Michelle Donelan

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The Right Honourable
Michelle Donelan
MP
Official portrait, 2019
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Assumed office
6 September 2022
Prime MinisterLiz Truss
Rishi Sunak
Preceded byNadine Dorries
Secretary of State for Education
In office
5 July 2022 – 7 July 2022
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byNadhim Zahawi
Succeeded byJames Cleverly
Minister of State for Higher and Further Education[a]
In office
13 February 2020 – 5 July 2022
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byChris Skidmore
Succeeded byAndrea Jenkyns
Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
In office
24 July 2019 – 13 February 2020
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byJeremy Quin
Succeeded byJames Morris
Member of Parliament
for Chippenham
Assumed office
7 May 2015
Preceded byDuncan Hames
Majority11,288 (19.8%)
Personal details
Born
Michelle Emma May Elizabeth Donelan

(1984-04-08) 8 April 1984 (age 40)[1]
Whitley, Cheshire, England
Political partyConservative
EducationThe County High School, Leftwich[2]
Alma materUniversity of York (BA)[1]
Websitemichelledonelan.co.uk Edit this at Wikidata

Michelle Emma May Elizabeth Donelan (born 8 April 1984) is a British politician who has served as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport since September 2022. She previously served as Minister of State for Higher and Further Education from 2020 to 2022,[a] and Secretary of State for Education for two days during the July 2022 UK government crisis. A member of the Conservative Party, she has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Chippenham in Wiltshire since 2015.

Early life and education

Michelle Emma May Elizabeth Donelan was born in April 1984 and grew up in Whitley, Cheshire.[3][4] At the age of 15, Donelan spoke at the Conservative Party Conference in Blackpool,[2] having decided to be a politician at the age of six.[5]

Donelan was educated at The County High School, Leftwich,[2] before graduating from the University of York with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and politics. While at university, she was involved in York Student Television.[when?][1][2]

Career

Before the election of 2015, Donelan's career outside politics was in marketing, including a time working on Marie Claire magazine and for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).[1][6] She subsequently stood for parliament at the 2010 general election in the safe Labour seat of Wentworth and Dearne in South Yorkshire, receiving 7,396 votes (17.6%) to Labour MP John Healey's 21,316 (50.6%). She was then selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate for Chippenham in February 2013.[6] In Wiltshire, the constituency includes the market towns of Bradford on Avon, Chippenham, Corsham and Melksham, and the surrounding rural areas.[1][7]

After her selection at Chippenham, she became a trustee of Help Victims of Domestic Violence, a charitable organisation based in the town and a member of the Steering Group of Wiltshire Carers. She defeated incumbent Liberal Democrat member Duncan Hames with 26,354 votes (47.6%) to 16,278 (29.4%).[8] Donelan served on the Education Select Committee between 2015 and 2018.[9]

Before the 2016 referendum, Donelan supported the UK remaining within the European Union.[10] In June 2017, Donelan was re-elected as MP for Chippenham with 31,267 votes (54.7%), a majority of 16,630 over the 14,637 Liberal Democrat candidate (25.6%).[8]

Donelan was appointed an assistant whip in 2018[11] and a government whip in July 2019. In September 2019, she was appointed parliamentary under-secretary for children to cover maternity leave for Kemi Badenoch.[12]

In the December 2019 general election, Donelan was re-elected with 30,994 votes (54.3%), a majority of 11,288 over the 19,706 Liberal Democrat votes (34.5%).[13]

In the February 2020 cabinet reshuffle, she became Minister of State for Universities.[7][14][15] As of May 2020, her responsibilities included universities[2] and co-chairing the Family Justice Board, which oversees the performance of the family justice system and is advised by the Family Justice Council.[16]

In the 2021 cabinet reshuffle, her role was renamed Minister of State for Higher and Further Education, with the added right to attend cabinet. She was also sworn into the Privy Council.

Donelan endorsed Rishi Sunak in the October 2022 leadership election.[17]

Secretary of State for Education

On 5 July 2022, in the wake of a large number of resignations from the second Johnson ministry over Boris Johnson's handling of the Chris Pincher scandal and other political scandals, Donelan, who was then serving as Parliamentary Under-secretary of State for State for Skills, Further and Higher Education (previously named Minister of State for Higher and Further Education during her tenure) was promoted to Secretary of State for Education, after her predecessor Nadhim Zahawi was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer.

