David Willetts facts for kids

David Linsay Willetts, also known as Baron Willetts, born on March 9, 1956, is a British politician and a life peer. A life peer is someone who has been given a special title (like "Baron") by the King or Queen, which allows them to be a member of the House of Lords for their lifetime.

From 1992 to 2015, he was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Havant in Hampshire. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people (a constituency) in the UK Parliament. He served as the Minister of State for Universities and Science from 2010 to 2014. After leaving the House of Commons, he became a member of the House of Lords in 2015. In April 2022, he was chosen to lead the board of the UK Space Agency, which is the government body in charge of space activities in the UK. He is also the president of the Resolution Foundation, a group that studies how to improve living standards for people on low and middle incomes.

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Lord Willetts PC FRS FAcSS
Official portrait, 2020
Minister of State for Universities and Science
In office 11 May 2010 – 14 July 2014
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	David Lammy
Succeeded by	Greg Clark
Paymaster General
In office 20 July 1996 – 21 November 1996
Leader	John Major
Preceded by	David Heathcoat-Amory
Succeeded by	Michael Bates
Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
In office 6 July 1995 – 28 November 1995
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	Andrew Mitchell
Succeeded by	Liam Fox
Shadow Cabinet positions Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills In office 2 July 2007 – 19 January 2009 Leader David Cameron Preceded by Position established Succeeded by Kenneth Clarke (Business, Innovation and Skills) Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Skills In office 8 December 2005 – 2 July 2007 Leader David Cameron Preceded by David Cameron Succeeded by Michael Gove (Children, Schools and Families) Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry In office 6 May 2005 – 8 December 2005 Leader Michael Howard Preceded by James Arbuthnot (Trade) Stephen O'Brien (Industry) Succeeded by Alan Duncan Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Social Security (1999–2001) In office 15 June 1999 – 6 May 2005 Leader William Hague Iain Duncan Smith Michael Howard Preceded by Iain Duncan Smith Succeeded by Malcolm Rifkind Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Employment In office 1 June 1998 – 15 June 1999 Leader William Hague Preceded by Stephen Dorrell Succeeded by Theresa May
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office 16 October 2015 Life Peerage
Member of Parliament for Havant
In office 9 April 1992 – 30 March 2015
Preceded by	Ian Lloyd
Succeeded by	Alan Mak
Personal details
Born	David Linsay Willetts (1956-03-09) 9 March 1956 (age 69) Birmingham, England, UK
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Sarah Butterfield
Education	King Edward's School, Birmingham
Alma mater	University of Oxford (BA)

Early Life and Education

David Willetts in 2009

David Willetts went to King Edward's School, Birmingham. He then studied philosophy, politics and economics (often called PPE) at Christ Church, Oxford. He earned a top-level degree from Oxford University.

Early Career in Policy

Before becoming an MP, Willetts worked as a researcher for Nigel Lawson, who was a very important government minister. At 26, he was in charge of a part of the Treasury that dealt with how the government manages money.

At 28, he moved to Margaret Thatcher's Policy Unit, which helped the Prime Minister develop new ideas. Later, at 31, he took over the Centre for Policy Studies, a group that researches government policies.

First Time in Government

Willetts' constituency office

Willetts became an MP for Havant in 1992 when he was 36. He quickly became important in Parliament. He served as a Whip, which is a role that helps make sure party members vote in a certain way. He also became a Cabinet Office Minister.

Later, he was appointed Paymaster General, a role that helps coordinate government policies. During this time, he earned the nickname "Two Brains" because people thought he was very smart. In 1996, he resigned from his role as Paymaster General following an investigation by a parliamentary committee.

Working in the Shadow Cabinet

Even after his resignation, Willetts returned to a leading role in the Shadow Cabinet a few years later. The Shadow Cabinet is a group of senior politicians from the main opposition party who "shadow" or watch over the government ministers.

He served as the Shadow Education Secretary and later as the Shadow Social Security Secretary. In these roles, he became known as an expert on pensions and benefits.

After the 2005 election, he was the Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. In 2005, he decided not to run for leader of his party but supported David Davis.

When David Cameron became leader, Willetts was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Skills in December 2005. Later, his role changed to Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, focusing on universities and skills.

