Owen Paterson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Owen Paterson
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Official portrait, 2020
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| Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | |
| In office 4 September 2012 – 14 July 2014 |
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| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Caroline Spelman |
| Succeeded by | Liz Truss |
| Secretary of State for Northern Ireland | |
| In office 12 May 2010 – 4 September 2012 |
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| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Shaun Woodward |
| Succeeded by | Theresa Villiers |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland | |
| In office 2 July 2007 – 11 May 2010 |
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| Leader | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | David Lidington |
| Succeeded by | Shaun Woodward |
| Member of Parliament for North Shropshire |
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| In office 1 May 1997 – 5 November 2021 |
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| Preceded by | John Biffen |
| Succeeded by | Helen Morgan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Owen William Paterson
24 June 1956 Whitchurch, Shropshire, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse |
Rose Ridley
(m. 1980; died 2020) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Radley College |
| Alma mater | Corpus Christi College, Cambridge |
Owen William Paterson (born 24 June 1956) is a British former politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for North Shropshire from 1997 until 2021.
Paterson also served as a government minister. He was the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 2010 to 2012. Later, he became the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2012 to 2014. Both roles were under Prime Minister David Cameron. He was a member of the Conservative Party.
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Early Life and Education
Owen Paterson was born in Whitchurch, Shropshire, England, on 24 June 1956. He grew up on his family's farm.
He went to Abberley Hall School and Radley College. Later, he studied History at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He also attended a college that focused on leather technology.
After his studies, Paterson joined his family's leather business in 1979. He became the Sales Director in 1983 and then the Managing Director from 1993 to 1999. He also led a European group for leather companies for two years.
Parliamentary Career
Owen Paterson was first elected as an MP for North Shropshire in 1997. He won by a small number of votes, but his support grew in later elections.
As an MP, he worked on several important committees. These included groups that looked at Welsh affairs, European matters, and agriculture. He also supported the Royal Irish Regiment, a military group based in his local area.
Early Roles in Parliament
From 2003 to 2005, Paterson was a "Shadow Minister" for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food. A shadow minister is an MP who belongs to the main opposition party. Their job is to watch and question the government's minister for that area. In this role, he supported the dairy industry and studied issues like cattle diseases. He also worked on a plan for fishing rules in the UK.
From 2005 to 2007, he was the Shadow Minister for Transport. He looked into the best ways to manage roads in Europe and North America.
Shadow Secretary for Northern Ireland
In 2007, Paterson became the Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. This meant he was the opposition's main spokesperson for Northern Ireland.
He helped create an agreement between the Conservative Party and the Ulster Unionist Party. This agreement aimed to bring the two parties closer together.
Secretary for Northern Ireland
In May 2010, Owen Paterson was appointed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. This is a senior government job.
One of his first big tasks was to help release the Saville Report. This report looked into a historical event called Bloody Sunday from 1972. The Prime Minister, David Cameron, later apologized for the events.
Paterson also worked to give Northern Ireland more control over its own taxes. He believed this would help the economy there. He also spoke about the importance of integrated education. This means schools where children from different backgrounds learn together. He thought that separate schools were too expensive and not working well.
He was also the first government minister to publicly disagree with a new law about same-sex marriage.
Secretary for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
In September 2012, Paterson became the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. This role involves looking after the environment, farming, and food in the UK.
During his time in this role, he had different views on climate change. He thought that wind turbines were not very good and supported using fracking to get gas from underground. He also suggested that a warmer climate might have some benefits, like fewer deaths from cold weather.
Paterson was a strong supporter of genetically modified food (GM). He believed that GM technology could help grow more food. He encouraged scientists to develop GM crops in the UK.
He left this role in July 2014 and was replaced by Liz Truss.
Views on the European Union
After leaving his government role, Owen Paterson became a strong supporter of Brexit. This was the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union. He believed that Britain should be independent from European rules.
In 2015, he helped start a group called "Conservatives for Britain." This group pushed for the UK to leave the European Union. He was a key voice in the "Leave" campaign.
Paterson also set up a think tank called UK 2020. This group worked on new ideas for public policies. He used this platform to support GM crops and to speak against the European Union. He closed UK 2020 in 2019.
Resignation from Parliament
In October 2021, Owen Paterson faced a serious issue regarding his work as an MP. An official report found that he had broken rules about using his position to benefit companies he worked for as a paid consultant. The report said he had used his special position to help two companies, which was against the rules for MPs.
The report suggested he should be suspended from Parliament for 30 days. Paterson said he was not guilty and that the process was unfair.
The government initially tried to change the rules for how MPs are disciplined. However, after a lot of criticism from other politicians and the public, the government changed its mind.
On 5 November 2021, Owen Paterson decided to resign as an MP. This meant he left Parliament and avoided any further votes or investigations into his conduct. His resignation led to a special election in his area. The seat, which had been held by the Conservatives for a long time, was won by Helen Morgan of the Liberal Democrats.
Overseas Visits
In 2019, it was found that Paterson had received money for overseas trips from UK 2020, the think tank he led. These trips included speaking at groups in the United States. MPs must declare where the money for their trips comes from. Paterson said he had followed all the rules for declaring his expenses.
Personal Life
Owen Paterson married Rose Ridley in 1980. They had two sons, Felix and Ned, and a daughter, Evie. He lives in Shropshire, England, and also has a home in France.
Paterson enjoys horse riding and racing. His daughter, Evie, is also a talented horse rider. In 2018, Paterson broke his back after falling from a horse.
Honours
In 2010, Owen Paterson became a member of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council. This is a group of senior advisors to the Queen. This honour gave him the special title "The Right Honourable" for the rest of his life.
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2020
