The Right Honourable The Baroness Taylor of Bolton PC

Minister of State for International Defence and Security
In office 5 October 2008 – 11 May 2010
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Gerald Howarth (International Security Strategy)
Minister of State for Defence Equipment and Support
In office 7 November 2007 – 5 October 2008
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Preceded by	The Lord Drayson
Succeeded by	Quentin Davies
Government Chief Whip in the Commons Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
In office 27 July 1998 – 8 June 2001
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Nick Brown
Succeeded by	Hilary Armstrong
Leader of the House of Commons Lord President of the Council
In office 2 May 1997 – 27 July 1998
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Tony Newton
Succeeded by	Margaret Beckett
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
In office 20 October 1994 – 2 May 1997
Leader	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Margaret Beckett
Succeeded by	Alastair Goodlad
Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Shadow Minister for the Citizen's Charter
In office 20 October 1994 – 19 October 1995
Leader	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Michael Meacher
Succeeded by	Derek Foster
Shadow Secretary of State for Education
In office 18 July 1992 – 20 October 1994
Leader	John Smith Margaret Beckett (Acting)
Preceded by	Jack Straw
Succeeded by	David Blunkett
Member of Parliament for Bolton West
In office 10 October 1974 – 9 June 1983
Preceded by	Robert Redmond
Succeeded by	Tom Sackville
Member of Parliament for Dewsbury
In office 12 June 1987 – 11 April 2005
Preceded by	John Whitfield
Succeeded by	Shahid Malik

Personal details
Born	(1947-07-02) 2 July 1947 (age 77) London, United Kingdom
Political party	Labour
Alma mater	University of Bradford

Winifred Ann Taylor, Baroness Taylor of Bolton, PC (born 2 July 1947) is a British Labour Party politician, who was Minister for International Defence and Security, based at both the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, from October 2008 until 11 May 2010.

She was also the first woman to serve as Leader of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom and the first woman to serve as Lord President of the Privy Council (both in the First Blair Ministry).^[1]

Early life

She attended Bolton School and the University of Bradford, where she graduated with a BSc degree in Politics and History in 1969. ^[2]

House of Commons

Taylor fought Bolton West in February 1974 (failing to win by 603 votes), then was the Member of Parliament (MP) for the seat from October 1974 to 1983. She fought the new seat of Bolton North East in 1983, being defeated by the Conservative Peter Thurnham, before representing Dewsbury from 1987 until 2005.

Frontbench roles

Ann Taylor has held the following positions:

1977–1979: Assistant Government Whip in the Callaghan Government
1979–1981: Opposition Spokesman for Education & Science
1981–1983: Opposition Spokesman for the Environment
1988–1992: Opposition Spokesman for the Environment
1992–1994: Shadow Secretary of State for Education
1994–1995: Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
1994–1997: Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
1997–1998: Leader of the House of Commons & Lord President of the Council
1998–2001: Government Chief Whip (Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury)
2001–2005: Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee (Her appointment to this post was criticised by opposition Liberal Democrats.)^[3]

Backbenches and retirement

As a backbencher, Ann Taylor sponsored a Private Member's Bill, the 'Succession to the Crown (no 2)' Bill, which sought to eliminate gender and religious discrimination in the royal succession.^[4]

Taylor stepped down from the House of Commons at the 2005 general election. The Constituency Labour Party selected Shahid Malik to be their candidate.

