Owen Paterson
Owen Paterson | |
---|---|
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland | |
Assumed office 12 May 2010 | |
Prime Minister | David Cameron |
Preceded by | Shaun Woodward |
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland | |
In office 2 July 2007 – 12 May 2010 | |
Leader | David Cameron |
Preceded by | David Lidington |
Succeeded by | Shaun Woodward |
Member of Parliament for North Shropshire | |
Assumed office 1 May 1997 | |
Preceded by | John Biffen |
Majority | 15,828 (30.5%) |
Personal details | |
Born | Whitchurch, Shropshire, England | 24 June 1956
Political party | Conservative |
Spouse | Rose (née Ridley) |
Alma mater | Corpus Christi College, Cambridge |
Profession | Leather industries |
Website | Owen Paterson's website |
Owen William Paterson (born 24 June 1956) is a British Conservative Party politician and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. He is the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Shropshire.
Early life and career
Paterson was born in Whitchurch, Shropshire. He attended Abberley Hall School, Radley College, and then went up to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, graduating in 1978 as an MA in History. He then went to the National Leathersellers College (now the British School of Leather Technology[1] at the University of Northampton).
He joined the British Leather Company in 1979, becoming Sales Director in 1983 and Managing Director from 1993 to 1999. He was President of COTANCE,[2] the European Tanners Confederation from 1996–8. He was a Director of Parsons and Sons[3] leather company in Halesowen in the 1990s. Paterson is a Liveryman of the Leathersellers' Company.
Member of Parliament
He contested, but failed to win, the Wrexham seat in the 1992 general election. He is Member of Parliament for North Shropshire, being first elected at the 1997 general election and has won at all general elections there since. He was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 2 July 2007. He had previously served as Shadow Minister for Transport. He is a Eurosceptic, with extensive knowledge of exporting to Europe from his career in business.
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Owen Paterson was appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in Cameron's new administration on 12 May 2010.[4] He was created a Privy Councillor on 13 May 2010.[5]
Personal life
Paterson married the Hon. Rose Ridley in 1980. She is the daughter of Matthew Ridley, 4th Viscount Ridley, niece of the late Nicholas Ridley, Baron Ridley of Liddesdale and sister of Matt Ridley. They have two sons and a daughter. Paterson speaks fluent French and German. In 2008 the Daily Record (Scotland) readership voted Owen one of the top ten sexiest politicians in the world.[6]
Styles
- Mr Owen Paterson (1956–97)
- Mr Owen Paterson MP (1997–2010)
- Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP (2010– )
References
- ^ http://www2.northampton.ac.uk/portal/page?_pageid=434,2721693&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
- ^ http://www.euroleather.com/cotance.html
- ^ www.parsonsandsons.co.uk
- ^ BBC News Owen Paterson new NI Secretary of State
- ^ "Privy Council appointments, 13 May 2010". Privy Council. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
- ^ http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2009/01/02/barack-obama-voted-world-s-sexiest-politician-86908-21009524/
External links
- Owen Paterson MP official constituency website
- Profile at the Conservative Party
- Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005
- Voting record at Public Whip
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
- Guide to new Cabinet members: Owen Paterson, BBC News, 13 May 2010
- Use dmy dates from August 2010
- 1956 births
- People from Whitchurch, Shropshire
- Living people
- Old Radleians
- Alumni of Corpus Christi College, Oxford
- Conservative Party (UK) MPs
- Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
- Members of the United Kingdom Parliament for English constituencies
- Politics of Shropshire
- Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland
- UK MPs 1997–2001
- UK MPs 2001–2005
- UK MPs 2005–2010
- UK MPs 2010–
- Members of the United Kingdom Parliament for constituencies in Shropshire