Gillian Shephard

The Right Honourable
The Baroness Shephard
of Northwold
PC
The Right Honourable The Baroness Shephard; of Northwold PC
	Official portrait, 2018
Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions
	In office; 1 June 1998 – 15 June 1999
Leader	William Hague
Preceded by	Norman Fowler
Succeeded by	John Redwood
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
	In office; 11 June 1997 – 1 June 1998
Leader	William Hague
Preceded by	Alastair Goodlad
Succeeded by	George Young
Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
	In office; 11 June 1997 – 1 June 1998
Leader	William Hague
Preceded by	Michael Heseltine
Succeeded by	George Young
Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Employment
	In office; 2 May 1997 – 11 June 1997
Leader	John Major
Preceded by	David Blunkett
Succeeded by	Stephen Dorrell
Secretary of State for Education and Employment[a]
	In office; 20 July 1994 – 2 May 1997
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	John Patten
Succeeded by	David Blunkett
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
	In office; 27 May 1993 – 20 July 1994
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	John Gummer
Succeeded by	William Waldegrave
Secretary of State for Employment
	In office; 10 April 1992 – 27 May 1993
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	Michael Howard
Succeeded by	David Hunt
Member of the House of Lords ; Lord Temporal
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 21 June 2005; Life peerage
Member of Parliament; for South West Norfolk
	In office; 11 June 1987 – 11 April 2005
Preceded by	Paul Hawkins
Succeeded by	Christopher Fraser
Personal details
Born	Gillian Patricia Watts; 22 January 1940 (age 84); Cromer, England
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Thomas Shephard (m. 1975)
Alma mater	St Hilda's College, Oxford
	a. ^ Shephard served as Education Secretary from 1994 to 1995. In July 1995, Shephard took over the duties of the former role of Secretary of State for Employment, held by Michael Portillo until the role was abolished. Shephard then became Education and Employment Secretary.

Gillian Patricia Shephard, Baroness Shephard of Northwold, PC, DL (née Watts; born 22 January 1940), is a British Conservative politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for South West Norfolk from 1987 to 2005.^[1] Shephard served as a Cabinet Minister, and is now Chairman of the Association of Conservative Peers.

Shephard is currently the chair of the Alumni Association of Oxford University. She was the chair of the Council of the Institute of Education until 2015 and deputy commissioner of the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission until 2017.

Early life and career

The daughter of Reginald and Bertha Watts, she was born in Cromer, Norfolk, and spent her early years in Mundesley on Sea, her father being a haulier with a small garage. She was educated at North Walsham Girls' High School and St Hilda's College, Oxford,^[2] where she graduated with an MA in Modern Languages.

She became a schoolteacher and then worked as an Education Inspector for Norfolk County Council from 1963 to 1975. From 1975 to 1977 she worked for Anglia Television. She was elected to Parliament in 1987, and became Parliamentary Private Secretary to Peter Lilley in 1988.^[1] She was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department of Social Security in 1989,^[3] and then in 1990, Minister of State at HM Treasury.^[4] In 1990, she was given the additional role of Deputy Chairman of the Party.^[3]

Family

She married Thomas Shephard on 27 December 1975. She has two stepsons, including econometrician Neil Shephard FBA, Professor of Economics and Statistics at Harvard University.^{[citation needed]}

Ministerial career

After the 1992 general election, she was appointed Secretary of State for Employment,^[1] then Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in 1993.^[3] She moved to Secretary of State for Education in 1994, and stayed at the department when the Department for Employment merged into it in 1996.^[3] She remained in this position until the 1997 general election.^[4]

Shephard was one of two women promoted to John Major's Cabinet in 1992; the other was Virginia Bottomley. The two believed the media was looking for stories of Ministerial "catfights" and made a pact to work together, despite differences in backgrounds and working styles. In an interview, Shephard said, "We said that we would never give anybody the chance to say that we were criticising the other. We would be supportive; end of. And we were."^[5]

Shephard provided considerable information regarding her role as Secretary of State for Education in interviews conducted by Brian Sherratt in October 1994 and March 1996 for his book on the agenda for educational reform which the Conservative Party had developed since 1979.^[6]

In opposition

After the defeat of the Conservatives, William Hague made her Shadow Leader of the House of Commons and later Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions.^[4] She returned to the backbenches in 1999^[7] and stepped down from the House of Commons at the 2005 general election.^[4] Her memoirs Shephard's Watch: Illusions of Power in British Politics were published in 2000.^[7]

In 2013 following the death of Margaret Thatcher, Shephard published a memoir, The Real Iron Lady, of her time working with the former prime minister.^[8]

Life peerage

On 13 May 2005 it was announced that she would be created a life peer,^[9] and on 21 June 2005 the peerage was created as Baroness Shephard of Northwold, of Northwold in the County of Norfolk.^[10]

