Frederick Matthew Thomas Ponsonby, 4th Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede, Baron Ponsonby of Roehampton (born 27 October 1958), is a British peer and Labour Party politician. Lord Ponsonby serves as a UK Government Minister in the Ministry of Justice since 2024.

Early life and education

The only son of Thomas Ponsonby, 3rd Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede, and Ursula ''née'' Fox-Pitt, he attended Holland Park School, before going up to read Physics at

Cardiff University Cardiff University () is a public research university in Cardiff, Wales. It was established in 1883 as the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire and became a founding college of the University of Wales in 1893. It was renamed Unive ...

, graduating BSc 1980. He then pursued post-graduate studies in Engineering at Imperial College London, CEng 1997. Lord Ponsonby was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (FIMMM) in 1996.

Political career

Succeeding as Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede upon his father's death in 1990, he took his seat in the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

as a hereditary peer in 1991, sitting on the Labour benches. Lord Ponsonby represented Roehampton Ward as a

councillor A councillor, alternatively councilman, councilwoman, councilperson, or council member, is someone who sits on, votes in, or is a member of, a council. This is typically an elected representative of an electoral district in a municipal or re ...

on Wandsworth London Borough Council from 1990 to 1994. Along with all but 92 of his fellow hereditary peers, Lord Ponsonby was ejected from the upper house following the enactment of the House of Lords Act 1999. Having sat on the Lords Opposition frontbench as a spokesman on Education from 1992–1997 as well as on various parliamentary sub-committees, in 2000 he was created a

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...

, in addition to his hereditary title, as Baron Ponsonby of Roehampton, ''of Shulbrede in the County of West Sussex'', thus enabling to resume sitting in Parliament. Having served as an Opposition spokesperson for

Justice In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes (Justinian), Inst ...

from April 2020 and Home Affairs from May 2021, on 9 July 2024, Lord Ponsonby was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice and as a Lord-in-Waiting. A justice of the peace (JP) for Westminster since 2006, Lord Ponsonby was admitted as a Freeman of the City of London in 2024.

Family

On 5 July 1995, he married Sarah Catriona Pilkington Jackson (born 1957), chief executive of the charity Working Families, and daughter of Richard d'Orville Pilkington Jackson (1921–2008). Lord and Lady Ponsonby live in London and have two children: * The Hon. Eve Ponsonby (born 1991), an actress; * The Hon. Cameron Ponsonby (born 1995), educated at

University of Southampton The University of Southampton (abbreviated as ''Soton'' in post-nominal letters) is a public university, public research university in Southampton, England. Southampton is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universit ...

( BSc) and City, University of London ( MA), a sports journalist and

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

to the hereditary barony.

Arms

Notes

References

Sources

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Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ponsonby, Frederick Ponsonby, 4th Baron 1958 births Living people People educated at Holland Park School Alumni of Cardiff University Alumni of Imperial College London Barons Ponsonby of Shulbrede Labour Party (UK) life peers Labour Party (UK) hereditary peers Labour Party (UK) Baronesses- and Lords-in-Waiting Frederick Ponsonby, 4th Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede Ponsonby Life peers created by Elizabeth II Ponsonby of Shulbrede