Jacqui Lait

Infobox MP
honorific-prefix =
name = Jacqui Lait
honorific-suffix =

---

office =
predecessor =
successor =
term_start =
term_end =
constituency_MP2 = Beckenham
parliament2 =
majority2 = 8,401 (17.2%)
predecessor2 = Piers Merchant
successor2 =
term_start2 = 20 November 1997
term_end2 =
constituency_MP3 = Hastings and Rye
parliament3 =
majority3 =
predecessor3 = Kenneth Warren
successor3 = Michael Jabez Foster
term_start3 = 9 April 1992
term_end3 = 1 May 1997
birth_date = Birth date and age|1947|12|16|df=yes
birth_place = Paisley, United Kingdom
death_date =
death_place =
nationality = British
spouse = Peter Jones
party = Conservative
relations =
children =
residence =
alma_mater = University of Strathclyde
occupation =
profession =
religion =


website = [http://www.jacquilaitmp.co.uk/ www.jacquilaitmp.co.uk]
footnotes =

Jacqueline Anne "Jacqui" Lait (born Jacqueline Anne Harkness on 16 December 1947) is a British politician and Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Beckenham.

Early life

Lait was born in Paisley near Glasgow, and attended Paisley Grammar School and the University of Strathclyde, where she received a bachelor's degree in business management. After graduating, Lait worked in public relations for the jute industry in Dundee, Scotland, later working for the television news agency Visnews. Lait joined the Government Information Service in the Scottish Privy Council, and, later, the Department of Employment Offices in 1974. In 1980, Lait joined the Chemical Industries Association as their Parliamentary Adviser. She has also run her own Parliamentary Consultancy.

Political career

Lait was a candidate for Strathclyde West for the 1984 European elections and the following year stood in the by-election for Tyne Bridge. She was selected as the Conservative candidate for Hastings and Rye in April 1991.

Lait won the Hastings and Rye seat in the 1992 general election and in 1996 became the first female Conservative Whip. She lost her seat at the 1997 general election, following a dispute with local fishermen, but later in the same year was elected MP for Beckenham via a by-election after the resignation of Piers Merchant.

In September 2001, Lait was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, a position she held until 2003 when she became Shadow Home Affairs Minister. A reshuffle after the 2005 general election saw her appointed as Shadow Minister for London. Two years later, she was handed the additional duties of Shadow Minister for Planning.

Personal life

Lait is married to Peter Jones, Leader of East Sussex County Council.

External links

* [http://www.jacquilaitmp.com/ Jacqui Lait MP] official site
* [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-2988,00.html Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Jacqui Lait MP]
* [http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.person.page&personID=5142 Conservative Party] profile of Lait
* [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/jacqui_lait/beckenham TheyWorkForYou.com] - Jacqui Lait, MP
* [http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpn=Jacqui_Lait&mpc=Beckenham The Public Whip] Jacqui Lait, MP's voting record
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/mpdb/html/37.stm BBC News - Jacqui Lait] BBC profile

Persondata
NAME=Lait, Jacqueline Anne
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Jacqui Lait (known as); Jacqueline Anne Harkness
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Conservative Party MP for Hastings and Rye 1992–1997, for Beckenham since 1997
DATE OF BIRTH=16 December 1947
PLACE OF BIRTH=Paisley, Scotland
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=