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Margaret Theresa Prosser, Baroness Prosser, (born 22 August 1937) is a Labour
Margaret Theresa Prosser, Baroness Prosser, (born 22 August 1937) is a Labour 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 ...
and former trade unionist.
Prosser was born on 22 August 1937 in Tooting
Tooting is a district in South London, forming part of the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is located south south-west of Charing Cross.
History
Tooting has been settled since pre-Anglo-Saxons, Saxon times. The name is of Anglo-Saxon ori ...
, London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, the daughter of Frederick James and Lillian (née Barry) Prosser.
She was educated at St Boniface Primary School, Tooting and St Philomena's School, Carshalton. She studied as a mature student at North East London Polytechnic, qualifying with a Post-graduate Diploma in Advice and Information Studies in 1977.
Prosser became active in the Labour party and the trades union movement in the early 1970s, rising through the ranks of the Transport and General Workers' Union
The Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU or T&G) was one of the largest general union, general trade unions in the United Kingdom and Ireland—where it was known as the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union (ATGWU)—with 900 ...
(T&G) to become Deputy General Secretary in 1998. She was President of the Trades Union Congress The president of the Trades Union Congress is a prominent but largely honorary position in United Kingdom, British trade unionism.
History
Initially, the post of president was elected at the annual Trades Union Congress (TUC) itself, and would serv ...
in 1996.
She was a member of the Equal Opportunities Commission 1985–92 and the Low Pay Commission
The Low Pay Commission (LPC) is an independent body in the United Kingdom, established in 1997, that advises the government on the National Minimum Wage. It is an advisory non-departmental public body of the Department for Business and Trade (DB ...
2000–05. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(OBE) in the 1997 Birthday Honours. From 1996 to 2001 she was Treasurer of the Labour Party.
From 2002 to 2006 she was Chair of the Women's National Commission.
On 11 June 2004, she was created Baroness Prosser, of Battersea
Battersea is a large district in southwest London, part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross and also extends along the south bank of the Thames Tideway. It includes the Battersea Park.
Hist ...
in the London Borough of Wandsworth
Wandsworth () is a London boroughs, London borough in South West (London sub region), South West London, England. It forms part of Inner London and has an estimated population of 329,677 inhabitants. Its main communities are Battersea, Balham, P ...
. From 1 November 2004 to 31 October 2010 she was a Non-Executive Director of Royal Mail plc.
From 2006 to 2012 she served as Deputy Chair of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights. In 2012 she published her autobiography ''Your Seat is at the End'', written with Greg Watts and with a foreword by 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 ...
. As of 2019, Prosser is a Chair of The Board of Trustees of the Industry and Parliament Trust, which works to promote an understanding of business amongst parliamentarians and policymakers.
She is a director of Progress Limited, a political think-tank and registered charity.
In 2020 she brought a House of Lords private member's bill for equal pay in the workplace, supported by the Fawcett Society
The Fawcett Society is a membership charity in the United Kingdom which campaigns for women's rights. The organisation dates back to 1866, when Millicent Garrett Fawcett dedicated her life to the peaceful campaign for women's suffrage. From 190 ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prosser, Margaret Prosser, Baroness 1937 births Alumni of the University of East London English trade unionists Deputy general secretaries of the Transport and General Workers' Union Life peeresses created by Elizabeth II Life peers created by Elizabeth II Prosser of Battersea Living people Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from Tooting Presidents of the Trades Union Congress