Teresa Gorman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Teresa Gorman
|
|
|---|---|
Appearing on the TV programme After Dark in 1987
|
|
| Member of Parliament for Billericay |
|
| In office 11 June 1987 – 14 May 2001 |
|
| Preceded by | Harvey Proctor |
| Succeeded by | John Baron |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Teresa Ellen Moore
30 September 1931 Putney, London, England |
| Died | 28 August 2015 (aged 83) Grays, Essex, England |
| Political party | Conservative UK Independence Party |
| Spouses |
James Gorman
(m. 1952; died 2008)Peter Clarke
(m. 2010) |
| Occupation | Politics, teaching, sales, property management |
Teresa Ellen Gorman (born Moore; 30 September 1931 – 28 August 2015) was a British politician. She was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Billericay in Essex, England. She served as an MP from 1987 until 2001. Teresa Gorman was a key figure in the debates about the Maastricht Treaty. This treaty was an important agreement for the future of Europe. She also worked in education and business.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Teresa Ellen Moore was born in Putney, London, England. Her father worked in demolition, and her mother was a waitress. She went to Fulham County School in London. At 16, she left school to start working, as her parents wanted her to.
She then trained to be a teacher at Brighton Teacher Training College. She finished her training in 1951. While teaching, she also studied biology and zoology part-time. She earned a top degree from University College London.
After marrying James Gorman, she kept his last name throughout her life. She worked as a teacher in New York City for a while. Besides teaching, she also ran a business called Banta, which sold teaching materials. She also worked with her first husband in property development.
Her Journey in Politics
Teresa Gorman first tried to become a Member of Parliament in 1974. She ran as an independent candidate for the Streatham area. Later, she was elected to the Westminster City Council, serving from 1982 to 1986.
Becoming an MP
At 55 years old, Gorman was elected to the House of Commons in the 1987 election. She became the MP for Billericay. The night after she was elected, she appeared on a TV show called After Dark. She famously walked off the set during the programme.
Key Political Moments
In 1990, she supported John Major to become the leader of the Conservative Party. However, a few years later, she became one of the "Maastricht Rebels." These MPs disagreed with the Maastricht Treaty. Their actions almost caused John Major's government to fall.
In 1992, Gorman tried to change a law to have two MPs for each area: one male and one female. This idea did not become law. She was well-known for disagreeing with her party on European issues. In 1994, she lost the support of the Conservative Party because she would not vote for a European finance bill.
In the 1997 general election, she kept her seat as an MP, but with a much smaller number of votes. Later, in 2000, she wanted to run for Mayor of London. However, her party leaders did not allow her to.
Later Political Activities
In 2012, it was reported that Teresa Gorman supported the UK Independence Party in her local area of Thurrock. She was also a council member of the Freedom Association. She spoke about her involvement with this group in a BBC TV show called Tory! Tory! Tory! in 2006.
Personal Life
Teresa married James Gorman on 18 October 1952. He passed away in 2008 from cancer. On her birthday in 2010, she married Peter Clarke, who was a widower. Peter passed away in 2017. Teresa Gorman did not have any children.
Teresa Gorman had Alzheimer's disease. She passed away from advanced dementia on 28 August 2015. She was at a nursing home in Grays, Essex, England.
Publications
