Peter Ainsworth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Ainsworth
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Ainsworth as an MP in 2005
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| Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | |
| In office 6 December 2005 – 19 January 2009 |
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| Leader | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Tim Yeo |
| Succeeded by | Nick Herbert |
| In office 18 September 2001 – 23 July 2002 |
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| Leader | Iain Duncan Smith |
| Preceded by |
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| Succeeded by | David Lidington |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport | |
| In office 2 June 1998 – 18 September 2001 |
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| Leader | William Hague |
| Preceded by | Francis Maude |
| Succeeded by | Tim Yeo |
| Member of Parliament for East Surrey |
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| In office 9 April 1992 – 12 April 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Sir Geoffrey Howe |
| Succeeded by | Sam Gyimah |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Peter Michael Ainsworth
16 November 1956 Wokingham, England |
| Died | 6 April 2021 (aged 64) London, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse |
Claire Burnett
(m. 1981) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Bradfield College |
| Alma mater | Lincoln College, Oxford |
Peter Michael Ainsworth (born 16 November 1956 – died 6 April 2021) was a British politician. He was a member of the Conservative Party. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for East Surrey from 1992 to 2010.
After leaving politics, Peter Ainsworth became the UK chairman of the Big Lottery Fund. Later, he also became the chairman of the Churches Conservation Trust.
Contents
Early Life
Peter Ainsworth was the son of a naval officer, Michael Lionel Yeoward Ainsworth. His mother was Patricia Mary Ainsworth. He went to Ludgrove School and Bradfield College. Later, he studied at Lincoln College, Oxford, where he earned a degree in English Literature and Language in 1979.
After university, he worked as a researcher for a politician. In 1981, he started working as a merchant banker. This means he helped companies with their money and investments. He was an investments analyst for Laing & Cruickshank Investment Management. Then he worked in corporate finance for S.G. Warburg Securities. He became a director there from 1990 to 1992.
Political Journey
From 1984 to 1986, Peter Ainsworth was part of the Council at the Bow Group. This was a group that shared conservative ideas. In 1986, he was elected as a local council member in the London Borough of Wandsworth.
In the 1992 general election, he was elected to Parliament. He became the MP for East Surrey. This area was known as a safe place for Conservative politicians to win. He took over from Sir Geoffrey Howe. Peter Ainsworth remained a local council member until 1994.
In 1994, he became a Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS). This role means he helped a senior government minister. He worked for Jonathan Aitken, who was in charge of the Treasury's money. In 1995, he became PPS to Virginia Bottomley. She was the Secretary of State for National Heritage. In 1996, John Major, who was Prime Minister, gave him a job in the Whips' Office. Whips help make sure that members of their party vote in a certain way.
When the government changed in 1997, he stayed a whip in the opposition party. He was promoted to Deputy Chief Whip by William Hague. On 5 January 2010, Peter Ainsworth announced he would not run for election again. He stepped down at the general election that year.
Working in the Shadow Cabinet
In 1998, after his party lost the general election, he joined the Shadow Cabinet. The Shadow Cabinet is a group of senior politicians from the main opposition party. They act like a government-in-waiting. Peter Ainsworth was the Shadow Secretary for Culture, Media and Sport. From 2001, he was the Shadow Secretary for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
In 2002, he left the Shadow Cabinet for family reasons. From 2003, he led the Environmental Audit Select Committee. This committee checks how well the government is protecting the environment. In December 2005, he rejoined the Shadow Cabinet under the new party leader, David Cameron. He became the Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs again. This job became very important because the Conservative Party started to focus more on environmental issues.
In March 2006, Peter Ainsworth talked about new ideas for his party. He said that fighting climate change would need "really fresh ideas and radical thinking." He believed that we should not rely on old ways of doing things. He also thought that decentralised energy (energy produced close to where it's used) should be taken seriously. Peter Ainsworth was the only member of the Shadow Cabinet who voted against the war in Iraq.
In January 2009, he left the Shadow Cabinet during a reshuffle. Nick Herbert took over his role. From 2009 to 2010, Peter Ainsworth led the Conservative Arts and Creative Industries Network. From 2010 to 2012, he led the Conservative Environment Network.
Beyond Politics
Peter Ainsworth was very interested in classical music and the environment. These interests were clear in the jobs he took outside of politics. In 2000, he hosted a six-part radio series on BBC Radio 4. It was about how conscience and music are connected. In 2005, he became the chairman of the Elgar Foundation. He held this role until 2013.
In 2010, he helped start the Robertsbridge Group. This group advises on how to be more sustainable. From 2013 to 2016, he was a trustee for the Elgar Foundation. In June 2011, after leaving Parliament, Peter Ainsworth became chairman of the Big Lottery Fund. He was also a board member of the Environment Agency from 2012 to 2018. From 2014 to 2016, he was part of the London Sustainable Development Commission. He was chairman of the Churches Conservation Trust from 2016 until he passed away in 2021. In 2019, he became chairman of the Heritage Alliance.
He was a board member for the wild-plant charity Plantlife from 2003. He became chairman from 2010 to 2015. He was also a member of groups like the Campaign to Protect Rural England, Friends of the Earth, and the Surrey Wildlife Trust. Peter Ainsworth was a vice-president of the Arthur Bliss Society. He was also a trustee of the Surrey Campaign to Protect Rural England from 2010 to 2011. In 2010, he was made an honorary fellow of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management. In 2013, he became an honorary fellow of the Society for the Environment.
Personal Life
Peter Ainsworth married Claire Alison Burnett in Hatfield in 1981. They had three children: a son named Benny Ainsworth, who became an actor, and two daughters.
He enjoyed music and writing poems. He was a member of the Marylebone Cricket Club and the Garrick Club. Peter Ainsworth passed away in London on 6 April 2021, at the age of 64. He died from a heart attack.
See also
In Spanish: Peter Ainsworth para niños
