Baroness Elizabeth Butler-Sloss

Generally acknowledged as having one of the most distinguished legal careers in Parliament, she was called to the Bar in 1955, Baroness Butler-Sloss was appointed a Registrar in the Registry Family Division in 1970 and subsequently a High Court Judge, Family Division (1979-1988) and then to the Court of Appeal (1988–1999).  From 1999 until her retirement in 2005 Lady Butler-Sloss was President of the Family Division. She was made Baroness Butler-Sloss of Marsh Green in 2006.

In 1987/88 she chaired the Cleveland Child Abuse Inquiry and was chairman of the Security Commission between 1994 and 2005. She has been the Chancellor of the University of the West of England since 1993 and holds a number of Honorary Fellowships including St Hilda’s College, Oxford, King's College, London, the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health.

http://www.wellingboroughconservatives.org/member_of_parliament/index.html

Peter Bone lives in Rushden and is a chartered accountant by profession, having qualified in 1977. He has also run both a public company and a family business.

Elected to Parliament in May 2005, Peter serves on the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments. He is Treasurer of the All Party Trafficking of Women and Children Group, Secretary of the All Party Road Traffic Group and on the Health Select committee. He was formerly a member of the Trade and Industry Select Committee.

www.fionamactaggart.org.uk

Fiona was first elected MP for Slough in 1997 and was one of 101 Labour women to enter Parliament that year. She was re-elected in June 2001 and May 2005.

Before becoming an MP, Fiona was director of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants and briefly a press officer for the National Council for Voluntary Organisations. She has been an inner London primary school teacher and a university lecturer at London University Institute of Education and worked in a private company.

Following the 2001 General Election, Fiona served as a Home Office Minister between June 2003 and May 2006, when she asked the Prime Minister to relieve her of her responsibilities. Fiona had responsibility for race equality, community policy and civil renewal, from 2003 to 2005. She then had responsibility for the criminal justice system including victims and witnesses, prison casework, criminal injuries compensation and prostitution, until 2006.

Fiona's current priorities are campaigning for better outdoor play facilities and leading a team of businesses and training providers to improve the skills of local people, so they can benefit more from the wide range of jobs available locally, and so that local companies can prosper too.

She played a major role in Sec 14 of the Criminal Evidence Act passed through both chambers which criminalises men having sex with trafficked women. 

www.emmanicholson.info

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne worked as a Director of the Save the Children Fund and subsequently as consultant to Dr Barnardo's, the National Children's Homes, Plan International and other children's charities prior to entering the House of Commons in 1987. Her voluntary work subsequently has included the Chairmanship of the Friends of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, the Parliamentary Appeal for Romanian Children and other Non-Governmental Organisations working for families and children in the Arabian Peninsula and the Persian Gulf.

As MEP for 1999 - 2009 she tackled the problems of child trafficking while serving as the European Parliament's rapporteur for Romania. She remains fully involved in this issue as a member of the Upper House, focussing particularly on trafficking from Central and Eastern Europe to EU member states.

www.louiseellman.co.uk

Louise Ellman was elected to Lancashire County Council in 1970 representing Skelmersdale. She was Leader of the Council between 1981 and 1997. She was a member of West Lancashire District Council, 1973-1987. She is an Honorary Alderman of Lancashire.

Louise Ellman was founding Vice-Chair of Lancashire Enterprises, Lancashire County Council's economic development agency 1982-1997. She chaired Lancashire's Environment Forum from its inception in 1989 until May 1997.

In 1992, Louise Ellman was founder Chair of the North West Regional Association. She was also a member of the North West Partnership, 1992-1997.

Louise was a member of the Regional Policy Commission chaired by Bruce Millan, which identified strategies to tackle regional unemployment and economic decline.

Louise has been a long standing member of the influential Transport Select Committee and in May 2008, following the untimely death of Gwynneth Dunwoody, Louise was elected as its Chair. She is a board member of the Liverpool Comedy Trust and LIPA – the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.

http://www.anthonysteen.org.uk

Anthony Steen was educated at Westminster School and was called to the Bar in 1962 (Gray`s Inn), majoring in Criminology (University College). 

Anthony Steen spent five years as a youth club leader in an East London Settlement, the Bernherd Baron Settlement, from 1959-64. In 1964 he founded Task Force, a London Charity, and was its first Director. Between 1964-68 he recruited 15 000 volunteers to help London's old and lonely and through a nameless, fundless, committee-less organisation.

Based on his successful community enterprise, In 1968, Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson asked Anthony Steen to head his Young Volunteer Force with the object of extending Task Force nationwide with a government circular inviting local authorities to tackle community and social problems with the young volunteer force. There was a budget of over £1 million and a small full time staff. Selwyn Lloyd, Jo Grimond and Douglas Houghton were the principal trustees.

Following research on urban issues in 28 American cities on a Scholarship from the State Department of the United States Government, he wrote `New Life for Old Cities` which made specific proposals to Government on how to trigger and accelerate urban regeneration in Britain. Many of its recommendations were implemented by the Thatcher administration.

Dubbed the ‘poor man’s lawyer’, he worked as a barrister from 1962-74 in landlord and tenant and planning law. Also worked with the Ministry of Defence (Defence Counsel, MoD Court Martials, 1964-68) and the National Union of Headteachers. Lectured in Law for the Council of Legal Education, 1964-67.

Parliamentary Career: MP Totnes/South Hams 1983 - 2010, MP Liverpool Wavertree 1974 - 1983

Has been a Member of Select Committees on: European Scrutiny, Regulatory Reform, Health, Environment and Race Relations

Founder - All-Party Parliamentary Hepatology Group

Member APPG Fisheries; Member APPG China; Parliamentary Panel - British Dental Association

Other:

• Director and Founder - Human Trafficking Foundation
• Chairman and Founder Trustee - Task Force Trust
• Chairman of Outlandos Trust - worked with "Sting" and unemployed young people in deprived urban areas to make music
• Married to Carolyn, a practising child psychologist and regular Expert Witness. Former Chairman of the Thomas Coram 1998 - 2004, they have two adult children and two grandchildren

Mark Durkan is former Leader of the SDLP (2001-10). In 1984, Mark started working for (now Nobel Peace Laureate) John Hume, as his Westminster Assistant. He was a key member of the SDLP team during the negotiations leading to the Good Friday Agreement and was described as its "chief draftsman".

After leading a resoundingly successful ‘Yes' campaign for the SDLP, Mark was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 1998 for Foyle. He was appointed to the Northern Ireland Executive as Minister for Finance and Personnel. In 2001, Mark replaced Seamus Mallon as Deputy First Minister. He also succeeded John Hume as SDLP Leader.

Mark has represented Derry's interests with distinction as the MP for Foyle since 2005. He has a strong pedigree on many issues - including justice issues, economic development, healthcare and children's rights. He has established a reputation as a leading advocate on international development issues and on civil liberties, and was described by Liberty as an ‘incredible and powerful ally' for human rights.