Lady Olga Maitland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lady Olga Maitland
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Lady Olga Maitland in 2006
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| Member of Parliament for Sutton and Cheam |
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| In office 9 April 1992 – 8 April 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Neil Macfarlane |
| Succeeded by | Paul Burstow |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Helen Olga Maitland
23 May 1944 New York City, USA |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse |
Robin William Patrick Hamilton Hay
(m. 1969) |
| Children | 3 |
Lady Olga Maitland (born 23 May 1944) is a British journalist, writer, and politician. She is known for her work with the Conservative Party. Lady Olga was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Sutton and Cheam from 1992 to 1997. She has also worked to support defence and international business.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Helen Olga Maitland was born on 23 May 1944, in New York City, USA. Her father, Patrick Maitland, 17th Earl of Lauderdale, was a journalist and later an MP. Her mother, Stanka, had family connections to the Royal Family of Yugoslavia.
Olga went to St Mary and St Anne's School and the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle in London. When she was 16, she joined the Young Conservatives. This group helps young people get involved in politics.
Career Journey
Lady Olga Maitland has had a varied career. She has worked as a journalist, a politician, and in international business.
Journalism Work
Olga started her journalism career in 1964. She worked as a reporter for news agencies. Later, she became a columnist for the Sunday Express newspaper. She wrote for them until 1991. She also wrote for the Daily Mail newspaper.
In the 1980s, Olga helped the British government with a security issue. She reported an attempt by a foreign agent to get information from her. This agent was later asked to leave the United Kingdom.
Political Life
Lady Olga Maitland became very active in politics. She focused on defence and security.
Starting in Politics
In 1983, she started a group called Women for Defence. This group supported the use of American missiles in Britain. It also spoke out against groups that wanted to get rid of nuclear weapons. The group believed that having strong defence helped keep peace. It later changed its name to Families for Defence.
The group held a big public meeting in London. Even U.S. President Ronald Reagan noticed their work. Lady Olga also took part in public debates. She argued that Britain was worth defending. Her group later became the Defence and Security Forum. This group studies global defence and foreign affairs. Lady Olga is its president.
Serving as an MP
Lady Olga first tried to become an MP in 1987 but was not elected. However, in 1992, she was elected as the MP for Sutton and Cheam. An MP is a person elected by people in an area to represent them in Parliament. She served in this role until 1997. In 1997, her party lost the election, and she was not re-elected. She tried again in 2001 but did not win.
While in Parliament, Lady Olga focused on defence and security. She was part of several important committees. These committees help Parliament make decisions. For example, she worked on committees dealing with rules, laws, and health. She also helped committees focused on Northern Ireland and foreign affairs.
She also introduced new laws herself. These were called Private Members Bills. One bill was about prisoners returning to custody. Another was about dangerous weapons. From 1996 to 1997, she worked as a special assistant to a government minister for Northern Ireland.
Lady Olga has spoken out about important issues. She believes that people should get political jobs based on their skills, not just because of their gender. She also spoke against bringing back physical punishment in schools, calling it "barbaric."
Work Beyond Politics
After her time in Parliament, Lady Olga continued to work in security and government-related activities. She has spent over 35 years helping businesses grow in places like Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
She was the CEO of the International Association of Money Transfer Networks (IAMTN). This group helps people send money safely across countries. It also works to prevent illegal money activities. In 2005, she helped start the Algeria British Business Council. This group helps businesses in Algeria and the UK work together.
Personal Life
On 19 April 1969, Lady Olga Maitland married Robin William Patrick Hamilton Hay. He is a lawyer and a judge. They have three children. Lady Olga kept her maiden name, Maitland, for her public work.
