High Peak Liberal Democrats
Announcing the appointment of 10 new Liberal Democrat peers to the House of Lords, Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg said:
"The 10 new Liberal Democrat peers announced today will be at the heart of delivering a stronger economy and a fairer society, enabling everyone to get on in life.
"This list shows the Liberal Democrats' strength and depth. We are welcoming new peers from all across the UK and with a great variety of expertise and experience. I'm delighted to welcome such a strong selection of public servants, businessmen and women, and entrepreneurs.
"All have excelled in their fields and made a great contribution to politics, charity and to the country. I know that every new peer on this list will make a valuable contribution to British politics, the House of Lords and the Liberal Democrat team in Westminster.
"While vested interests prevented us from reforming the House of Lords in this Parliament, the new peers, along with their Liberal Democrat colleagues, remain committed reformers and will continue to make the case for a smaller and more democratic upper chamber."
CATHERINE (CATHY) MARY BAKEWELL MBE
Cathy Bakewell was first elected to Somerset County Council in 1993 and went on to become leader from 2001 to 2007. She represented Somerset on the County Councils Network and worked for the Audit Commission as the councillor peer on comprehensive performance assessment (CPA) inspection teams. The founder and non-executive director of the Somerset Rural Youth Project, in June 1999 she awarded MBE for political and public service.
She is currently a member of the Board of South West Equalities. In 2005 she was accredited as a peer for the Improve and Development Agency (IDeA) and from 2006 to 2009 was the regional lead peer for the Liberal Democrats in the south-west and south-east. She remains an accredited peer.
In March 2007 she became a member of the Councillors Commission set up by Ruth Kelly, looking into the barriers which prevent people from becoming councillors. In May 2008 she was appointed as a county representative on the Avon & Somerset Police Authority, which she served until May 2009. She is currently a Trustee of the Local Government Leadership Centre.
From May 2012 to May 2013 she was a member of the Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Authority. Following the Ofsted inspection of the county's Safeguarding arrangements for children and young people, she took over the chairmanship of the Corporate Parents Committee.
In May 2009 she was elected to South Somerset District Council in a by-election and is lead member for Family Futures (the troubled families programme). In February she was appointed chair of South Somerset Together, the district council's strategic partnership. She is also a governor of Yeovil College Corporation, the local FE College.
David Laws, Minister of State for Schools and the Cabinet Office, said: "Cathy Bakewell will bring huge experience of local government, education and rural issues into the House of Lords.
"Cathy has played a crucial role over almost 40 years in south-west politics and rose to become a very successful leader of Somerset County Council. Cathy has a direct and no-nonsense style and I have no doubt that she will make her mark in Parliament and cause people to sit up and take notice."
Lord Paddy Ashdown said: "I greatly welcome this appointment which is a recognition of Cathy's nearly 40 years of service to our area and to the wider community of Somerset.
"She will be a powerful voice for our area in Parliament, especially on local government affairs. Her common sense is much needed in our politics today."
ROSALIND (OLLY) GRENDER MBE
Olly Grender's career has spanned the world of politics, government and the voluntary and corporate sectors. She has run communications operations and campaigns in all four, advising or working for a vast range of organisations. She has an extensive knowledge of devising and implementing communications strategies in a political environment.
In the world of politics she has worked for the Liberal Democrats locally and nationally after joining the Liberal Party in 1981. She spent a year at No 10 as the Deputy Director of Communications for the Government, where she coordinated the Liberal Democrat communications operation on behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister, promoting issues such as the Youth Contract, lower tax thresholds and social mobility. In the run-up to the 2010 general election she became recognised as a regular commentator on the Liberal Democrats in the media. She headed up communications under Paddy Ashdown's leadership from 1990 to 1995. Prior to that she was a speechwriter and had responsibility for housing and transport policy in his office. She was at the time the only person under 30 and the only woman on his key strategy team. She assisted Sir Menzies Campbell as leader and ran regular communications operations for the Liberal Democrats for more than 20 years. She received an MBE in 1996 for political services. She was elected by the party to its peers interim panel in 2006.
For more than four years she was the Director of Communications for Shelter, the largest homelessness charity in Europe, responsible for a department covering corporate communications including public affairs, media relations and research, with joint senior management responsibility for 450 people. She was a trustee of homelessness charity Homeless Link and the Housing Association Wandle.
She has worked in the private sector assisting both corporate and charity clients in communications work and public affairs. Clients have included Combat Stress, CRUK, Microsoft EMEA, FSCS and Durand School.
