Janet Alison Whitaker, Baroness Whitaker (born 20 February 1936) is a British politician with the Labour Party. Born Janet Alison Stewart, she is the daughter of Alan Harrison Stewart and Ella Stewart (née Saunders). She was educated at Nottingham High School for Girls,

Girton College, Cambridge Girton College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was established in 1869 by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon as the first women's college at Cambridge. In 1948, it was granted full college status by the un ...

in the United Kingdom and at

Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr College ( ; Welsh language, Welsh: ) is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as a ...

and

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

in the United States. In 1964 she married Benjamin Whitaker (1934–2014) a barrister, author and human rights activist, who served a single term as Labour Party MP for

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...

from 1966 to 1970. Whitaker began her career in publishing. She was a Commissioning Editor with the English publishing house Andre Deutsch Ltd from 1961 until 1968. From 1974 to 1996 she was with the Employment Department Group. She was then employed by the

Commonwealth Secretariat The Commonwealth Secretariat is the main intergovernmental agency and central institution of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is responsible for facilitating co-operation between members; organising meetings, including the Commonwealth Heads of ...

as a consultant for the

Commission for Racial Equality In-Commission or commissioning may refer to: Business and contracting * Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered ** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of anot ...

(1996–98). She was then with Independent Television Commission (ITC) starting in 1999, serving as the Deputy Chair from 2001 to 2003. During that time, she was a consultant to the Committee of Reference for

Friends Provident Friends' Provident Insurance was a banking institution founded in 1832 to serve the needs of the Society of Friends (Quakers). Based in Bradford, Yorkshire, it concentrated on sickness and annuity policies until its life fund acquired Century I ...

insurance company from 1999 to 1998. In June 1999, she was included in

Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He was Leader ...

's new list of

working peers 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 Du ...

in recognition of a career in publishing and in the civil service. She 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 ...

on 5 August 1999 taking the title Baroness Whitaker, ''of Beeston in the

County of Nottingham A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) ''Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denotin ...

shire''. She is Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Gypsies, Travellers and Roma and President of Friends, Families and Travellers and of the Advisory Council for the Education of Romany and other Travellers Whitaker joined the House of Lords on 5 August 1999. Since then she has sat on committees including Home Affairs, Human Rights, and Intergovernmental Organisations. Her focus within the UK is East Sussex and Nottingham. She was an International Development Liaison Peer from 1999 to 2007 and served as Vice-Chair of the UK Parliamentary Labour Party International Development Committee. She chaired the Design in Public Procurement Inquiry (2009) and the Design Education Inquiry (2011). Whitaker lists her political interests as architecture and design, international development and race relations. Whitaker supports

humanism Humanism is a philosophy, philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential, and Agency (philosophy), agency of human beings, whom it considers the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The me ...

in the House of Lords. Contributions include amending Bills to specify obligations to observe good design in housing and planning, to widen scope beyond classic religion to include belief and values; Bills so amended include the Communications Bill, Asylum Bill, Charities Bill 2005, Equality Bill, Education and Inspections Bill, Housing and Planning bill. She is a Patron of

Humanists UK Humanists UK, known from 1967 until May 2017 as the British Humanist Association (BHA), is a charitable organisation which promotes secular humanism and aims to represent Irreligion in the United Kingdom, non-religious people in the UK throug ...

, and a member of the Advisory Board for the British Institute of Human Rights. Whitaker was co-opted to the Virtual advisory panel of the United Nations Association – UK, the independent policy authority on the UN in the UK. and is a member of the All‐Party Parliamentary Group on the United Nations (UN APPG) from the House of Lords. Whitaker was a

Magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judi ...

from 1984 until 2001. She was a member of the Employment Tribunal from 1995 to 2000. From 1996 to 1999 she served on the Camden Racial Equality Council, first as Deputy Chair and then as Chair. Currently, she is president of the

South Downs The South Downs are a range of chalk hills in the south-eastern coastal counties of England that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, in the ...

Society.

Professional, educational, and humanitarian affiliations

*British Institute of Human Rights: Advisory Board, 2005– * Employment Tribunal: member, 1995–2000 * Immigration Complaints Audit Committee: 1998–99 *

One World Trust The One World Trust is a charitable organization that promotes education and research into changes required in global governance to achieve the eradication of poverty, injustice, environmental degradation and war. It develops recommendations on ...

: Vice-President and former Trustee *

Overseas Development Institute ODI Global (formerly Overseas Development Institute) is a global affairs think tank, founded in 1960. Its mission is "to inspire people to act on injustice and inequality through collaborative research and ideas that matter for people and the ...

: Council Member, 2003– *

Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

: Fellow *

Society: President *

Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health trust based in north London. The Trust specialises in talking therapies. The education and training department caters for 2,000 students a year from the United King ...

: Non-executive Director, 1997–2001 *

Transparency International Transparency International e.V. (TI) is a German registered association founded in 1993 by former employees of the World Bank. Based in Berlin, its nonprofit and non-governmental purpose is to take action to combat global corruption with civil s ...

(UK): former member of the Advisory Council, 2001–20?? * UNICEF UK (United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF): Trustee * United Nations Association – UK: member of Virtual advisory panel, member of the Lords' All‐Party Parliamentary Group *

Working Men's College The Working Men's College (also known as the St Pancras Working Men's College, WMC, The Camden College or WM College), is among the earliest adult education institutions established in the United Kingdom, and Europe's oldest extant centre for adu ...

Corporation: Chair of the Board 1999–2002,

Emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". In some c ...

Governor, Fellow of the College, and Sponsor/Patron

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitaker, Janet, Baroness Whitaker 1936 births Living people Labour Party (UK) life peers British humanists Alumni of Girton College, Cambridge People educated at Nottingham Girls' High School Life peeresses created by Elizabeth II Life peers created by Elizabeth II