In 2007, Willetts gave a speech about grammar schools. He supported the Conservative Party's policy of not bringing back grammar schools. This speech caused some debate, but David Cameron supported Willetts' views.

Second Time in Government

After the 2010 general election, David Cameron became Prime Minister. He appointed David Willetts as the Minister of State for Universities and Science. In this role, Willetts was in charge of policies related to universities and scientific research.

University Fees and Student Loans

As the minister for universities, Willetts supported the government's plan to increase the cap on university tuition fees in England and Wales. The fees went from £3,225 to £9,000 per year.

In 2013, Willetts announced that student loans would be sold to a company called Erudio Student Loans. This helped reduce government debt.

Becoming a Peer and New Roles

In July 2014, Willetts announced he would not run in the next general election. He said it was time for "fresh challenges" after more than 20 years as an MP.

In October 2014, he became a visiting professor at King's College London. A visiting professor is someone who teaches or researches at a university for a short time.

In 2015, he was made a life peer and became Baron Willetts. This meant he could join the House of Lords. In June 2015, he became the executive chair of the Resolution Foundation, a research group. In May 2018, he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a very old and respected scientific organization.

In 2022, he was appointed to lead the board of the UK Space Agency.

Views on Brexit

In December 2018, Willetts was one of the senior Conservative politicians who called for a second public vote on Brexit. They believed it was important to listen to younger generations who mostly voted to stay in the European Union. They argued that if Brexit didn't work out for young people, the party might lose their support for good.

Other Interests and Roles

After leaving Parliament in 2015, Willetts joined the Resolution Foundation. He led their Intergenerational Commission, which looked at how different generations are affected by policies. He is now the President of the Resolution Foundation.

He is also a visiting professor at King's College London and Cass Business School. He is a board member of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which researches economic issues. In 2018, he became the new Chancellor of the University of Leicester. The Chancellor is usually the ceremonial head of a university.

Willetts has written several books about conservatism, which is a political idea. He also helped start the Henry Jackson Society in 2005, which supports spreading liberal democracy around the world.

Civic Conservatism

Willetts developed the idea of "civic conservatism." This idea focuses on the importance of groups and organizations between the government and individuals. It means thinking about how communities, charities, and other voluntary groups can help society, not just the government or individuals alone.

This idea has influenced the Conservative Party's focus on local communities and voluntary organizations. Some people have even called him "the real father of Cameronism," meaning he greatly influenced David Cameron's political ideas.

Personal Life

David Willetts is married to an artist named Sarah Butterfield. They have a daughter, born in 1988, and a son, born in 1992.

Honours and Awards

In 2010, Willetts became a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom. This gave him the special title "The Right Honourable" for life. After he became a peer, he also gained the letters "PC" after his name.

University Degrees

Location	Date	School	Degree
England		Christ Church, Oxford	First-class honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) in PPE

University Positions and Fellowships

Location	Date	School	Position
England	21 October 2014 –	King's College London	Visiting Professor
England	July 2018 – March 2023	University of Leicester	Chancellor
England	–	Nuffield College, Oxford	Honorary Fellow

Honorary Degrees

These are special degrees given to people to recognize their achievements, even if they didn't study at that university.

Location	Date	School	Degree
England	21 November 2014	University of Bedfordshire	Doctor of Arts (D.Arts)
England	17 July 2016	University of Leicester	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
England	4 July 2017	University of Bath	Doctor of Laws (LL.D.)
England	2017	Richmond, The American International University in London	Doctor of Public Administration (DPA)
England	2017	University of Chester	Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.)

Memberships and Fellowships

Country	Date	Organisation	Position
United Kingdom	2014 –	Academy of Social Sciences	Fellow (FAcSS)
United Kingdom	2016 –	Academy of Medical Sciences	Honorary Fellow (FMedSci)
United Kingdom	2017 –	Royal Society of Chemistry	Honorary Fellow (HonFRSC)
United Kingdom	2018 –	Royal Society	Honorary Fellow (FRS)
United Kingdom	2023 –	Royal Academy of Engineering	Honorary Fellow (FREng)

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