Her personal interests continue to cover housing and homelessness, bullying and a lay person's view on IVF (having successfully had an IVF pregnancy at the age of 43 in 2005 - the Human Fertility and Embryology Authority predicted a 7% chances of success at that age). She has delivered occasional lectures at the LSE on the role of the third main party in politics.
As a "late Mum" she has freelanced over recent years in order to be at the school gate more often (with a year at No10 being the exception). At present she is an active chair of her local PTA. Olly is married with one child and lives in Clapham.
Lord Paddy Ashdown said: "This is excellent news. Apart from her service to her party, Olly has made a major contribution to public housing in Britain and this is much needed in today's Lords. Her experience, especially in the communications field, will add considerable strength to the Lib Dem benches and her ability to speak with a freshness and clarity will be welcome to all who want to see our politics more in touch with ordinary life in Britain."
David Laws, Minister of State for Schools and the Cabinet Office, said: "Olly Grender is a talented addition to our representation in the House of Lords. Olly has made her mark as a powerful communicator for the party and these skills are based on a passion for Liberal Democrat values and policies. The House of Lords will be a livelier and better informed place for Olly's presence and her expertise in areas such as housing will make a big difference."
CHRISTINE MARY HUMPHREYS
Christine Humphreys was a member of the Welsh Assembly for North Wales from 1999-2001 and a member of the former Colwyn Borough Council from 1984-1988 and 1990-1994.
In the Welsh Assembly she was the Liberal Democrat spokeswoman on post-16 education, a member of the Standards Committee and a trustee of the Assembly Members' Pension Scheme. She made numerous media appearances giving individual interviews and participating in panel debates in both Welsh and English.
Christine is President of the Welsh Party and a member of the Welsh National Executive Committee, to which she has been reelected three consecutive times.
She has broad experience of Welsh-language broadcasting and is a regular spokespersonfor the Welsh Lib Dems. During the Assembly Election campaign in 2011 and the Local Government Election campaign in 2012 she regularly took part in the flagship Radio Cymru political programme Dau o'r Bae programmes and was regularly interviewed by the Welsh-language media.
For the last seven years she has been working as a part-time tutor for Bangor University's Welsh for Adults courses. Her voluntary work includes membership of Conwy Valley Rotary Club, which she became president of in 2011. She also volunteered for the Llanrwst Almshouse Museum from 2005-2010 in various roles including chair of the trustees.
Kirsty Williams, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats said: "I am really pleased for Christine. She has played a huge role in the Welsh party and her experience will be of value, ensuring that the Coalition remains anchored in the centre ground.
"She has had dedicated her life to serving others, either through politics or teaching. She has also played an important role, as party President, in developing and mentoring young female candidates during the Westminster, Assembly and council elections.
"I am also proud that the Welsh Liberal Democrats will be providing more female representation in a chamber that is lacking women."
ZAHIDA P MANZOOR CBE, MA, HV, SCM, SRN
Zahida Manzoor's early career saw her first qualify as a nurse and practice as a midwife and health visitor, as well as lecturing on youth and education. She has successfully held board leadership roles for more than 20 years, often with organisations going through significant change and in complex organisations such as the NHS.
Her experience spans three areas.
Legal
Health
Equality and Race Relations
Norman Lamb, Minister of State for Care and Support, said: "Zahida Manzoor has had a distinguished career in the public sphere and will be extremely valuable as a legislator in the House of Lords. With a wealth of knowledge across a whole spectrum of important areas, from the law to the NHS, higher education to equality issues, it is clear Zahida can bring a great deal of fresh thinking not just to the Liberal Democrat group, but Parliament as a whole."
BRIAN PADDICK
Brian Paddick joined the Metropolitan Police in 1976 and served for just over 30 years. He served both in uniform and as a detective, at local police stations and at New Scotland Yard, performing both policy and operational roles. During his service he proposed an innovative approach to policing cannabis, which is now national police policy.
A champion of equality, his work with the African-Caribbean and Muslim communities in police-community relations is widely acknowledged. He was the highest ranking openly gay police officer in the UK. The Home Office praised his work as police spokesperson during the London bombings in 2005. He was the national lead for the Association of Chief Police Officers on the policing of mental health and disability.
