Harriett Baldwin Explained

Dame Harriett Baldwin
Office1:Chair of the Treasury Select Committee
Term Start1:9 November 2022
Term End1:30 May 2024
Predecessor1:Mel Stride
Angela Eagle (acting)
Successor1:TBC
Office2:Minister of State for Africa and International Development
Primeminister2:Theresa May
Term Start2:9 January 2018
Term End2:25 July 2019
Predecessor2:Rory Stewart
Successor2:Andrew Stephenson
Office3:Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence Procurement
Primeminister3:Theresa May
Term Start3:17 July 2016
Term End3:9 January 2018
Predecessor3:Philip Dunne
Successor3:Guto Bebb
Office4:Economic Secretary to the Treasury
Primeminister4:David Cameron
Term Start4:11 May 2015
Term End4:16 July 2016
Predecessor4:Andrea Leadsom
Successor4:Simon Kirby
Office5:Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
Primeminister5:David Cameron
Term Start5:14 July 2014
Term End5:8 May 2015
Predecessor5:Sam Gyimah
Successor5:Mel Stride
Office6:Member of Parliament
for West Worcestershire
Term Start6:6 May 2010
Predecessor6:Michael Spicer
Majority6:6,547 (12.0%)[1]
Birth Name:Harriett Mary Morison Eggleston
Birth Date:2 May 1960
Birth Place:Watford, Hertfordshire, England
Education:Friends' School, Saffron Walden
Marlborough College
Alma Mater:Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
McGill University
Party:Conservative
Office:Shadow Minister for Development
Predecessor:Lisa Nandy
Term Start:19 July 2024
Leader:Rishi Sunak

Dame Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (; born 2 May 1960), is a British Conservative Party politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for West Worcestershire since 2010 and Shadow Minister for Development since July 2024.[2] She was Minister of State for Africa and International Development between January 2018 and July 2019. In 2022, Baldwin was elected Chair of the Treasury Select Committee.

Prior to entering parliament, Dame Harriett worked for the investment bank JPMorgan Chase.

Early life and career

Harriett Eggleston was born on 2 May 1960 in Watford to Anthony Francis Eggleston and Jane Morison Buxton.[3] Her father was headmaster of Felsted School in Essex and previously headmaster of Campion School in Athens.[4] [5] Her childhood was spent in Cyprus and Felsted,[6] being educated at two private schools, the Friends' School, Saffron Walden, and Marlborough College, Wiltshire.

Baldwin studied at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford between 1978 and 1982, where she received an MA degree in Modern Languages (French and Russian).[7] [8] She furthermore obtained an MBA in International Finance from McGill University (Montreal, Canada) in 1985.[9]

Baldwin joined the investment bank JPMorgan Chase in 1986, becoming managing director and head of currency management at their London office in 1998. She later became a pension fund manager at the bank before leaving in 2008.[7] [10] She served as vice-chair of Social Investment Business between 2008 and 2012.[11]

Parliamentary career

At the 2005 general election, Baldwin was the Conservative candidate in Stockton North, coming second with 20.8% of the vote behind the incumbent Labour MP Frank Cook.[12] [13]

Baldwin was elected at the 2010 general election as MP for West Worcestershire, winning with 50.4% of the vote and a majority of 6,754.[14] [15]

During the coalition government under Prime Minister David Cameron, she was a member of the Work and Pensions Select Committee until she was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of State for Employment Mark Hoban at the Department for Work and Pensions in 2012. Baldwin was also a member of the UK's delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.[16]

In February 2014, Baldwin became an Assistant Whip and in the Government reshuffle in July, she was promoted to the role of Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury.[10]

At the 2015 general election, Baldwin was re-elected as MP for West Worcestershire with an increased vote share of 56.1% and an increased majority of 22,578.[17] [18] [19] After the election, she was appointed Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister.[20] Baldwin was also appointed as the Prime Minister's Trade Envoy to Russia.[10]

She supported the UK remaining within the EU in the 2016 membership referendum.[21]

In July 2016, Baldwin was appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary and Minister for Defence Procurement at the Ministry of Defence as part of the Government reshuffle by new Prime Minister Theresa May.[22] [23]

Baldwin was again re-elected at the snap 2017 general election, with an increased vote share of 61.5% and a decreased majority of 21,328.[24]

Baldwin served as Minister of State for Africa and International Development between January 2018 and July 2019.[25] [26] She voted for then Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit withdrawal agreement.[21] In the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election, Baldwin supported Jeremy Hunt.[21]

At the 2019 general election, Baldwin was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 60.7% and an increased majority of 24,499.[27]

Baldwin has been a member of the Treasury Select Committee since March 2020 and was elected its chair in 2022.[28] In this role, Baldwin opposed plans of the Sunak ministry to disestablish the Office of Tax Simplification.[29]

A steering committee member of the lockdown-sceptic COVID Recovery Group, a group of Conservative MPs opposed to the UK Government's December 2020 lockdown,[30] she supported Penny Mordaunt in the October 2022 Conservative Party leadership election.[31]

Since 2024, Baldwin sponsors the Hereditary Titles (Female Succession) Bill,[32] a private member's bill to make provision for the succession of female heirs to hereditary titles.[33]

At the 2024 general election, Baldwin was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 36.2% and a decreased majority of 6,547.[34]

Personal life

Married to James Stanley Baldwin since 2004,[35] Baldwin has two stepdaughters and a son from her previous marriage with Charles Richmond.[3]

In March 2024, Baldwin was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for "public and parliamentary service".

