for Victim Support Scheme, Area Chairman, Campaign for Law and Order. <br /> Politically, Laurence is interested in the following areas: Law and Order, Education, European Policy, the Constitution, Small Businesses, the Economy and Rural Issues. <br /> <br /> In September 2001, he was appointed an Opposition Whip. In June 2003, was made Shadow Minister for Trade &amp; Industry. In November 2003, he was appointed a Shadow Minister for Economic Affairs. Since May 2005, he has served as the Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland.</p> </td></tr> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> <tr id="010208"><td class="boldheading">1st February 2008</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.person.page&personID=21788" class="Pages"> Neil</a> O'Brien</td></tr> <tr><td> &nbsp; <img src="images/portrait-Neil.JPG" alt="Neil O'Brien" width="125" height="170" /></td><td> <p> Open Europe has become the leading Eurosceptic pressure group and think tank. Neil O'Brien has been the driving force behind it's success and had become a familiar figure in the demands for a referendum on the European Union Reform Treaty.</p> </td></tr> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> </table> <table> <th id="0607" colspan="2">Speakers from 2006/07 <tr id="071207"><td class="boldheading">7th December 2007</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2"> <span style="color: #666666">The Rt Hon The Lord Heseltine</span></td></tr> <td> &nbsp; <img alt="The Rt Hon The Lord Heseltine" src="images/image-michaelheseltine.jpg" style="height: 206px" /></td><td> <p> Lord Heseltine contested the safe Labour seat of Gower in 1959 and a marginal Coventry seat in 1964, before being elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1966 for Tavistock in Devon, subsequently representing Henley from 1974. Following the Conservative victory in the 1970 General Election, he was promoted to the ranks of government by Prime Minister Edward Heath.</p> <p> He became Shadow Industry Secretary in the Conservative's 1974 - 1979 opposition, before He was appointed to the cabinet of Margaret Thatcher as Secretary of State for the Environment in 1979 after her election victory that year. He was a key figure in the sale of council houses and was sent in as a troubleshooter to deal with the explosion of violence in Britain's inner cities in the aftermath of the Brixton and Toxteth riots during the early 1980s.</p> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> <tr id="021107"><td class="boldheading">2nd November 2007</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.conservativewomen.org.uk/peo_details.asp?peo_id=68" class="Pages">Eve Burt</a></td></tr> <tr><td><img src="images/eve_burt.jpg" alt="Eve Burt" />&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td> <p>Born and brought up in North London. Left school at 15 years of age just after O levels and joined the trainee Management scheme at Dickens & Jones Department Store in London s West End. Went from there to work for the Jockey Club, initially as a telephonist and receptionist, and eventually as assistant to the Disciplinary Committee team. Became PA to Alistair Burt MP in July 1983  just three months after marrying him, and a month after he was first elected to Parliament. Took time out to raise two children who are now 19 and 21 years of age, and currently back as PA to Alistair</p> <p>Joined the Conservative Party in London at age 15, held most committee posts through a number of years, active campaigner for the Party since the 70s, Hornsey YCs, GLYC, National YCs, Hornsey Conservative Association, Bury North Conservative Association, NE Beds Conservative Association. President NE Beds CWG. </p></td></tr> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> <tr id="051007"><td class="boldheading">5th October 2007</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.person.page&personID=123492" class="Pages">Sayeeda Warsi - Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion</a></td></tr> <tr><td><img src="images/portrait-sayeedawarsi-2007.jpg" alt="Sayeeda Warsi" />&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td valign="middle"> <p><br />Sayeeda has been politically involved from her early college days when she was elected as the Vice President of the Student Union. She was also instrumental in the launch of Operation Black Vote in West Yorkshire in 1996. She stood as a Parliamentary Candidate in the 2005 general election. Since June 2005, she has been a Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party with responsibility for cities. In June 2007, Sayeeda was appointed Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion. </p> <p>She has always had a keen interest in racial justice issues. For many years she was an executive member of the Kirklees Racial Equality Council. She is also a member of the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust's Racial Justice Committee and regularly represents them at national conferences. </p> <p>She has been a speaker on issues as varied as forced marriages, prison conditions and business network links at a national level.</p></td></tr> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> <tr><td id="020307" class="boldheading">2nd March 2007</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.person.page&personID=121187" class="Pages">Nadine Dorries MP</a></td></tr> <tr><td><img src="images/portrait-nadinedorries2005.jpg" alt="Nadine Dorries MP" />&nbsp;&nbsp;</td> <td><p>In May 2005 Nadine was elected as the Conservative Member of Parliament for Mid-Bedfordshire. Previously she was an advisor to the former Shadow Home Secretary & Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Oliver Letwin MP.