An expert in public order policing, he was one of the cadre of advanced trained senior police officers. He led the policing of events such as the Wimbledon tennis championship, rugby internationals at Twickenham and raids on premises illegally occupied by anarchists. He left the police in May 2007 as a Deputy Assistant Commissioner. On leaving, his conduct was officially recorded as exemplary.
Through full-time police scholarships, Brian Paddick has been awarded a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford University, an MBA from Warwick Business School and a diploma in Policing and Applied Criminology from Cambridge University. He is a Visiting Fellow of Ashridge Business School and speaks from an academic perspective and personal experience on leadership, management of change and diversity.
In 2008 and 2012, Brian Paddick ran as the Liberal Democrat Candidate for Mayor of London. He has also been elected by the party to the interim peers panel. Since leaving the police he has been the Chair of Trustees of a charity helping young offenders and those at risk of becoming involved in crime, and is patron of two charities concerned with mental health issues. He has made significant financial contributions to various charities ranging from the Elton John Aids Foundation to Amnesty International. He is a senior consultant with the company Public Partners.
Brian Paddick is a regular contributor on programmes including Newsnight, The Daily Politics, Today and Woman's Hour and has written numerous articles for national newspapers on subjects ranging from policing and drugs to gay marriage. BBC News, ITN and Sky News regularly use him as an expert on policing issues.
Simon Hughes, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: "Brian Paddick is one of England's best known senior police officers of recent years who will bring great experience to Parliament.
"Except for university, Brian has spent all of his life and police service in Greater London, where he has twice stood as Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of London. He has been a champion for policing, transparency, and for the city. He will be a formidable and valuable member of the House of Lords."
JAMES PALUMBO
James Palumbo is the co-founder and chairman of Ministry of Sound Group, the international music and nightclub business.
After working in the city for Merrill Lynch and Morgan Grenfell, Palumbo opened the Ministry of Sound nightclub in South London in September 1991. Since its inception, the business has expanded into a number of areas including music, live events, bars, consumer electronics and other lifestyle products. It is now the largest independent music company in the world. It has offices in Germany, Australia, the USA, Egypt, Malaysia and Spain and employs approximately 200 people in the UK.
Palumbo worked closely with Tom Sackville, the former Home Office Minister, on the Misuse of Drugs Act 1994. As a nightclub owner he worked tirelessly to reveal the truth about drugs culture, encourage other nightclub owners to do the same and give the minister the ammunition to take the Bill forward. He has also been involved with a number of other youth initiatives, particularly pre-1997, in engaging young people to use their vote as well as initiatives with local schools in Southwark.
Over recent years he has worked very closely with Simon Hughes, the Ministry of Sound's local MP, and with the Liberal Democrats more broadly, lending his business expertise on operations, marketing and campaigns.
Palumbo has written two novels, Tomas and Tancredi.
Simon Hughes, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: "James Palumbo is a greatly successful businessman who has made his Elephant and Castle based company a global club and music brand, valued around the world.
"James has been a valued advisor, friend and Liberal Democrat supporter over many years. He will bring great business and financial expertise to parliament."
JEREMY PURVIS
Jeremy Purvis was a Member of the Scottish Parliament for Tweeddale, Ettrick & Lauderdale from 2003-2011. When elected, he was the youngest constituency MSP, but already had direct and successful business experience.
Jeremy was a member of the Finance Committee and the Liberal Democrat Spokesman on Finance and the Economy. He drafted the Scottish Liberal Democrat Manifesto for the 2011 election. He was the first MSP to publish full proposals for the devolution of further tax powers to the Scottish Parliament in 2004, then proposed the establishment of the Steel Commission and served as a member of it. Many of his proposals have now been delivered in the Scotland Act.
Jeremy pioneered new policy development and thinking for innovative funding such as loan funding through Regional Development Banks based on social enterprise thinking. Douglas Fraser of the BBC described this as one of the "genuinely new ideas" of the Scottish election campaign in 2011. Colin Donald, Business Editor of the Sunday Herald described Jeremy's work as: "In a parliament that has failed to convince many in the industry that it understands their day-to-day challenges, Jeremy Purvis is widely regarded as one of the brightest and most creative talents. Not only has he been a doughty fighter for Borders business but he is one of the few MSPs who is prepared to consult widely and think rigorously, widely and intelligently about how to nurture entrepreneurialism in Scotland."
Jeremy has a proven record of working across political parties and different levels of Government. For example, his policy development for a Post Office Diversification Fund for Scotland secured cross-party support, and hundreds of sub post offices are benefitting as a result.