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Worcestershire West Parliamentary constituency . 8 July 2024.
  2. Web site: Conservative Party announces interim Opposition Front Bench . 2024-07-25 . policymogul.com . en.
  3. 10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.251096. Baldwin, Harriett Mary Morison, (born 2 May 1960), MP (C) West Worcestershire, since 2010; Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence, since 2016. Who's Who. 2010.
  4. Book: Eggleston, Anthony Francis. A & C Black. 26 September 2019. 10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U14756. 978-0-19-954088-4 .
  5. Web site: The Old Felstedian 2016. 11 January 2017 . Felsted School. 11. 26 September 2019.
  6. Web site: Harriett Baldwin: Voice of experience. Politics Home. 5 July 2012. 26 September 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20160407044228/https://www.politicshome.com/interview/67459/harriett-baldwin-voice-experience. 7 April 2016. live.
  7. Web site: The Conservative women on the rise in Cameron's reshuffle. 26 September 2019. 15 July 2014. BBC News. https://web.archive.org/web/20190624001652/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28292058. 24 June 2019. live.
  8. https://www.harriettbaldwin.com/about https://www.harriettbaldwin.com/about About Harriett
  9. Web site: Meet the MP: Harriett Baldwin. BBC News. 5 July 2010. 26 September 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190413151549/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10317498. 13 April 2019. live.
  10. News: Osborne turns to City insiders as he finally picks own team. The Times. 26 May 2015. Hopkins. Kathryn. Aldrick. Philip. Fildes. Nic.
  11. Web site: A Tale of Two Funds. 22. The Boston Consulting Group. July 2015. 26 September 2019. Brown. Adrian. Behrens. Lina. Schuster. Anna.
  12. Web site: Result: Stockton North. 6 May 2005. 26 September 2019. BBC News.
  13. Web site: UK General Election results May 2005 . 2 February 2011 . Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources.
  14. Web site: Election Data 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130726162034/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt . 26 July 2013 . 17 October 2015 . Electoral Calculus.
  15. Web site: BBC News - Election 2010 - Constituency - Worcestershire West . 14 April 2017.
  16. Web site: Membership of the UK Delegation. parliament.uk. 26 September 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190423205948/https://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/offices/delegations/nato-pa/membership/previous-delegation-2010-20141/. 23 April 2019. live.
  17. Web site: Election Data 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151017112223/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt . 17 October 2015 . 17 October 2015 . Electoral Calculus.
  18. News: WORCESTERSHIRE WEST . 8 May 2015 . Sky News . Sky UK.
  19. News: West Worcestershire Parliamentary constituency . 8 May 2015 . BBC News . BBC.
  20. Web site: Harriet Baldwin given City Minister position. ITV.com. 11 May 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150514020102/http://www.itv.com/news/update/2015-05-11/harriet-baldwin-given-city-minister-position/. 14 May 2015. live.
  21. News: Sacked minister Harriett Baldwin to run for Treasury committee chair. New Statesman. Maguire. Patrick. 28 July 2019. 26 September 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190730153919/https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2019/07/sacked-minister-harriett-baldwin-run-treasury-committee-chair. 30 July 2019. live.
  22. Web site: New ministerial and government appointments announced on July 17 2016 - Press releases - GOV.UK. gov.uk. 18 July 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160717190823/https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-ministerial-and-government-appointments-announced-on-july-17-2016. 17 July 2016. live.
  23. Web site: Defence Minister attends land event Dynamic Vehicle Demonstration 2016. gov.uk. 9 September 2016. 26 September 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190827192957/https://www.gov.uk/government/news/defence-minister-attends-land-event-dynamic-vehicle-demonstration-2016. 27 August 2019. live.
  24. Web site: West Worcestershire Nomination of Candidates . 12 May 2017 . Malvern Hills District Council.
  25. Web site: Harriett Baldwin MP. gov.uk. 26 September 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190725001020/https://www.gov.uk/government/people/harriett-baldwin. 25 July 2019. live.
  26. News: Greenway . Sam . 2019-07-26 . Harriett Baldwin MP loses job after PM's government reshuffle . 2020-11-22 . Worcester News.
  27. News: Worcestershire West Parliamentary constituency . 15 December 2019 . BBC News . BBC.
  28. Web site: Parliamentary career for Harriett Baldwin. 3 March 2020. parliament.uk.
  29. Web site: Uddin . Rafe . 2023-06-15 . MPs warn against plans to scrap Office for Tax Simplification . 2024-01-17 . Financial Times . “Disbanding the office established to champion tax simplification risks signalling the government is not serious about the task at hand,” said Harriett Baldwin, Conservative chair of the committee.".
  30. News: Hope . Christopher . Tory lockdown rebels unite to form Covid Recovery Group . The Telegraph . 10 November 2020.
  31. News: Johnson, Mordaunt or Sunak: who is backing whom as next Tory leader. The Guardian. 22 October 2022.
  32. https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3561 www.parliament.uk
  33. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2024/05/24/duke-of-westminster-wedding-calls-change-male-inheritance/ www.telegraph.co.uk
  34. News: West Worcestershire - General election results 2024 . 2024-07-06 . BBC News . en-GB.
  35. https://www.burkespeerage.com/ www.burkespeerage.com