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Natalie Evans, Baroness Evans of Bowes Park

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The Right Honourable
The Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
PC
Official portrait, 2023
Leader of the House of Lords
Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal
In office
14 July 2016 – 6 September 2022
Prime Minister
Preceded byThe Baroness Stowell of Beeston
Succeeded byThe Lord True
Baroness-in-Waiting
Government Whip
In office
8 May 2015 – 13 July 2016
Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
Preceded byThe Baroness Jolly
Succeeded byThe Baroness Goldie
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Assumed office
28 October 2014
Life Peerage
Personal details
Born
Natalie Jessica Evans

(1975-11-29)29 November 1975(age 48)
Political partyConservative
Spouse
​
(m.2010)​
Alma materNew Hall, Cambridge

Natalie Jessica Evans, Baroness Evans of Bowes Park,PC(born 29 November 1975), is a British politician and member of theHouse of Lords.A member of theConservative Party,she was made alife peerin 2014 and from 2016 to 2022 wasLeader of the House of Lords.She was the first Leader of the House of Lords to serve under two different prime ministers sinceLord Shepherdin 1974, and the longest serving Lords leader since 1951.

Early life and education[edit]

Evans was born on 29 November 1975. She was educated atRockport Schoolin County Down,The Henrietta Barnett Schooland atNew Hall, Cambridge,where she studiedsocial and political sciencesand graduated in 1998.[1][2][3]

Career[edit]

Evans worked as a researcher for theHouse of Commonsand then for theSocial Market Foundation,[4]a public policy think tank which aims to "champion ideas that marry a pro-market orientation with concern for social justice".[5]She moved to theConservative Research Departmentin 1999, eventually becoming its deputy director.[1][4]In 2002, she was appointed head of policy at theInvestor Relations Society"with a remit to help the Society play a leading role in influencing UK legislation, in particular the Financial Services Authority's review of the listing rules and regulations covering analyst research."[4]She later became its general manager.[6]In 2004, she became head of health and protection at theAssociation of British Insurers(2004–2006),[6][7]and then worked as head of policy at theBritish Chambers of Commerce(2006–2008).[3]

In 2008, Evans became deputy director atPolicy Exchange,[3]a centre-rightthink tank.[8]In May 2010, she stood for election to theLondon Borough of Haringeyas a Conservative Party candidate to be one of three councillors in theBounds Greenward;she achieved 647 votes and was not elected.[9]On 5 November 2010, as deputy director at Policy Exchange, she introduced Home SecretaryTheresa Mayat a speech aboutimmigrationhosted by the think tank.[10]

In 2011, Evans left Policy Exchange to become chief operating officer at theNew Schools Network.[3]She was then its director from January 2013 until May 2015.[11]The New Schools Network is a registered charity, and supports groups who wish to set upfree schools.[12]

House of Lords[edit]

Evans at the Lords' dispatch box in 2021

She was madelife peerasBaroness Evans of Bowes Park,ofBowes Parkwhich borders the London Boroughs of Enfield and Haringey, on 12 September 2014.[13]Baroness Evans was formallyintroducedto theHouse of Lordsalong withLord Cashmanon 28 October 2014.[14]She was, at the time, the youngest female peer.[11]

Evans served as a government whip in the House of Lords during the 2015 government, and spoke briefly in January 2016 about how "education must be at the heart of our prison system if we are to rehabilitate effectively".[15][16]On 14 July 2016 Baroness Evans was appointed to the post ofLeader of the House of Lordsby then prime minister,Theresa May.[17]She remained in that office whenBoris Johnsonbecame Prime Minister in July 2019.

Personal life[edit]

Her husbandJames Wildwas employed as aSpecial Adviserby SirMichael FallonMP, when he served asSecretary of State for Defence.[18]He was elected the MP forNorth West Norfolkat the2019 United Kingdom general election.

References[edit]

  1. ^ab"Baroness Evans of Bowes Park - GOV.UK".www.gov.uk.Retrieved14 July2016.
  2. ^Cambridge University List of Members, 1996
  3. ^abcd"Evans of Bowes Park, Baroness (Natalie Jessica Evans)",Who's Who(online ed.,Oxford University Press,December 2019). Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  4. ^abc"IRS hires Evans in bid to forge links and raise profile",PRWeek,16 August 2002.
  5. ^"Home, The Social Market Foundation (SMF) think tank - Social Market Foundation".Social Market Foundation.Retrieved6 October2017.
  6. ^abTom Williams,"Workman lands GM job at the IRS",PRWeek,23 April 2004. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  7. ^"Dines takes top Chambers post",PRWeek,28 September 2006. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  8. ^Andy Beckett,"What can they be thinking?",The Guardian,26 September 2008. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  9. ^"Bounds Green ward results 2010",Haringey Votes(London Borough of Haringey). Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  10. ^"Immigration: Home Secretary's speech of 5 November 2010 - Speeches - GOV.UK".www.gov.uk.5 November 2010.Retrieved14 July2016.
  11. ^ab"Storm as Tory party donors given peerages".Yorkshire Post.9 August 2014 – via LexisNexis.
  12. ^Wintour, Patrick (8 August 2014)."David Cameron in spotlight over two more peerages to Tory party donors".The Guardian.Retrieved14 July2016.
  13. ^"No. 60992".The London Gazette.18 September 2014. p. 18154.
  14. ^"Parliament UK: Parliamentary Calendar".services.parliament.uk.Retrieved14 July2016.
  15. ^"Prime Minister's Office".The Times(1st National ed.). 23 May 2015. pp. 78–79 – via LexisNexis.
  16. ^"Former inmate Lord Hanningfield calls for more prisoner education - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk".Belfasttelegraph.co.uk.19 January 2016.Retrieved14 July2016.
  17. ^Sparrow, Andrew; Johnston, Chris (14 July 2016)."May's cabinet reshuffle: Michael Gove sacked and replaced with Elizabeth Truss - live updates".The Guardian.Retrieved14 July2016.
  18. ^"Baroness Evans of Bowes Park".UK Parliament.Retrieved15 January2017.

External links[edit]

Political offices
Preceded by Leader of the House of Lords
2016–2022 		Succeeded by
Lord Privy Seal
2016–2022
Party political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Conservative Partyin theHouse of Lords
2016–2022 		Succeeded by
Order of precedence in England and Wales
Preceded by Ladies Succeeded by
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