Jeremy established and chaired the Cross Party Group on Supporting Veterans in Scotland and wrote the Scottish Veterans Charter, now adopted across Scotland's local authorities and health boards. This was in response to his perception of a lack of focus in policy and delivery in supporting former armed forces personnel. This has now been corrected to the benefit of veterans.
During his term of office Jeremy held more than 1,000 advice surgeries across the breadth of his former constituency and helped 6,000 individual people in resolving issues. This gave him a deep insight into the services that people need but he also worked closely with charities and local businesses. With this work a number of press profiles described him as "thoughtful" (The Herald),"assertive" (The BBC), "widely respected" and "the party's astute finance spokesman" (The Daily Telegraph) and "smart, humorous and feisty" (Sunday Herald).
Jeremy is a widely and highly respected policy developer and consultant. He has over a decade of experience of successful policy research, corporate communications advice and public affairs. He is currently retained to develop and lead proposals for further reform to the Scottish Parliament under a cross party approach called Devolution Plus.
His previous experience includes various strategic communications roles in the private sector as well as being head of office for Lord Steel from 1996-1998.
Willie Rennie, Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said: "I am delighted Jeremy has been persuaded to return to the frontline of Scottish politics as he is somebody of great talent and ability who has much more to offer the party and the country.
"As a leading MSP in Holyrood, and more recently with his pioneering work for Devo Plus, Jeremy has shown he is bursting with ideas and has persuasive skills to match the best. I am also particularly pleased Jeremy has agreed to act as my policy and strategy adviser.
"He will very much strengthen our offering to the people of Scotland through the referendum and into the next Scottish Parliament."
ALISON SUTTIE
Alison Suttie is an independent political consultant with more than two decades of experience at the highest levels of public life in the UK and overseas. She has worked as an adviser to no fewer than four Liberal Democrat leaders, the Deputy Prime Minister and a President of the European Parliament.
Born and brought up in Hawick in the Scottish Borders, Alison graduated from Edinburgh's Heriot-Watt University in 1990 with a degree in French and Russian. After graduating she worked in St Petersburg as an English teacher from 1990 to 1991. Since then, her career in politics has taken her through the corridors of Whitehall, Brussels and beyond, most recently as Deputy Chief of Staff to Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister.
In 2006 Alison was appointed Head of the Liberal Democrat Leader's Office where she worked for Sir Menzies Campbell, Vince Cable (during his period as Acting Leader) and Nick Clegg. As the party's Campaign Manager, she was instrumental in planning, coordinating and executing the Liberal Democrat 2010 General Election Campaign. Immediately after the election, she was responsible for coordinating the Liberal Democrat negotiating team in the coalition talks with both the Conservative and Labour parties which led to the establishment of the Coalition Government.
In addition to working at Westminster, Alison has 10 years' experience at the European Parliament, where she gained an in-depth knowledge of Brussels politics and the EU institutions. She was press secretary to the President of the European Parliament, Pat Cox, from 2002 to 2004, and worked extensively in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe in the run-up to their accession to the European Union.
During her three years as a policy adviser in the European Parliament Alison gained considerable European legislative experience, including working on the second Reading of the Electricity Directive in 1996, the Fifth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development in 1997, the DAPHNE Programme combating violence against women and the 1999 and 2000 European Union Budgets.
Alison stepped out of front-line politics in the autumn of 2011 and is now putting her knowledge and insights of public affairs into use as an independent political consultant. Recent assignments have included running workshops on coalition negotiations and national election planning in Chisinau in the Republic of Moldova, party development work and a political training workshop in Tunis aimed at encouraging women's participation in Tunisian politics, co-facilitating training courses for UK fast stream civil servants and running a variety of training courses on effective campaigning and influencing for UK civil servants, NGOs and charity workers. She is also a member of the Liberal Democrat European policy working group.
Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat President, said: "Alison has dedicated her life to politics and the Liberal Democrats. She is responsible for seeing dozens of friends become and remain MPs, I'm utterly delighted that she will join us in parliament - a thoroughly deserved appointment."
Mike Moore, Secretary of State for Scotland, said: "Alison will provide a wealth of expertise to the House of Lords. I am absolutely delighted by the news of her appointment."
RUMI VERJEE CBE
Rumi Verjee, a Ugandan Asian, is a British entrepreneur and philanthropist; businesses he created now employ over 20,000 people in the UK. After bringing Domino's to the UK, Rumi also oversaw the development of the Brompton Hospital site. Rumi is the owner of the world-renowned china shop, Thomas Goode & Company, in Mayfair.
