Tina Stowell
Tina Stowell is also known as Baroness Stowell of Beeston and was Leader of the House of Lords, the Lord Privy Seal and a member of the Cabinet until the summer of 2016. She became a peer in 2011 and has been involved in a wide range of legislation, including the landmark Act which changed England’s marriage law so gay couples can marry.
Before becoming a peer she spent nine years at the BBC where she was latterly Head of Corporate Affairs and previously an adviser to three BBC chairmen. She ran William Hague’s office when he was Leader of the Conservative Party. During two years away from the world of government and politics in the late 90s she worked in a range of places, including a short spell with Sir David Frost at Paradine, his independent television and film production company. She was a civil servant for ten years, working at the Ministry of Defence in London, the British Embassy in Washington and the Downing Street Press Office when John Major was Prime Minister. On her departure from the Civil Service in 1996 she was awarded the MBE. In 2013 the Spectator made her their “Peer of the Year” and she received separate “Politician of the Year” awards from Stonewall and PinkNews for her work on equal marriage. In 2016 she received an Honorary Doctorate from Nottingham University.
Tina Stowell was born and brought up in Beeston, just outside of Nottingham. She attended Chilwell Comprehensive and moved to London aged 18 to join the civil service as a secretary.
No longer a member of the Government she is now embarking on yet another new chapter of her professional life.
Follow Tina on Twitter @tinastowell