Ann Taylor, Baroness Taylor of Bolton

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 of the House of 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 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.

Member of Parliament

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.

Backbenches, retirement and peerage

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.

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

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.

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. 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.

Personal life

Votes

The Public Whip cites her as being "Very Strongly" for the Iraq War, equal Gay Rights, and Foundation Hospitals (despite being noted for voting against Conservative MP Edwina Currie's 1994 proposed amendement to the Public Order and Criminal Justice Bill to equalise the age of homosexual consent to 16).

In Popular culture

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

External links

• Guardian Politics Ask Aristotle – Ann Taylor
• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Ann Taylor
• They Work For You – Ann Taylor

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Robert Redmond	Member of Parliament for Bolton West 1974–1983	Succeeded by Tom Sackville
Preceded by John Whitfield	Member of Parliament for Dewsbury 1987–2005	Succeeded by Shahid Malik
Political offices
Preceded by Jack Straw	Shadow Secretary of State for Education 1992–1994	Succeeded by David Blunkett
Preceded by Michael Meacher	Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1994–1995	Succeeded by Derek Foster
	Shadow Minister for the Citizen's Charter 1994–1995
Preceded by Margaret Beckett	Shadow Leader of the House of Commons 1994–1997	Succeeded by Alastair Goodlad
Preceded by Tony Newton	Leader of the House of Commons 1997–1998	Succeeded by Margaret Beckett
	Lord President of the Council 1997–1998
Preceded by Nick Brown	Government Chief Whip of the House of Commons 1998–2001	Succeeded by Hilary Armstrong
	Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury 1998–2001
Preceded by Tom King	Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee 2001–2005	Succeeded by Paul Murphy
Preceded by The Lord Drayson	Minister of State for Defence Equipment and Support 2007–2008	Succeeded by Quentin Davies
New office	Minister of State for International Defence and Security 2008–2010	Succeeded by Gerald Howarth as Minister of State for International Security Strategy
Party political offices
Preceded by Nick Brown	Labour Chief Whip of the House of Commons 1998–2001	Succeeded by Hilary Armstrong