Born in 1957, Rumi attended Haileybury School and Downing College, Cambridge where he studied Law before he was called to the Bar from Middle Temple.
Rumi established The Rumi Foundation in 2006. The initiatives it supports are diverse, but all share the same goal of humanitarian work through education, innovation and knowledge building. Amongst other programmes, the foundation is working with The Clinton Foundation to provide new schools for 3,000 children in Uganda. The foundation recently helped launch the Canadian charity 'Free the Children' in the UK which is aimed at helping today's youth become move active citizens in their local communities and globally.
In 2009, Rumi was awarded the CBE for services to charity.
Rumi was also a member of the British Olympic Association Advisory Board for the 2012 London Olympic Games.
An active Liberal Democrat for several years, Rumi has campaigned with the party and supports candidates across the UK through the party's Leadership Programme for under-represented groups.
Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat Party President, said: "Rumi's quiet commitment to backing the underdog has been a hallmark of his long career in business and in his charity work. His success as a business leader and his clear passion for fairness and equal opportunity make him a perfect Liberal Democrat parliamentarian."
Baroness Sal Brinton, chair of the Liberal Democrat Leadership Programme, said: "I am delighted to hear that Rumi Verjee will be joining the House of Lords. Rumi has been an invaluable colleague in helping to set up and run the Lib Dem Leadership Programme, ensuring that the best candidates from underrepresented groups get the support they need to become future MPs.
"His passion for equality combined with his wonderful business experience will not just strengthen the Liberal Democrat benches, but the House of Lords overall."
SIR IAN WRIGGLESWORTH
Sir Ian Wrigglesworth is Chairman of the Durham Group, an investment company based in Gateshead. Until August 2012 he was chairman of the Port of Tyne, which he had been a director of since 2003. From 1995 to 2008 he was Executive Chairman of UK Land Estates, which became one of the biggest property development and investment companies in the north-east.
From 1994 until 2000 he was chairman of the public policy company Prima Europe and then chairman of its successor, GPC, after Prima was acquired by Omnicom. He is a former director of Tyne Tees Television and a number of other private and public companies. He was also chairman of the Northern CBI, chairman of the CBI Regional Chairmen and a member of the CBI Smaller Firms Council. He was founder chairman of the Northern Business Forum.
In addition to his business activities, Sir Ian was Deputy Chairman of the Government's Regional Growth Fund Advisory Panel until February 2012. He was chairman of the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art until 2009. He was also founder chairman of the private/public sector partnership between Newcastle and Gateshead Councils, known as the NewcastleGateshead Initiative which led the cities' joint bid for European Capital of Culture in 2002.
He was deputy chairman of the governors of the University of Teesside until 2002 and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music by the University of Northumbria in December 2011 in recognition of his services to the North East of England, and an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration in recognition of his services to business and the region by the University of Teesside in October 2012.
Sir Ian was MP for Teesside Thornaby and Stockton South between 1974 and 1987. He was first elected as a Labour and Co-op Member and, as one of the founder members of the SDP, was re-elected as an SDP Member in 1983. From 1974 to 1979 he was Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Home Secretary, Roy Jenkins, and when Labour returned to Opposition in 1979 he was appointed Shadow Minister for the Civil Service by James Callaghan. When he was defeated in 1987 he became Executive Deputy Chairman of the Livingston Group, a Teesside engineering and machine tool company, and its associate company, Fairfield Industries.
He was elected as the first national president of the Liberal Democrats in 1988, at the time Paddy Ashdown was elected leader. He was the founder chairman of the Liberal Democrat Business Forum and was chairman of the national trustees of the Liberal Democrats until January 2012 when he became the party's national treasurer. Prior to being elected to Parliament he worked in the City at National Giro Bank and in Middlesbrough at the Midland Bank.
He was born in Stockton-on-Tees, attended Stockton Grammar School and qualified as a teacher at the College of St Mark & St John in Chelsea. He is married to Tricia, who is a health visitor, and has two sons and a daughter.
He is a Deputy Lieutenant of Tyne & Wear, a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Founders and a Freeman of the City of London.
Lord Dick Newby, Liberal Democrat Leader in the House of Lords and Chief Whip, said: "Ian Wrigglesworth is that rare combination of a successful businessman and a very seasoned politician.
"His experience of business and public life in the north-east will bring an authoritative voice to our debates."
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