Preceded by The Lord Strathclyde Succeeded by The Lord Strathclyde Role British Politician Party Labour Party | Prime Minister Gordon Brown Name Janet Baroness Spouse Stuart Hercock | |
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Leader Harriet Harman (Acting)
Ed Miliband
Harriet Harman (Acting) Succeeded by The Baroness Smith of Basildon Preceded by The Baroness Ashton of Upholland Education Westfield College, University of London | ||
Janet Anne Royall, Baroness Royall of Blaisdon PC (born 20 August 1955) is a British Labour politician. She announced in May 2015 that she would not seek re-election as the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords.
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Education and early political career
Royall grew up in Hucclecote and Newnham on Severn, where her parents ran a shop.
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. However, the constituency party preferred Huw Irranca-Davies as their candidate. When in 2003 she became head of the European Commission office in Wales, there were calls for her to stand down because of her connections to the Labour Party.
House of Lords
On 25 June 2004 she was created Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, of Blaisdon in the County of Gloucestershire. In the House of Lords, she became government spokesperson for Health, International Development and Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
On 24 January 2008 Baroness Royall was appointed government chief whip in the House of Lords, following the resignation of Lord Grocott. She was appointed a Privy Counsellor later in the year. On 3 October 2008, she was promoted to the cabinet by Gordon Brown, who made her Leader of the 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. She has called for a national referendum on any reforms of the chamber.
In September 2012, she spoke out against the proposed badger cull.
She announced in May 2015 that she would not seek re-election as the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords.
Family
She was married to Stuart Hercock until his death in 2010, and has a daughter, Charlie, and two sons, Ned and Harry.