Andrea Leadsom facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable Dame Andrea Leadsom DBE
Official portrait, 2020
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health, Start for Life and Primary Care
In office 13 November 2023 – 5 July 2024
Prime Minister	Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	Neil O'Brien
Succeeded by	Andrew Gwynne
Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
In office 24 July 2019 – 13 February 2020
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Greg Clark
Succeeded by	Alok Sharma
Leader of the House of Commons Lord President of the Council
In office 11 June 2017 – 22 May 2019
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	David Lidington
Succeeded by	Mel Stride
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
In office 14 July 2016 – 11 June 2017
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	Liz Truss
Succeeded by	Michael Gove
Minister of State for Energy
In office 11 May 2015 – 14 July 2016
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	Matt Hancock
Succeeded by	The Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Economic Secretary to the Treasury
In office 9 April 2014 – 11 May 2015
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	Nicky Morgan
Succeeded by	Harriett Baldwin
Member of Parliament for South Northamptonshire
In office 6 May 2010 – 30 May 2024
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Sarah Bool
Personal details
Born	Andrea Jacqueline Salmon (1963-05-13) 13 May 1963 (age 62) Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Ben Leadsom ​ (m. 1993)​
Children	3
Education	Tonbridge Grammar School
Alma mater	University of Warwick

Dame Andrea Jacqueline Leadsom (born 13 May 1963) is a British politician. She held several important jobs in the government under different Prime Ministers from 2014 to 2024. A member of the Conservative Party, she was a Member of Parliament (MP) for South Northamptonshire from 2010 to 2024.

Leadsom was part of the Cabinet, which is a group of senior ministers. She served as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2016 to 2017. She was also Leader of the House of Commons from 2017 to 2019. Later, she became Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy from 2019 to 2020. She also ran twice to become the leader of the Conservative Party.

Andrea Leadsom's Early Life and Career

Andrea Salmon was born in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, on 13 May 1963. She went to Tonbridge Girls' Grammar School. After that, she studied Political Science at the University of Warwick. When she was younger, she worked in a supermarket and as a waitress.

After finishing university, Leadsom started a career in the finance world. She worked for Barclays Bank in their investment banking division. She was a Deputy Director in their Financial Institutions team starting in 1993. She left Barclays in 1997.

From 1997 to 1999, Leadsom was a managing director at De Putron Fund Management. She was promoted to a board director for marketing in 1998. From 1999 to 2009, she worked at Invesco Perpetual. There, she was Head of Corporate Governance and a Senior Investment Officer. Her job involved working on special projects for the Chief Investment Officer.

Leadsom also served as a Conservative Party councillor on South Oxfordshire District Council from 2003 to 2007. In the 2005 general election, she ran for MP in Knowsley South but did not win.

Political Journey in Parliament

Starting as an MP (2010–2013)

Leadsom was chosen to be the candidate for South Northamptonshire in 2006. In the 2010 general election, she was elected as the MP for that area. She won with a large number of votes.

When she joined the House of Commons, she became a member of the Treasury Select Committee. This committee looks at how the government manages money. In her first speech in Parliament, she talked about making the financial sector healthy again.

In 2011, she helped start the Fresh Start Project. This project aimed to find ways to change the UK's relationship with the European Union. In October 2011, Leadsom was one of many Conservative MPs who voted for a public vote on whether the UK should stay in the European Union.

In 2012, she was involved in questioning bankers during the Libor scandal. This was about banks trying to fix interest rates. She questioned important people like Bob Diamond and Paul Tucker.

Leadsom chose not to vote for or against the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill in 2013. This bill allowed same-sex couples to marry. She said she was torn because she supported loving couples but also respected traditional views on marriage.

In 2013, she joined the Number 10 Policy Unit. This group helps the Prime Minister with new ideas and plans for public services.

Working at the Treasury (2014–2015)

On 9 April 2014, Leadsom became the Economic Secretary to the Treasury. This is a junior minister role in the department that manages the country's money. She also became the City Minister, focusing on London's financial district.

She helped introduce the UK Government's first Islamic bonds, called Sukuk. This was a new type of financial bond for the UK. Leadsom said this helped make Britain a leading place for Islamic finance.

