Roger Bootle-Wilbraham, 7th Baron Skelmersdale (2 April 1945 – 31 October 2018), was a British politician and

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

member of the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...

. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI of England, Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. i ...

. From 1972, Lord Skelmersdale and his wife Christine owned and operated Broadleigh Gardens, a horticultural centre at Barr House, Bishops Hull,

Taunton Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England, with a 2011 population of 69,570. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by the ...

, Somerset. Lord Skelmersdale succeeded to the peerage in 1973 on the death of his father

Lionel Bootle-Wilbraham, 6th Baron Skelmersdale Brigadier Lionel Bootle-Wilbraham, 6th Baron Skelmersdale, (23 September 1896 – 21 July 1973) was a British Army officer and peer who served in both the First and Second World War. Early life Lionel Bootle-Wilbraham was born on 23 September 1 ...

. He was made a House of Lords

whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally ...

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...

's government in 1981, holding that position until 1986. He then moved to the

Department of Environment An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment, ...

as a

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (or just Parliamentary Secretary, particularly in departments not led by a Secretary of State) is the lowest of three tiers of government minister in the UK government, immediately junior to a Minister ...

and then to the

Department of Health and Social Security The Department of Health and Social Security (commonly known as the DHSS) was a ministry of the British government in existence for twenty years from 1968 until 1988, and was headed by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Services. Hi ...

in 1987 before that department was split in 1988. Lord Skelmersdale continued at the

Department of Social Security The Department of Social Security (DSS) was a governmental agency in the United Kingdom from 1988 to 2001. The old abbreviation is still often used informally. Advertisements for rented accommodation used to describe prospective tenants who wou ...

until 1989 when he was assigned to the

Northern Ireland Office The Northern Ireland Office (NIO; ga, Oifig Thuaisceart Éireann, Ulster-Scots: ''Norlin Airlann Oaffis'') is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for N ...

, serving until the end of Thatcher's premiership in November 1990. He was not reappointed by

John Major Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997, and as Member of Parliament (MP) for Huntingdon, formerly Hunting ...

. With the passage of the

House of Lords Act 1999 The House of Lords Act 1999 (c. 34) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. The Act was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. For centuries, the House of Lords ...

, Lord Skelmersdale, along with almost all other hereditary peers, lost his automatic right to sit in the House of Lords. He was however elected as one of the ninety-two elected hereditary peers to remain in the House of Lords pending completion of House of Lords reform. Lord Skelmersdale was, as of 2006, a Conservative Shadow Minister for the

Department for Work and Pensions , type = Department , seal = , logo = Department for Work and Pensions logo.svg , logo_width = 166px , formed = , preceding1 = , jurisdiction = Government of the United Kingdom , headquarters = Caxton House7th Floor6–12 Tothill Stree ...

as a member of

David Cameron David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. He previously served as Leader o ...

's front bench team, however, he did not become a minister in the coalition Cameron ministry starting in 2010. He served as a Deputy Chairman of Committees from 1991 to 2003 (and Deputy Speaker from 1995), and again from 2010 to 2014. Lord Skelmersdale was a bridge player and a member of the all-party parliamentary bridge group. Lord Skelmersdale died on 31 October 2018 at the age of 73.

References

External links

Parliament profile

TheyWorkForYou profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Skelmersdale, Roger Bootle-Wilbraham, 7th Baron 1945 births 2018 deaths People educated at Eton College Skelmersdale, Roger Bootle-Wilbraham, 7th Baron Eldest sons of British hereditary barons Skelmersdale, Roger Bootle-Wilbraham, 7th Baron Northern Ireland Office junior ministers Hereditary peers elected under the House of Lords Act 1999