House of Lords

On 13 May 2005 it was announced that she was to be given a Life Peerage, and she was created Baroness Taylor of Bolton, of Bolton in the County of Greater Manchester, on 13 June 2005.^[5]

She was made Minister for Defence Procurement on 7 November 2007, following Lord Drayson's decision to resign to compete in the American Le Mans Series; unlike her predecessor, she was paid.^[6] Following the Brown reshuffle of October 2008, Lady Taylor was moved to a new post at the Ministry of Defence as Minister for International Defence and Security.^[7]

Votes in Parliament

The Public Whip cites her as being "Very Strongly" for the Iraq War, equal gay rights, and NHS foundation trusts (despite being noted for voting against Conservative MP Edwina Currie's 1994 proposed amendment to the Public Order and Criminal Justice Bill to equalise the age of homosexual consent to 16).^[8]

Styles of address

1947-1974: Ms Ann Taylor
1974-1983: Ms Ann Taylor MP
1983-1987: Ms Ann Taylor
1987-1997: Ms Ann Taylor MP
1997-2005: The Right Honourable Ann Taylor MP
2005: The Right Honourable Ann Taylor
2005-: The Right Honourable The Baroness Taylor of Bolton PC

In popular culture

The 2012 play This House about the 1970s Labour Government prominently featured Ann Taylor as the first female whip.

References

^ August Artwork of the Month: Ann Taylor by Nick Sinclair
^ Ann Taylor at Bradford.ac Archived 9 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 27 July 2016
^ Lib Dems criticise Taylor appointment | Politics | guardian.co.uk
^ Succession to the Crown (No. 2) Bill
^ "No. 57676". The London Gazette. 16 June 2005. p. 7843.
^ BBC NEWS | UK | UK Politics | Bolton appointed as Defence Minister
^ Lady Taylor is appointed as new International Defence and Security Minister Archived 12 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine
^ http://www.publicwhip.org.uk The Public Whip

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom Preceded byRobert Redmond Member of Parliamentfor Bolton West 1974–1983 Succeeded byTom Sackville Preceded byJohn Whitfield Member of Parliamentfor Dewsbury 1987–2005 Succeeded byShahid Malik Political offices Preceded byJack Straw Shadow Secretary of State for Education 1992–1994 Succeeded byDavid Blunkett Preceded byMichael Meacher Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1994–1995 Succeeded byDerek Foster Shadow Minister for the Citizen's Charter 1994–1995 Preceded byMargaret Beckett Shadow Leader of the House of Commons 1994–1997 Succeeded byAlastair Goodlad Preceded byTony Newton Leader of the House of Commons 1997–1998 Succeeded byMargaret Beckett Lord President of the Council 1997–1998 Preceded byNick Brown Government Chief Whip in the Commons 1998–2001 Succeeded byHilary Armstrong Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury 1998–2001 Preceded byTom King Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee 2001–2005 Succeeded byPaul Murphy Preceded byThe Lord Drayson Minister of State for Defence Equipment and Support 2007–2008 Succeeded byQuentin Davies New office Minister of State for International Defence and Security 2008–2010 Succeeded byGerald Howarthas Minister of State for International Security Strategy Party political offices Preceded byNick Brown Chief Whip of the Labour Party in the Commons 1998–2001 Succeeded byHilary Armstrong

v t e Blair Cabinet
Ministries	First (1997–2001) Second (2001–2005) Third (2005–2007)
Cabinet members	Douglas Alexander Baroness Amos Hilary Armstrong Margaret Beckett Hilary Benn Tony Blair Hazel Blears David Blunkett Paul Boateng Gordon Brown Nick Brown Des Browne Stephen Byers David Clark Charles Clarke Robin Cook Jack Cunningham Alistair Darling Ron Davies Donald Dewar Frank Dobson Peter Hain Harriet Harman Patricia Hewitt Geoff Hoon John Hutton Lord Irvine of Lairg Baroness Jay of Paddington Alan Johnson Tessa Jowell Ruth Kelly Helen Liddell Peter Mandelson Ian McCartney Alun Michael Alan Milburn David Miliband Paul Murphy Estelle Morris Mo Mowlam John Reid Ivor Lord Richard George Robertson Clare Short Andrew Smith Chris Smith Gavin Strang Jack Straw Ann Taylor Stephen Timms Lord Williams of Mostyn
Also attended meetings	Peter Goldsmith John Morris Jacqui Smith

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