Diana Maddock, Baroness Maddock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Baroness Maddock
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Official portrait, 2018
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| President of the Liberal Democrats | |
| In office 1 January 1999 – 31 December 2000 |
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| Preceded by | Robert Maclennan |
| Succeeded by | Navnit Dholakia |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| In office 30 October 1997 – 26 June 2020 Life peerage |
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| Member of Parliament for Christchurch |
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| In office 29 July 1993 – 8 April 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Robert Adley |
| Succeeded by | Christopher Chope |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Diana Margaret Derbyshire
19 May 1945 |
| Died | 26 June 2020 (aged 75) Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Liberal Democrat |
| Spouses |
Bob Maddock
(m. 1966, divorced)The Lord Beith
(m. 2001) |
| Alma mater | Portsmouth University |
Diana Margaret Maddock, Baroness Maddock, Lady Beith (born Derbyshire; 19 May 1945 – 26 June 2020) was a British politician. She was a member of the Liberal Democrat party. Diana Maddock served as a MP for Christchurch from 1993 to 1997. Later, she became a life peer in the House of Lords as Baroness Maddock in 1997. She remained a member of the House of Lords until her death.
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Early Life and Education
Diana Maddock was born on 19 May 1945. Her parents were Reginald Derbyshire and Margaret Evans. She went to Shenstone Training College and Portsmouth Polytechnic, which is now the University of Portsmouth.
Diana worked as a teacher, helping people learn English as a foreign language. She taught in Sweden for some time. Living in Sweden helped shape her political ideas. After starting her family, she became more involved in politics in the mid-1970s. She also served as President of the Anglo-Swedish Society from 1999 until she passed away.
Political Journey
Diana Maddock joined the Liberal Party in 1976. In 1984, she was elected to the Southampton City Council. She wasn't very interested in politics when she was younger. She once shared that she got involved after a political worker talked to her while she was pregnant. She had more free time after stopping work, which allowed her to get involved in community groups. She found that she really enjoyed campaigning and helping her community.
While on the City Council, she led the Liberal Democrat group. She tried to become an MP for Southampton Test in the 1992 general election, but she did not win.
Becoming an MP
In 1993, Diana Maddock was elected as the MP for Christchurch. This happened in a special election called a by-election. The by-election was held because the previous MP, Robert Adley, had passed away. However, she lost her seat in the 1997 general election to Christopher Chope from the Conservative Party.
Joining the House of Lords
On 30 October 1997, Diana Maddock was made a life peer. This meant she became a member of the House of Lords for life. Her title was Baroness Maddock, representing Christchurch in the County of Dorset.
From 1998 to 2000, she served as the President of the Liberal Democrats. This is a very important role within the party.
In 2005, she was elected to the Northumberland County Council. In 2007, she also joined the Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council. She did not seek re-election to the County Council in 2008. The Borough Council was later closed in 2009.
Key Policy Interests
When Diana Maddock was on the Southampton City Council, she was very interested in two main areas. These were housing and saving energy. She worked to improve homes and promote ways to use less energy.
Personal Life
Diana Maddock married Bob Maddock in 1966, but they later divorced. In 2001, she married Alan Beith, who was also an MP at the time. They were one of the few couples where both partners held important titles in Parliament.
Diana Maddock passed away on 26 June 2020, at the age of 75. She died at her home in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland.
