Susan Williams, Baroness Williams of Trafford

The Right Honourable
The Baroness Williams of Trafford
PC
The Right Honourable The Baroness Williams of Trafford PC
	Official portrait, 2019
Chief Whip of the House of Lords; Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 7 September 2022
Prime Minister	Liz Truss; Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	The Lord Ashton of Hyde
Minister of State for Home Affairs
	In office; 17 July 2016 – 7 September 2022
Prime Minister	Theresa May; Boris Johnson
Preceded by	The Lord Keen of Elie
Succeeded by	The Lord Murray of Blidworth
Minister of State for Equalities
	In office; 9 January 2018 – 13 February 2020
Prime Minister	Theresa May; Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Nick Gibb
Succeeded by	Kemi Badenoch
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Northern Powerhouse
	In office; 11 May 2015 – 17 July 2016
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	The Lord Ahmed of Wimbledon
Succeeded by	Andrew Percy
Baroness-in-waiting; Government Whip
	In office; 8 April 2014 – 11 May 2015
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	The Earl Attlee
Succeeded by	The Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen
Member of the House of Lords; Lord Temporal
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 5 November 2013; Life Peerage
Leader of Trafford Council
	In office; 7 May 2004 – 5 May 2011
Preceded by	David Acton
Succeeded by	Matt Colledge
Personal details
Born	Susan Frances Maria McElroy; 16 May 1967 (age 56); Blackrock, Cork, Ireland
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Alma mater	Huddersfield Polytechnic

Susan Frances Maria Williams, Baroness Williams of Trafford PC (née McElroy;^[2] born 16 May 1967)^[3]^[4]^[5] is a Conservative life peer serving as the Chief Whip of the House of Lords and Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms.^[6] In March 2022 she was made a member of the Privy Council.^[7]

Education[edit]

Williams was educated at La Sagesse School, a Roman Catholic private school in Newcastle upon Tyne, and Huddersfield Polytechnic, where she gained a BSc Hons in Applied Nutrition.^[8]^[9]

Career[edit]

Early political career[edit]

She was a member of Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council from 1998 to 2011, representing Altrincham, and the council's leader from 2004 to 2009, leading a Conservative majority until she stepped down.

She has also been a member of various public bodies in the North West region. As a parliamentary candidate, she first stood unsuccessfully for the safe Labour Wythenshawe and Sale East constituency in 2001, and for the Bolton West constituency in the 2010 general election, losing by 92 votes.

House of Lords and ministerial career[edit]

On 20 September 2013 she was created a life peer as Baroness Williams of Trafford, of Hale in the county of Greater Manchester.^[10]

In April 2014, Williams succeeded Earl Attlee as baroness-in-waiting (government whip).^[11]

In 2015, David Cameron appointed Williams to his second government as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. On 28 May 2015 she introduced the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill 2015–16 to the House of Lords.^[12]

Williams was appointed Minister for Countering Extremism, the Home Office representative in the House of Lords in the First May ministry.

She was appointed Minister of State for Equalities in January 2018 by Theresa May.

In the 2020 British cabinet reshuffle, Williams was made Minister of State at the Home Office, and in March 2022 was made a member of the Privy Council, entitling her to the post-nominals PC for life.

Following the resignation of Boris Johnson, and the appointment of Liz Truss as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Williams was appointed as Chief Whip of the Conservative Party in the House of Lords and Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms. In that role, she took part in the Royal Procession at the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla.^[13]

References[edit]

^ Countering Extremism (2016–2019)
^ Staff writer (29 August 2007). "Two things Blue as council leader marries colleague". Manchester Evening News. Trinity Mirror. Archived from the original on 11 June 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
^ Baroness Williams of Trafford. Profile at Democracy Live. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
^ Bookies tip Cork woman for MP seat. Irish Examiner. 16 April 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
^ Susan Williams (Conservative) Manchester Evening News. 28 April 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
^ "Ministerial Appointments: September 2022". GOV.UK. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
^ "Knighthood conferred and Privy Council Appointment: March 2022". GOV.UK. UK Government. 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
^ "'Minister for Faith' role downgraded by government". Catholic Herald. 14 August 2015.
^ "Baroness Williams of Trafford". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
^ "No. 60638". The London Gazette. 25 September 2013. p. 18895.
^ "Appointment to the government: Baroness Williams of Trafford" (Press release). Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street. 8 April 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
^ "Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill 2015–16". www.parliament.uk. UK Parliament. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
^ "Coronation order of service in full". BBC News. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.

External links[edit]

Baroness Williams of Trafford – www.parliament.uk

Political offices
Preceded by The Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon	Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Northern Powerhouse 2015–2016	Succeeded by Andrew Percy
Preceded by Nick Gibb	Minister of State for Equalities 2018–2020	Succeeded by Kemi Badenoch
Preceded by The Lord Keen of Elie	Minister of State for Countering Extremism 2016–2019	Succeeded by Herself as Minister of State for Home Affairs
Preceded by Herself as Minister of State for Countering Extremism	Minister of State for Home Affairs 2019–2022	Succeeded by The Lord Murray of Blidworth
Preceded by The Lord Ashton of Hyde	Chief Whip of the House of Lords 2022–present	Incumbent
Preceded by The Lord Ashton of Hyde	Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms 2022–present	Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by The Lord Ashton of Hyde	Conservative Chief Whip in the House of Lords 2022–present	Incumbent
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by The Baroness Kennedy of Cradley	Ladies Baroness Williams of Trafford	Followed by The Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

[1] Countering Extremism (2016–2019)

[Marriage-2] Staff writer (29 August 2007). "Two things Blue as council leader marries colleague". Manchester Evening News. Trinity Mirror. Archived from the original on 11 June 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.

[DL-3] Baroness Williams of Trafford. Profile at Democracy Live. Retrieved 8 February 2014.

[4] Bookies tip Cork woman for MP seat. Irish Examiner. 16 April 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2014.

[5] Susan Williams (Conservative) Manchester Evening News. 28 April 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2014.

[6] "Ministerial Appointments: September 2022". GOV.UK. Retrieved 7 September 2022.

[7] "Knighthood conferred and Privy Council Appointment: March 2022". GOV.UK. UK Government. 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.

[8] "'Minister for Faith' role downgraded by government". Catholic Herald. 14 August 2015.

[9] "Baroness Williams of Trafford". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 April 2018.

[10] "No. 60638". The London Gazette. 25 September 2013. p. 18895.

[11] "Appointment to the government: Baroness Williams of Trafford" (Press release). Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street. 8 April 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.

[12] "Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill 2015–16". www.parliament.uk. UK Parliament. Retrieved 1 June 2015.

[13] "Coronation order of service in full". BBC News. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.

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