</p> <p>In the 2001 General Election Nadine fought the parliamentary constituency of Hazel Grove, one of only a handful of Conservative candidates to achieve a substantial swing to the Party. </p> <p>Nadine was previously a member of the Shadow Treasury team steering committee and sat on the Kirkhope Commission for Asylum.</p> <p>Nadine is a member of the Education & Skills Select Committee.</p></td></tr> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> <tr><td id="020207" class="boldheading">2nd February 2007</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.person.page&personID=4917" class="Pages">Rt Hon Michael Howard QC MP</a></td></tr> <tr><td><img src="images/portrait-michaelhoward-oct2.jpg" alt="Rt Hon Michael Howard QC MP" />&nbsp;&nbsp;</td> <td><p>Michael was then elected as Leader of the Conservative Party, a position he held for over two years. He led the Party at the 2005 General Election, the first election in 22 years in which the Party gained a significant number of seats. In that election the Conservatives won more votes than Labour in England. Indeed if just 14,500 votes in the 34 seats which give Labour its majority had changed their vote, Labour would have been deprived of its majority.</p> <p>The day after the election Michael announced his decision to stand down as Leader of the Party, but called for a debate on the future direction of the Party before the commencement of any leadership election. He submitted his resignation in November, and, following the election of David Cameron in December 2005, handed over the leadership to him.</p></td></tr> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> <tr><td id="011206" class="boldheading">1st December 2006</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.person.page&personID=4791" class="Pages">Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe MP</a></td></tr> <tr><td><img src="images/potrait-annwiddecombe.jpg" alt="Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe MP" />&nbsp;&nbsp;</td> <td><p>In May 1993, Ann was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Employment. She was Minister of State at the Department of Employment from July 1994 until July 1995 and in July 1995 she was appointed Minister of State at the Home Office, a position she held until 1997.</p> <p>In May 1997, Ann was elected Member of Parliament for the new seat of Maidstone and The Weald. In July 1997, she was appointed to the Standards and Privileges House of Commons Select Committee. </p> <p>She was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Health in June 1998. From June 1999 to September 2001, she was Shadow Home Secretary.</p></td></tr> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> <tr><td id="031106" class="boldheading">3rd November 2006</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2"><span class="Pages">Lord Cecil Parkinson</span></td></tr> <tr><td><img src="images/b-tree.jpg" alt="No portrait available" /></td> <td><p>Lord Parkinson was elected as MP for Enfield West at a by-election in 1970, following the death of Iain Macleod. When that constitituency was abolished for the February 1974 general election he was elected for the new South Hertfordshire constituency.</p> <p>After the 1979 General Election, he was made a junior trade minister. In September 1981 he was made Chairman of the Conservative Party, and Paymaster-General with a seat in the cabinet and in 1982 was given the added official title of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.</p> <p></p></td></tr> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> <tr><td id="061006" class="boldheading">6th October 2006</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.person.page&personID=3846" class="Pages">Rt Hon Sir Robert Atkins MEP</a></td></tr> <tr><td><img src="images/portrait-robertatkins-2.jpg" alt="Rt Hon Sir Robert Atkins MEP" />&nbsp;&nbsp;</td> <td><p>Sir Robert was first elected MEP for the North West region in 1999. He is Deputy Leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament and Conservative Spokesman on Petitions in the European Parliament. He was Conservative Spokesman on Industry and External Trade from 2001-2004, and was Spokesman on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism from 1999-2001. He is a member of the Transport & Tourism Committee and a substitute member of the Environment, Publich health & Food Safety Committee.</p> <p>Sir Robert was MP for Preston North and South Ribble from 1979-97 and during that time served as DTI Minister (1987-89), Minister of Transport (1989-90), Minister of Sport (1990-92), Minister of State, Northern Ireland (1992-94) and Minister of State for Environment and Countryside (1994-95). He became a Privy-Counsellor in 1995. and was knighted in 1997.</p></td></tr> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> <th id="0506" colspan="2">Speakers from 2005/06</th> <tr><td id="030306" class="boldheading">3rd March 2006</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.person.page&personID=4932" class="Pages">Chris Grayling MP</a></td></tr> <tr><td><img src="images/portrait-grayling.jpg" alt="Chris Grayling MP" />&nbsp;&nbsp;</td> <td><p>Chris has been MP for Epsom and Ewell since 2001. He is currently the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.