She is currently Chairman of the Association of Conservative Peers.^[11] She was Deputy Chair of the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission^[12] until 2017, when she resigned in frustration with Prime Minister Theresa May's lack of action.^[13]

Arms

Coat of arms of Gillian Shephard
	Adopted 2006 Coronet Coronet of a Baroness Escutcheon Quarterly Azure and Or three pairs of ears of barley in pale each pair fesswise leaved and with slips inwards and conjoined all counterchanged. Supporters On either side a hare Azure gorged with a coronet attached thereto a chain reflexed over the back Or.^[14] Motto SERVO ERGO SUM Symbolism These Armorial Bearings reflect rural Norfolk with blue for the Conservative party.^[15]

Honours

She was appointed as a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom in 1992, giving her the Honorific Title "The Right Honourable" and after Ennoblement the Post Nominal Letters "PC" for life.
She was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Norfolk on 23 July 2003, giving her the post nominal letters "DL" for life.^[16] on 22 January 2015 She was moved to the Retired List upon reaching the Mandatory retirement age of 75.
On 21 June 2005 she was awarded a Life Peerage. The peerage was created as Baroness Shephard of Northwold, of Northwold in the County of Norfolk. This entitled her to a seat in the House of Lords where she sits with the Conservative Party Benches.
In 2009 she was awarded the Legion of Honour by France.
She holds Honorary Fellowships from St Hilda's College, Oxford,^[17] Queen Mary University of London (2008),^[18] and the Royal Veterinary College.
In July 2018 she was awarded the Honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Law (DCL) from the University of East Anglia.^[19]^[20]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Gillian Shephard". BBC News Online. 17 October 2002. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
^ "Shephard's scars". Times Higher Education. 20 September 1996. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Shephard plans to step down as MP". BBC News Online. 17 September 2004. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Full list of new life peers". BBC News Online. 13 May 2005. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
^ Reeves, Rachel, 1979- (7 March 2019). Women of Westminster : the MPs who changed politics. London. ISBN 978-1-78831-677-4. OCLC 1084655208.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ Radical Educational Policies and Conservative Secretaries of State, Ribbins, P and Sherratt, B, Cassell, 1997, pp. 200-225.
^ ^a ^b "Hague was wrong to rubbish old guard, says Major loyalist". The Independent. 25 July 2000. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
^ Gillian Shephard (18 March 2013). The Real Iron Lady: Working with Margaret Thatcher. Biteback Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84954-562-4.
^ "New peers make Labour giant in Lords". Manchester Evening News. 13 May 2005. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
^ "No. 57684". The London Gazette. 24 June 2005. p. 8245.
^ "All courtesy titles could go in reform of honours". The Times. 29 December 2007. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
^ "New appointments to the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk.
^ Harley, Nicola (2 December 2017). "'Little hope of fairer Britain': Theresa May's social mobility tsar quits in frustration as Government focuses on Brexit". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
^ Debrett's Peerage. 2019. p. 4350.
^ "Arms and the Woman" (PDF). The Heraldry Society. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
^ "Deputy Lieutenant Commissions Lieutenancy of the County of Norfolk". The London Gazette. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
^ "The Rt Hon Baroness Gillian Shephard of Northwold DL - Modern Languages, 1958". St Hilda's College University of Oxford. 29 January 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
^ "Fellows". Queen Mary University of London. Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
^ "Honorary degrees to be given to three former cabinet ministers".
^ "Honorary Graduates of UEA 2018". The University of East Anglia. Retrieved 22 July 2022.

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Paul Hawkins	Member of Parliament for South West Norfolk 1987–2005	Succeeded by Christopher Fraser
Political offices
Preceded by Michael Howard	Secretary of State for Employment 1992–1993	Succeeded by David Hunt
Preceded by John Gummer	Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1993–1994	Succeeded by William Waldegrave
Preceded by John Patten	Secretary of State for Education 1994–1995	Succeeded by Herself as Secretary of State for Education and Employment
Preceded by Herself as Secretary of State for Education	Secretary of State for Education and Employment 1995–1997	Succeeded by David Blunkett
Succeeded by Michael Portillo as Secretary of State for Employment		Succeeded by David Blunkett
Preceded by David Blunkett	Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Employment 1997	Succeeded by Stephen Dorrell
Preceded by Alastair Goodlad	Shadow Leader of the House of Commons 1997–1998	Succeeded by George Young
Preceded by Michael Heseltine	Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1997–1998	Succeeded by George Young
Preceded by Norman Fowler	Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions 1998–1999	Succeeded by John Redwood

[gillian-1] "Gillian Shephard". BBC News Online. 17 October 2002. Retrieved 5 December 2010.

