Caroline Spelman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dame Caroline Spelman
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![]() Official portrait, 2017
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Second Church Estates Commissioner | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 21 May 2015 – 12 December 2019 |
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Prime Minister | David Cameron Theresa May Boris Johnson |
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Preceded by | Tony Baldry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Andrew Selous | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 12 May 2010 – 4 September 2012 |
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Prime Minister | David Cameron | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Hilary Benn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Owen Paterson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chairman of the Conservative Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 2 July 2007 – 19 January 2009 |
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Leader | David Cameron | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Francis Maude | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Eric Pickles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Member of Parliament for Meriden |
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In office 1 May 1997 – 6 November 2019 |
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Preceded by | Iain Mills | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Saqib Bhatti | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born |
Caroline Alice Cormack
4 May 1958 Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England |
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Political party | Conservative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse |
Mark Spelman
(m. 1987) |
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Children | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Residences | London, England Algarve, Portugal |
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Alma mater | Queen Mary College, University of London | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dame Caroline Alice Spelman, born Caroline Cormack on May 4, 1958, is a British politician. She was a member of the Conservative Party. She served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Meriden in the West Midlands. She held this position from 1997 until 2019.
From May 2010 to September 2012, she was the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. This was part of David Cameron's government. She became a Privy Counsellor on May 13, 2010.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Caroline Spelman was born in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England. She attended The Hertfordshire and Essex High School. Later, she studied at Queen Mary College, University of London. She earned a First Class Bachelor's degree in European Studies.
Career Before Parliament
Before becoming an MP, Caroline Spelman worked in agriculture.
- From 1981 to 1984, she was a secretary for sugar beet at the National Farmers' Union.
- She then worked in Paris for the International Confederation of European Beet Growers. This was from 1984 to 1989.
- From 1989 to 1993, she was a research fellow. She worked at the Centre for European Agricultural Studies.
- She also co-owns a company with her husband. This company works with the food and biotechnology industries.
Time as a Member of Parliament
Caroline Spelman first tried to become an MP in 1992. She ran in the Bassetlaw area but was not elected. She successfully became an MP for Meriden in 1997.
Key Roles in Opposition
When the Conservative Party was not in power, she held several important roles:
- In 2001, she became the Shadow Secretary of State for International Development. This role involves looking at how the UK helps other countries.
- Later, she worked as a spokeswoman on Environmental Affairs.
- In 2004, she joined the Shadow Cabinet again. She became the Shadow Secretary of State for Local and Devolved Government Affairs.
- In 2007, she was promoted to Conservative Party Chairman. This is a very important role within the party.
- In 2009, she became the Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
Government Minister Role
From 2010 to 2012, Caroline Spelman served as the Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs. In this job, she worked on important environmental issues.
- She helped achieve a United Nations agreement on biodiversity in Nagoya. Biodiversity means the variety of life on Earth.
- She also helped with the Sustainable Development Goals agreement in Rio. These goals aim to make the world a better place for everyone.
- She considered her Nature Environment White Paper a major achievement. This paper set out the government's plans for the environment until 2060.
Later Parliamentary Work
After 2012, Caroline Spelman returned to being a regular MP. She continued to represent her constituents.
- From 2015 to 2019, she served as the Second Church Estates Commissioner. This role helps manage the Church of England's property and finances.
- She was against Brexit before the 2016 vote.
- In January 2019, she proposed an amendment in Parliament. This amendment aimed to prevent the UK from leaving the European Union without a deal. It was approved by MPs.
- In September 2019, she announced she would not run for re-election. She decided this after facing difficult experiences related to Brexit.
Personal Life
Caroline Spelman married Mark Spelman on April 25, 1987. They have two sons and one daughter. Her husband also ran for election in 2009.
When she first became an MP in 1997, she was the only Conservative MP with school-aged children. The party asked her to have her children educated in her local area. This meant she did not see her children as often, which she found challenging.
She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2016. This honor was given for her public service.