Preceded by Betty Boothroyd Nationality British Party Conservative Party Role British Politician | Preceded by Humphrey Atkins Name Janet Baroness Succeeded by Michael Lord Political party Conservative | |
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Born 21 February 1936 (age 88) ( 1936-02-21 ) Education Royal Holloway, University of London | ||
Succeeded by Constituency abolished | ||
Janet Evelyn Fookes, Baroness Fookes, DBE, DL (born 21 February 1936) is a British politician. 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 1970–97, 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 1992-97.
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Biography
Fookes was educated at Royal Holloway College, University of London. She worked as a teacher from 1958-70. She served as a Councillor on Hastings Borough Council from 1960–61, 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 1992-97. She retired from the House of Commons in 1997.
Fookes served on the Council of the RSPCA 1975-92, and was its chair from 1979-81. 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.
She had previously been made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 1989 New Year's Honours, and became Deputy Lieutenant of East Sussex in 2001.
Fookes is unmarried.