Shadow portfolios

Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office 1 February 2000 – 18 September 2001
Leader	William Hague
Preceded by	Francis Maude
Succeeded by	Michael Howard

Parliamentary offices

Member of Parliament for Kensington and Chelsea
In office 26 November 1999 – 11 April 2005
Preceded by	Alan Clark
Succeeded by	Malcolm Rifkind
Member of Parliament for Enfield Southgate
In office 13 December 1984 – 8 April 1997
Preceded by	Anthony Berry
Succeeded by	Stephen Twigg

Personal details

Born

Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo

26 May 1953 (age 72)
Bushey, Hertfordshire, England

Citizenship

United Kingdom
Spain

Political party

Formerly Conservative

Spouse

Carolyn Claire Eadie

(m. 1982)

Parent

Luis Gabriel Portillo (father)

Education

Peterhouse, Cambridge (BA)

Occupation

Broadcaster (1998–present)
Politician (1984–2005)

Television

Great British Railway Journeys and other documentaries

Michael Portillo (born 26 May 1953) is a British journalist, TV presenter, and former politician. He was a member of the Conservative Party. He is well known for his railway travel shows, like Great British Railway Journeys.

Portillo was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Enfield Southgate from 1984 to 1997. Later, he represented Kensington and Chelsea from 1999 to 2005. He held important jobs in the government, including Secretary of State for Defence.

After leaving politics, Michael Portillo became a popular TV and radio personality. He often explores history and culture through his travel shows.

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Early life and education

Michael Portillo was born in Bushey, England, on 26 May 1953. His father, Luis Gabriel Portillo, was a Spanish republican who came to England. His mother, Cora Waldegrave, was Scottish.

Michael's father had to leave Madrid in 1939 during the Spanish Civil War. He settled in England and later became a diplomat for the Spanish government in exile.

When Michael was four, he became a Spanish citizen. His Spanish passport names him Miguel Portillo Blyth.

In 1961, Michael appeared in a TV ad for Ribena, a blackcurrant drink. He went to Stanburn Primary School and Harrow County School for Boys. He then won a scholarship to Peterhouse, Cambridge, where he studied history.

At Cambridge, he became interested in conservative ideas. On 12 February 1982, he married Carolyn Claire Eadie.

Political career (1984–2005)

After university, Michael Portillo worked for a shipping company. In 1976, he joined the Conservative Research Department. This group helps the Conservative Party with ideas and policies.

After the Conservatives won the 1979 election, he became a government adviser. He later worked for an oil company. In 1983, he tried to become an MP for Birmingham Perry Barr but did not win.

Becoming an MP

In December 1984, Portillo won a special election in Enfield Southgate. This election happened after the previous MP, Anthony Berry, was killed in the Brighton hotel bombing.

He started as a junior assistant to other politicians. Then, he became a whip, which means he helped make sure MPs voted the way their party wanted.

Working in government

In 1987, Portillo got his first government job. He became a junior minister for Social Security. The next year, he was promoted to Minister of State for Transport.

He said that saving the Settle-Carlisle Line railway was his best achievement. He was a strong supporter of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

In 1990, he became Minister of State for Local Government. He supported the "Poll Tax," which was a very unpopular tax. He always took a strong right-wing stance in politics. Margaret Thatcher said she expected "great things" from him.

His career continued to rise under Prime Minister John Major. In 1992, he became a Cabinet Minister as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. He also joined the Privy Council, which is a group of senior advisors to the King or Queen.

He then became Secretary of State for Employment (1994–95). After that, he was made Secretary of State for Defence (1995–1997).

Portillo (center) with Admiral Peter Abbott and US Defence Secretary William J. Perry aboard HMS Illustrious in 1996

As Defence Secretary, Portillo was sometimes criticized. He used the motto of the SAS, "Who Dares, Wins," in a speech. In 1996, his department sold homes for military personnel.

His high public profile meant the media watched him closely. Some people thought he was too focused on himself.

Many people thought Portillo would challenge John Major for the leadership of the Conservative Party in 1995. He decided not to run in the first round. However, he prepared to run if the contest went to a second round. He later said this was a mistake.

1997 election defeat

In the 1997 United Kingdom general election, Michael Portillo lost his Enfield Southgate seat. This was a big surprise because it had always been a safe Conservative area. His loss became a symbol of how much the Labour Party won that election.

This event became known as the "Portillo moment." People would ask, "Were you up for Portillo?" meaning, "Did you see his election result announced on TV?"

Return to Parliament

Portillo (left) being interviewed by Nick Robinson in 2001

After the election, Portillo worked in media. He presented shows for the BBC and Channel 4. In 1999, he had a chance to return to Parliament. He won a special election in Kensington and Chelsea. This was a very safe Conservative seat.