On 7 July 2022, after less than 36 hours in the role, Donelan resigned as Secretary of State, writing that Johnson had "put us in an impossible position".[18] She was the shortest-serving cabinet member in British history, her tenure being shorter than Earl Temple's four-day tenure as Foreign Secretary in 1783.[19] Following reports she would receive severance pay at Secretary of State level despite her short tenure, Donelan refused this payment.[20]

Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Donelan was appointed Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 7 September 2022 by then prime minister Liz Truss.[21] Rishi Sunak succeeded Truss following the October 2022 Conservative Party leadership election and Donelan retained her position in the cabinet.[22]

Personal life

In December 2021[citation needed] she married Tom Turner, who was a member of the Plymouth Brethren church and Head of Commercial at Stronghold Global, a company which supplies government bodies including the Department of Health and Social Care.[23][24]

Honours

She was appointed a member of the Privy Council on 20 September 2021 at Balmoral Castle.[25] This appointment gave her the honorific prefix "The Right Honourable".

Notes

  1. ^ a b Known as Minister of State for Universities from 2020 to 2021

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Anon (2017). "Donelan, Michelle Emma May Elizabeth". Who's Who (online Oxford University Press ed.). Oxford: A & C Black. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U283877. {{cite encyclopedia}}: More than one of |surname= and |author= specified (help); Unknown parameter |othernames= ignored (help) (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ a b c d e Kernohan, David (2020). "Who is new universities minister Michelle Donelan?". wonkhe.com. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  3. ^ "No. 61230". The London Gazette. 18 May 2015. p. 9126.
  4. ^ "Michelle Donelan MP". myparliament.info. MyParliament. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  5. ^ Rea, Ailbhe (21 August 2020). "Paranoid Androids". New Statesman. p. 14.
  6. ^ a b "Tories select Michelle Donelan as prospective parliamentary candidate for Chippenham". Bath Chronicle. 4 March 2013.
  7. ^ a b Baker, John (17 February 2020). "Michelle Donelan, the MP for Chippenham, is the new Minister of State for Universities". wiltshiretimes.co.uk. Wiltshire Times. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Election 2017: Chippenham parliamentary constituency". bbc.co.uk. BBC News. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  9. ^ "Parliamentary career for Michelle Donelan". UK Parliament. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  10. ^ Goodenough, Tom (2016). "Which Tory MPs back Brexit, who doesn't and who is still on the fence?". spectator.co.uk. The Spectator. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  11. ^ "Michelle Donelan MP". gov.uk. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  12. ^ "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Children and Families) (maternity cover)". gov.uk. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  13. ^ "Chippenham Parliamentary constituency". bbc.com. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  14. ^ "University students and COVID-19 FAQ – Education in the media". dfemedia.blog.gov.uk.
  15. ^ "Michelle Donelan named universities minister as science split off". timeshighereducation.com. Times Higher Education. 13 February 2020.
  16. ^ "Family Justice Board". gov.uk. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  17. ^ "The race to 100 - who are Tory MPs backing to be the next prime minister?". Sky News. 24 October 2022.
  18. ^ Scott, Jennifer (7 July 2022). "New Education Secretary Michelle Donelan quits as Nadhim Zahawi tells Boris Johnson 'go now"'". Sky News. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  19. ^ Gutteridge, Nick (7 July 2022). "Minister who quit after 35 hours is in line for £17,000 payout". The Telegraph. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  20. ^ Baker, John (21 September 2022). "Wiltshire MP 'rejected' £17,000 Education Secretary pay-off after serving for two days". Wiltshire Times. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  21. ^ Simpson, Matthew (7 September 2022). "Michelle Donelan given role in new PM Liz Truss' cabinet". Northwich Guardian.
  22. ^ Yossman, K. J. (25 October 2022). "New U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Reappoints Michelle Donelan as Culture Secretary". Variety.
  23. ^ Baker, John (25 September 2021). "MP 'feeling sore' as she resumes trek". Gazette and Herald. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  24. ^ "REVEALED: Minister's partner's firm awarded lucrative Covid contracts". The Good Law Project. 4 November 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  25. ^ "ORDERS APPROVED AND BUSINESS TRANSACTED AT THE PRIVY COUNCIL HELD BY THE QUEEN AT BALMORAL ON 20TH SEPTEMBER 2021" (PDF). Privy Council Office. Retrieved 23 November 2021.

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Chippenham
2015–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
2019–2020 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of State for Higher and Further Education
2020–2022

(Known as Minister of State for Universities 2020–2021)

Succeeded by
Vacant
Preceded by Secretary of State for Education
2022 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
2022–present 		Incumbent
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