Maria Miller
Encyclopedia
Maria Frances Lewis Miller (born 26 March 1964 in Wolverhampton
) is a British
Conservative Party
politician who has been the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Basingstoke since the 2005 general election
. Miller is currently Parliamentary-Under Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
, South Wales
, and was educated at the Brynteg Comprehensive School
in Bridgend before studying for a BSc
in Economics at the London School of Economics
, In 1985, she joined Greys Advertising Ltd
as an advertising executive and in 1990 she left to become a marketing manager with Texaco
. She rejoined Greys in 1994 and served for five years as a director. She became a director for the Rowland Group (became Publicis Consultants) for four years from 1999.
but was defeated by the sitting Labour
MP Ken Purchase
. She has served as the Patron of the Wolverhampton North East Conservative Association since 2001. She was chairman of the Wimbledon
Conservative Association for a year from 2002.
She was first elected to the Commons
at the 2005 general election following the retirement of the former Conservative MP, Andrew Hunter
, who had defected to the Northern Ireland
Democratic Unionist Party
before he stepped down. In Parliament she served for a year from 2005 as a member of the Trade and Industry select committee. Later in 2005 David Cameron
appointed her a spokesperson in the Shadow Education and Skills team. She was appointed Shadow Minister for the Family in 2007. Following the 2010 General Election she was appointed parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and Minister for Disabled People at the Department for Work and Pensions
.
On 11 May 2011, thousands of severely-disabled people marched (or went in wheelchairs) to protest at Westminster against the deficit-reduction plans implemented by the coalition government of which Maria Miller is a member and Minister for the Disabled. She allegedly refused to meet with the protesters.
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician who has been the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Basingstoke since the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
. Miller is currently Parliamentary-Under Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
Early life
Born in Wolverhampton but brought up in BridgendBridgend
Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town...
, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
, and was educated at the Brynteg Comprehensive School
Brynteg Comprehensive School
Brynteg Comprehensive School is one of the largest secondary schools in Wales. It is located on Ewenny Road in the town of Bridgend, Wales...
in Bridgend before studying for a BSc
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Economics at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, In 1985, she joined Greys Advertising Ltd
Grey Global Group
Grey Group is a global advertising and marketing agency, whose slogan is providing solutions - with headquarters in New York City, and 432 offices in 96 countries, operating in 154 cities — organized into four geographical units: North America; Europe, Middle East & Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin...
as an advertising executive and in 1990 she left to become a marketing manager with Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
. She rejoined Greys in 1994 and served for five years as a director. She became a director for the Rowland Group (became Publicis Consultants) for four years from 1999.
Parliamentary career
She joined the Conservative Party in 1983 and she contested Wolverhampton North East at the 2001 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
but was defeated by the sitting Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
MP Ken Purchase
Ken Purchase
Kenneth "Ken" Purchase is a British Labour Co-operative politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton North East from 1992 until 2010.-Early life:...
. She has served as the Patron of the Wolverhampton North East Conservative Association since 2001. She was chairman of the Wimbledon
Wimbledon (UK Parliament constituency)
Wimbledon is one of two parliamentary constituencies in the London Borough of Merton in south-west London. It elects one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, by the first-past-the-post voting system....
Conservative Association for a year from 2002.
She was first elected to the Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
at the 2005 general election following the retirement of the former Conservative MP, Andrew Hunter
Andrew Hunter (British politician)
Andrew Robert Frederick Ebenezer Hunter is a United Kingdom politician and a member of the Orange Order. He was Member of Parliament for Basingstoke from 1983 until 2005...
, who had defected to the Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
before he stepped down. In Parliament she served for a year from 2005 as a member of the Trade and Industry select committee. Later in 2005 David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
appointed her a spokesperson in the Shadow Education and Skills team. She was appointed Shadow Minister for the Family in 2007. Following the 2010 General Election she was appointed parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and Minister for Disabled People at the Department for Work and Pensions
Department for Work and Pensions
The Department for Work and Pensions is the largest government department in the United Kingdom, created on June 8, 2001 from the merger of the employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security and headed by the Secretary of State for Work and...
.
On 11 May 2011, thousands of severely-disabled people marched (or went in wheelchairs) to protest at Westminster against the deficit-reduction plans implemented by the coalition government of which Maria Miller is a member and Minister for the Disabled. She allegedly refused to meet with the protesters.