In 2000, William Hague, the Conservative leader, gave Portillo an important job. He became the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, which means he was the main spokesperson for the party on money matters. Portillo said that a future Conservative government would give the Bank of England more independence. He also said they would not get rid of the minimum wage.

2001 leadership election

After the 2001 United Kingdom general election, Portillo tried to become the leader of the Conservative Party. He did well in the first vote among Conservative MPs. However, he was knocked out in the final round of voting.

Leaving politics

When Iain Duncan Smith became leader, Portillo returned to being a regular MP. In 2003, he voted to support the invasion of Iraq. In 2003, he turned down an offer to join the Shadow Cabinet again.

He decided not to run for re-election in the 2005 United Kingdom general election. Since then, he has not been actively involved in politics. He supported Brexit, which was the UK leaving the European Union.

Broadcasting career (1998–present)

Since leaving politics, Michael Portillo has become a very successful broadcaster.

Television shows

Filming at Taunton railway station, in his colorful clothes, 2017

In 1998, Portillo started his TV career with Portillo's Progress on Channel 4. This show looked at changes in British society and politics. From 2002 to 2019, he was a regular on the BBC political show This Week.

He has made many TV documentaries. He made a show about Spanish wildlife for BBC Two. In 2003, for a series called My Week In The Real World, Portillo lived for a week as a single mother on benefits.

In 2002, he presented a show about Queen Elizabeth I for the BBC series Great Britons. In 2005, he presented a documentary about Lord Nelson called Nelson's Trafalgar. He also hosted Dinner with Portillo on BBC Four, where he discussed political and social topics with guests over a meal.

In 2008, he made a documentary about mental health issues for the BBC Headroom campaign.

In 2009, he started filming Great British Railway Journeys. In this popular series, he travels Britain by train. He uses an old guide book from 1863 called Bradshaw's Guide. The show explores how railways changed British history. This series has been very successful, with many seasons.

Because of its success, Portillo made similar shows about railways in other countries. These include:

Great Continental Railway Journeys (Europe)
Great American Railroad Journeys (United States)
Great Indian Railway Journeys (India)
Great Alaskan and Canadian Railroad Journeys
Great Australian Railway Journeys
Great Asian Railway Journeys
Great Coastal Railway Journeys

In 2020, while filming in Spain, Portillo found papers about his father in an archive. Other TV shows he has presented include:

Portillo's State Secrets (BBC Two, 2015) – looking at old government documents.
Portillo's Hidden History of Britain (Channel 5, 2018).
Portillo: The Trouble With The Tories (Channel 5, 2019) – about the history of the Conservative Party.
Portillo's Empire Journey (Channel 5, 2020) – about the British Empire.
Spanish Civil War with Michael Portillo (Discovery History, 2020).
Coastal Devon & Cornwall with Michael Portillo (Channel 5, 2021).
The Pyrenees with Michael Portillo (Channel 5, 2022).
Portillo (GB News, 2022) – his own political show.
Portillo's Andalucia (Channel 5, 2023) – a travel show in Spain.
Michael Portillo’s Long Weekends (Channel 5, 2024) – exploring European cities.

Press and radio

Michael Portillo has written columns for The Sunday Times. He also writes for other magazines. He is a regular on BBC Radio 4, including the show The Moral Maze.

In 2011, he presented a radio series called Capitalism on Trial. He also hosted The Things We Forgot to Remember, a history series. In 2013, he presented 1913 – the Year Before, about Britain before World War I. In 2020, he joined Times Radio to host a Friday evening show.

Voluntary work

Since 1998, Portillo has been a Commissioner for the International Commission on Missing Persons. This group helps find missing people. He is also President of DEBRA, a charity for people with a rare skin condition called epidermolysis bullosa.

In 2008, he was chairman of the committee for the Man Booker Prize, a famous book award. In 2011, he became chairman of an arts fund. This fund helped arts and heritage groups get money.

Portillo is the British chairman of Tertulias, an organization that connects Britain and Spain. He also supports Canning House, which promotes links with Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries. He owns a home in Carmona, Spain.

He loves modern art and is Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Federation of British Artists. In 2018, he became President of the Friends of the Settle–Carlisle line, a railway line he helped save.

Honours

In 1992, Michael Portillo became a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom. This gave him the special title "The Right Honourable" for life.
He received an Honorary Doctorate from Richmond, The American International University in London in 2003.
In 2018, he became a fellow of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (FRSGS).
He has been given the Freedom of the City of London. In 2019, he led the annual Sheep Drive over London Bridge.

Michael Portillo facts for kids