Minister for Energy (2015–2016)

In the 2015 general election, Leadsom was re-elected as MP for South Northamptonshire. After the election, she was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

In June 2015, Leadsom announced that the government would stop giving money to support new onshore wind farms. She said the UK had enough wind power planned. Before this job, she had been against wind farms. However, after becoming Minister, she said she was convinced that climate change was real and that fracking was safe.

As Minister, Leadsom also started a plan to ban microbeads. These are tiny plastic pieces found in products like face washes that harm the environment.

Role in the EU Referendum (2016)

Leadsom played a big part in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union in June 2016. She argued that the UK economy was strong enough without being part of the single market. She also said that EU trade rules were too slow.

Running for Conservative Leader (2016)

After the UK voted to leave the EU, Prime Minister David Cameron announced he would resign. Leadsom became one of the candidates to become the next leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister. She said she would start the process to leave the EU right away.

In the first round of voting by MPs, Theresa May received the most votes, and Leadsom came in second. In the second round, Leadsom again came second. On 11 July 2016, Leadsom decided to withdraw from the leadership race. This meant Theresa May became the new leader without further voting.

During her campaign, there were some discussions about her past work experience. Leadsom said her CV was accurate and that she had not changed it. There was also a controversy about comments she made in an interview about motherhood. She said her words were misunderstood.

Leadsom later explained that she did not have enough support from MPs to lead a strong government. She thanked her supporters and wished Theresa May success.

Environment Secretary (2016–2017)

On 14 July 2016, after Theresa May became Prime Minister, Leadsom was appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. In this role, she was in charge of protecting the environment, food, and farming. She said she was very committed to ensuring clean air.

Leader of the House of Commons (2017–2019)

Leadsom's official parliamentary portrait after being re-elected in 2017.

In the 2017 general election, Leadsom was re-elected as an MP. On 11 June 2017, she was appointed Leader of the House of Commons. This job involves managing the government's business in Parliament.

In July 2017, she made a humorous mistake in Parliament while talking about the famous author Jane Austen. She called Austen "one of our greatest living authors" before correcting herself.

On 22 May 2019, Leadsom resigned from her role as Leader of the House of Commons. She did this because she disagreed with Theresa May's plans for leaving the European Union.

Running for Conservative Leader (2019)

Leadsom announced she would run for the party leadership again on 25 May 2019. However, she was eliminated in the first round of voting on 13 June 2019.

Business Secretary (2019–2020)

Leadsom, as Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, speaking at a UK-Africa Investment Summit in 2020.

On 24 July 2019, after Boris Johnson became Prime Minister, Leadsom was appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. This role involves looking after businesses, energy, and industry in the UK.

In the 2019 general election, Leadsom was re-elected as an MP. On 13 February 2020, she left her job as Business Secretary during a government reshuffle.

Later Years in Parliament (2020–2024)

Leadsom makes her ministerial resignation statement, 4 March 2020.

After leaving the Cabinet in 2020, Leadsom remained an MP. In July 2022, she supported Penny Mordaunt in the Conservative Party leadership election. When Mordaunt was eliminated, she supported Liz Truss. After Truss resigned, she again supported Mordaunt.

In November 2023, Leadsom returned to a government role as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Primary Care, Start for Life and Public Health. This job focuses on public health.

On 24 May 2024, Leadsom announced that she would not stand for re-election in the 2024 general election. She left her government position when the new government was formed in July 2024.

Andrea Leadsom's Personal Life

Leadsom married Ben Leadsom in 1993. They have two sons and one daughter. She has spoken about experiencing postnatal depression after her first child was born.

She helped start a charity called Northamptonshire Parent Infant Partnership. This charity helps parents connect with their babies. She also founded PIPUK, a national charity for Parent Infant Partnerships.

Leadsom has said that her Christian faith is very important to her life. She attends Bible study groups with other politicians and prays often. In July 2022, she published a book about her life called Snakes and Ladders.

Awards and Recognition

• 2016: She was made a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom. This gives her the special title "The Right Honourable" for life.
• 2021: She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for her political service. This means she can use the title "Dame."

See also

In Spanish: Andrea Leadsom para niños