[scars-2] "Shephard's scars". Times Higher Education. 20 September 1996. Retrieved 5 December 2010.

[step-3] "Shephard plans to step down as MP". BBC News Online. 17 September 2004. Retrieved 5 December 2010.

[list-4] "Full list of new life peers". BBC News Online. 13 May 2005. Retrieved 5 December 2010.

[5] Reeves, Rachel, 1979- (7 March 2019). Women of Westminster : the MPs who changed politics. London. ISBN 978-1-78831-677-4. OCLC 1084655208.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

[6] Radical Educational Policies and Conservative Secretaries of State, Ribbins, P and Sherratt, B, Cassell, 1997, pp. 200-225.

[rubbish-7] "Hague was wrong to rubbish old guard, says Major loyalist". The Independent. 25 July 2000. Retrieved 5 December 2010.

[Shephard2013-8] Gillian Shephard (18 March 2013). The Real Iron Lady: Working with Margaret Thatcher. Biteback Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84954-562-4.

[giant-9] "New peers make Labour giant in Lords". Manchester Evening News. 13 May 2005. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2010.

[10] "No. 57684". The London Gazette. 24 June 2005. p. 8245.

[courtesy-11] "All courtesy titles could go in reform of honours". The Times. 29 December 2007. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 5 December 2010.

[12] "New appointments to the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk.

[13] Harley, Nicola (2 December 2017). "'Little hope of fairer Britain': Theresa May's social mobility tsar quits in frustration as Government focuses on Brexit". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 12 January 2020.

[14] Debrett's Peerage. 2019. p. 4350.

[15] "Arms and the Woman" (PDF). The Heraldry Society. Retrieved 30 April 2022.

[16] "Deputy Lieutenant Commissions Lieutenancy of the County of Norfolk". The London Gazette. Retrieved 22 July 2022.

[17] "The Rt Hon Baroness Gillian Shephard of Northwold DL - Modern Languages, 1958". St Hilda's College University of Oxford. 29 January 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2022.

[18] "Fellows". Queen Mary University of London. Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2022.

[19] "Honorary degrees to be given to three former cabinet ministers".

[20] "Honorary Graduates of UEA 2018". The University of East Anglia. Retrieved 22 July 2022.

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v t e Major Cabinet
Cabinet Members	Jonathan Aitken Kenneth Baker Virginia Bottomley Peter Brooke Kenneth Clarke Viscount Cranborne Stephen Dorrell Michael Forsyth Roger Freeman John Gummer William Hague Jeremy Hanley Michael Heseltine Douglas Hogg Michael Howard David Hunt Douglas Hurd Tom King Norman Lamont Ian Lang Peter Lilley John MacGregor Lord Mackay John Major Brian Mawhinney Patrick Mayhew David Mellor Tony Newton Chris Patten John Patten Michael Portillo John Redwood Malcolm Rifkind Gillian Shephard Lord Waddington Lord Wakeham William Waldegrave George Young
Also attended meetings	Norman Fowler Alastair Goodlad Richard Ryder

Authority control databases
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Other	IdRef

The Right Honourable The Baroness Shephard of Northwold PC
Official portrait, 2018

Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions
In office 1 June 1998 – 15 June 1999
Leader	William Hague
Preceded by	Norman Fowler
Succeeded by	John Redwood
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
In office 11 June 1997 – 1 June 1998
Leader	William Hague
Preceded by	Alastair Goodlad
Succeeded by	George Young
Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
In office 11 June 1997 – 1 June 1998
Leader	William Hague
Preceded by	Michael Heseltine
Succeeded by	George Young
Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Employment
In office 2 May 1997 – 11 June 1997
Leader	John Major
Preceded by	David Blunkett
Succeeded by	Stephen Dorrell
Secretary of State for Education and Employment^[a]
In office 20 July 1994 – 2 May 1997
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	John Patten
Succeeded by	David Blunkett
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
In office 27 May 1993 – 20 July 1994
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	John Gummer
Succeeded by	William Waldegrave
Secretary of State for Employment
In office 10 April 1992 – 27 May 1993
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	Michael Howard
Succeeded by	David Hunt
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office 21 June 2005 Life peerage
Member of Parliament for South West Norfolk
In office 11 June 1987 – 11 April 2005
Preceded by	Paul Hawkins
Succeeded by	Christopher Fraser

Personal details
Born	Gillian Patricia Watts (1940-01-22) 22 January 1940 (age 84) Cromer, England
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Thomas Shephard (m. 1975)
Alma mater	St Hilda's College, Oxford
a. ^ Shephard served as Education Secretary from 1994 to 1995. In July 1995, Shephard took over the duties of the former role of Secretary of State for Employment, held by Michael Portillo until the role was abolished. Shephard then became Education and Employment Secretary.