</p> <p>He has previously served as Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, as Shadow Minister for Health, as Shadow Minister for Higher and Further Education and as an Opposition Whip. He has also served as a member of the influential House of Commons Transport Select Committee.</p> <p>Before his election he was a local councillor in the London Borough of Merton.</p></td></tr> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> <tr><td id="030206" class="boldheading">3rd February 2006</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.person.page&personID=4930" class="Pages">Eleanor Laing MP</a></td></tr> <tr><td><img src="images/laing_e.jpg" alt="Eleanor Laing MP" />&nbsp;&nbsp;</td> <td><p>In the 1987 election, Eleanor was the Conservative candidate in the safe Labour seat of Paisley North. She became Special Adviser to the Rt Hon John MacGregor MP in 1989 when he was Secretary of State for Education and remained his Special Adviser when he was Leader of the House of Commons and Secretary of State for Transport.</p> <p>In February 1999, she was promoted to the post of Opposition Whip and in July 2000 she became a Frontbench Spokesman for Constitutional Affairs. </p> <p>After the 2001 General Election, she was appointed as Frontbench Spokesman for Education and Skills. From June to November 2003, she was made Shadow Minister for Children. In March 2004, she was appointed as the Shadow Minister for Women & Equality. In July 2007, Eleanor was appointed as a Shadow Minister for Justice.</p></td></tr> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> <tr><td id="021205" class="boldheading">2nd December 2005</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.person.page&personID=21834" class="Pages">The Lord Luke</a></td></tr> <tr><td><img src="images/portrait-luke.jpg" alt="The Lord Luke" />&nbsp;&nbsp;</td> <td><p>Lord Luke is an elected hereditary peer. He is an opposition whip and a Shadow Minister in the Lords for Wales, for Defence and for Culture, Media and Sport.</p> <p>He has been on the Frontbench since October 1997. Lord Luke was a Bedfordshire County Councillor from 1965-1970 and is President of North East Bedfordshire Conservative Association.</p> <p>Lord Luke has lived in Bedford for virtually all his life and is a Deputy Lieutenant. He is also a Knight of St John having been Commissioner and then Commander of St John's Ambulance in Bedfordshire for a number of years. He is a lifelong member of the Drapers (Livery) Company in the City of London and was Master of the Company between 2001 - 2002. He is involved with the Church of England as a member of the court of the Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy.</p></td></tr> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> <tr><td id="041105" class="boldheading">4th November 2005</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.person.page&personID=5000" class="Pages">Ann Winterton MP</a></td></tr> <tr><td><img src="images/portrait-annwinteron-2005.jpg" alt="Ann Winterton MP" />&nbsp;&nbsp;</td> <td><p>Ann was elected in 1983 as the first MP for the Congleton Parliamentary Constituency following its creation earlier that year, and is married to Sir Nicholas Winterton, who has been the Member of Parliament for Macclesfield since 1971.</p> <p>Ann was first appointed Opposition Front Bench Spokesman on Drugs Misuse Strategy in April 1998 and Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries from September 2001 to May 2002.</p> <p>In previous Parliaments, Ann was a member of the Speaker's Panel of Chairmen, and served for many years on the influential Agriculture Select Committee. Towards the end of the last Parliament she served on the Social Security Select Committee. In 2002, the Prime Minister appointed Ann as a representative of the United Kingdom delegation to the OSCE. Ann was re-appointed to the Speaker's Panel in 2005.</p></td></tr> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> <tr><td id="071005" class="boldheading">7th October 2005</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.person.page&personID=4630" class="Pages">Sir Patrick Cormack</a></td></tr> <tr><td><img src="images/phMP535.jpg" alt="Sir Patrick Cormack" />&nbsp;&nbsp;</td> <td><p>Sir Patrick was elected Member of Parliament for Cannock in the General election of June 1970. Following boundary redistribution he was elected Member for South West Staffordshire in the General Election of February, 1974, and continues to represent it to the present day.</p> <p>He is a senior member of the Speaker's Panel of Chairmen of Committees in the House of Commons. He was Chairman of the Party's Advisory Committee on Arts and Heritage from 1987 until 1999 and has served on the House of Commons Select Committee on Education, Science and the Arts. He was Chairman of the House of Commons Works of Art Committee from 1987 to 2001 and, in that capacity, was responsible for all the works of art within the House of Commons.</p></td></tr> </table> </td> <td width="10"> <img src="http://www.liverpoolconservatives.org/templateimage/spacer.gif" alt="" width="10" height="1" /></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> <p align="center" style="color: #FFFFFF"> City of Liverpool Conservative Associates, 1st Floor Hanover Building, 11-13 Hanover Street, L1 3DN</p> </body> </html>