Ruth Kelly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ruth Kelly
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Official portrait, c. 2004–05
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| Secretary of State for Transport | |
| In office 28 June 2007 – 3 October 2008 |
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| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown |
| Preceded by | Douglas Alexander |
| Succeeded by | Geoff Hoon |
| Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government | |
| In office 5 May 2006 – 28 June 2007 |
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| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | David Miliband John Prescott |
| Succeeded by | Hazel Blears |
| Minister for Women | |
| In office 5 May 2006 – 28 June 2007 |
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| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | Tessa Jowell |
| Succeeded by | Harriet Harman |
| Secretary of State for Education and Skills | |
| In office 15 December 2004 – 5 May 2006 |
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| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | Charles Clarke |
| Succeeded by | Alan Johnson |
| Financial Secretary to the Treasury | |
| In office 15 May 2002 – 15 December 2004 |
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| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | Paul Boateng |
| Succeeded by | Stephen Timms |
| Economic Secretary to the Treasury | |
| In office 8 June 2001 – 15 May 2002 |
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| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | Melanie Johnson |
| Succeeded by | John Healey |
| Member of Parliament for Bolton West |
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| In office 1 May 1997 – 12 April 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Tom Sackville |
| Succeeded by | Julie Hilling |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 May 1968 Limavady, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, UK |
| Political party | Labour (1990–2018) |
| Spouse | Derek Gadd |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | The Queen's College, Oxford London School of Economics |
Ruth Maria Kelly (born 9 May 1968) is a British business leader and former politician. She is the chair of Water UK, an organization that represents all water companies in the United Kingdom.
For many years, she was a politician for the Labour Party. From 1997 to 2010, she was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolton West. An MP is a person elected to represent their local area in the government.
During her time in politics, she held several important government jobs called Secretary of State. She worked under Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
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Early Life and Education
Ruth Kelly was born in Limavady, Northern Ireland. Her mother was a teacher, and her father owned a pharmacy. She grew up in both Ireland and England and attended several schools, including Westminster School.
After finishing school, Kelly went to The Queen's College, Oxford, where she studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. She later earned a master's degree in economics from the London School of Economics.
Before becoming a politician, Kelly worked as an economics writer for The Guardian newspaper. She also worked at the Bank of England, where she was the deputy head of the Inflation Report Division. She joined the Labour Party in 1990.
In 1996, she married Derek John Gadd. They have four children together.
Family History
Kelly's family has an interesting history. Her grandfather on her mother's side, Philip Murphy, was an officer in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence (1919–1921).
Her grandfather on her father's side, Francis Kelly, was a soldier in the British Army and fought in France during the First World War. After the war, he became a school master in County Tyrone.
Religion
Kelly is a practising Roman Catholic and a member of a Catholic group called Opus Dei. She is also the Vice President of the Catholic Union of Great Britain.
Political Career as an MP
In 1997, Kelly was elected as the MP for Bolton West. This was a big year in British politics, as Tony Blair became Prime Minister in a major victory for the Labour Party.
Early in her career, she was a member of the Treasury Select Committee, a group that keeps an eye on the UK's finances. In 2001, she was appointed Economic Secretary to the Treasury. A year later, she was promoted to Financial Secretary to the Treasury. In this role, she was in charge of rules for banks and financial companies.
Kelly was known for balancing her demanding job with her family life. As a mother of four young children, she chose not to work the very long hours that were common for government ministers.
Voting Record
As an MP, Kelly usually voted with her party on important issues. She supported the government's decisions on the Iraq War, student tuition fees, and the introduction of identity cards.
Secretary of State for Education and Skills
In December 2004, Kelly was promoted to the Cabinet, which is the team of the most senior government ministers. She became the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, making her the youngest woman ever to join the Cabinet at that time.
One of her main projects was the "Extended Schools" policy. This plan aimed to keep some schools open longer, from 8am to 6pm, to provide childcare for working parents.
Another major project was the introduction of "trust schools." These schools were meant to be run by non-profit trusts, which could include businesses like Microsoft. The goal was to give schools more freedom, but the idea caused a lot of debate.
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
In May 2006, Kelly was appointed to a new role as Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. This department was responsible for local government, housing, and community issues. She was also made the Minister for Women and Equality.
During her time in this role, she made important decisions about planning and development. For example, she blocked some proposals for very tall skyscrapers in cities like Liverpool and Brighton. However, she approved a plan to build new homes and businesses in Walker, an area of Newcastle, to help improve the area.
Secretary of State for Transport
When Gordon Brown became Prime Minister in 2007, he appointed Kelly as the Secretary of State for Transport. One of her first challenges was to manage transport safety after attempted terrorist attacks in London and Glasgow.
Key Transport Projects
- Railways: Kelly announced a plan to add more trains and increase capacity on the railways by 2014. Much of this funding was focused on improving train services in and around London.
- Crossrail: She gave the final approval for the Crossrail project in London, a massive plan to build a new railway line under the city.
- Heathrow Airport: Kelly presented proposals to build a third runway and a sixth terminal at Heathrow Airport to handle more flights.
In September 2008, Kelly announced she was resigning from the Cabinet to spend more time with her family. She did not run for re-election as an MP in the 2010 general election.
Life After Politics
After leaving politics in 2010, Ruth Kelly took on new roles in the business and education sectors.
- She became the Global Head of Client Strategy at the bank HSBC.
- In 2015, she was appointed Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Enterprise at St Mary's University, Twickenham.
- She later began working for the Vatican, helping to manage its finances.
In 2018, after being a member for almost 30 years, Kelly left the Labour Party. In 2022, she joined a research group called Policy Exchange. In March 2023, she became the chair of Water UK.
See also
In Spanish: Ruth Kelly para niños
- Cabinet of the United Kingdom
- List of Northern Ireland members of the Privy Council
