Sarah Wollaston
Encyclopedia
Dr Sarah Wollaston is a British
general practitioner
and politician who has been the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Totnes
for the Conservative party
since 2010. She is notable for having been selected as a candidate to follow the retiring MP Anthony Steen
through an 'open primary
' in which the Conservative Party posted ballot papers to every voter in the constituency. She has portrayed herself as a politician who has worked a "real job", and has campaigned for restrictions on alcohol sales to combat alcohol-related crime.
, Surrey
, and moved frequently in her early life as her father Ken was serving in the Royal Air Force
and was posted to different bases. She was educated at a mixture of military and civilian schools, spending the longest time at Tal Handaq in Malta
. In 1980 she went to Guy's Hospital
to study medicine, taking an additional course in pathology at the same time as her primary course. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science
degree in Pathology in 1983, and graduated in Medicine from King's College London
in 1986. She then trained as a general practitioner
, qualifying in 1992.
While at Guy's Hospital, Wollaston met her husband Adrian; they have three children.
on the edge of Dartmoor
. She was also a police forensic examiner from 1996 to 2001, dealing with victims of sexual assault. From 2001 she was a part-time teacher of junior doctors at Peninsula Deanery in Plymouth. She became a fellow of the Higher Education Academy in Exeter in 2007, and was an examiner for the Royal College of General Practitioners
.
in 2006, having been spurred into politics by her opposition to the threatened closure of Moretonhampstead
Community Hospital. However Wollaston accepted that she had "no background in politics" when in 2009 she put her name forward for the selection of a candidate for the Totnes
constituency, citing as qualifications "only real life experience, approachability and enthusiasm". The Conservative Association placed her on the shortlist of three to succeed Anthony Steen
, who had announced his retirement after criticism as part of the United Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal
in 2009; the Conservatives had already decided that the selection would be made by an 'open primary' in which non-members would have a vote. On 9 July the Conservative Party leader David Cameron
announced that the party would, for the first time, send a postal ballot paper to every voter instead of holding the selection at an open meeting.
During the selection process, Wollaston campaigned on the problems of alcohol-related crime, citing also the 8,000 annual deaths from alcohol. She later supported curbs on low priced alcoholic drinks. Wollaston said that she might not have put her name forward had she known that the selection was to be by open primary, but highlighted that the selection offered voters a choice between a career politician and "someone with a real job". At a public hustings, she was asked whether her lack of political experience would make it difficult for her to throw and take political punches; she replied that this was not what politics was about for her, and that she would not indulge in it. Her reply prompted spontaneous applause.
The primary was conducted under the plurality
("first past the post") method used in national elections. In the selection result, Wollaston was proclaimed the winner with 7,914 votes (48%), ahead of Sara Randall Johnson (leader of East Devon
District Council) who had 5,495 (33%), and Nick Bye (Mayor of Torbay
) who had 3,088 (19%). Nearly a quarter of all voters returned their ballots, a higher turnout than was expected.
direction and to support a bypass for Kingskerswell
.
On election day, Wollaston was elected with a majority more than double the previous election. She supported the formation of a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government as being the most appropriate for her constituency in the circumstances after the election, explaining that voters wanted to see politicians working together. Her maiden speech
on 2 June further outlined her concerns about alcohol-related crime and alcoholic drink pricing, and also mentioned issues of concern in her constituency including bovine tuberculosis.
In July Wollaston referred to her experience working with sexual assault victims in warning the Government against its plans to introduce anonymity for people suspected of or charged with rape. She argued that it would constitute a "further barrier" for victims to report their crime, and that the vast majority of sexual assaults already went unreported. She successfully pressed the Government to take up the way the European Union Working Time Directive
applied to junior doctors' training, saying that it was causing patient care to suffer. Wollaston declared in October 2010 that she would not vote to repeal the Hunting Act 2004
because "the overwhelming majority" in her constituency were opposed to hunting.
Wollaston broke the Conservative whip in November 2010 to support an amendment setting a threshold of 40% turnout for the result of the referendum on voting systems to be valid, and later in the month supported a Labour amendment to allow more policyholders to claim compensation over the collapse in Equitable Life dividends.
In March 2011, Wollaston warned David Cameron
that the NHS reforms would result in the NHS going "belly up." Wollaston warned that the reorganisation would result in confusion with doctors being overwhelmed. She said there was a risk that Monitor
, the new regulator would be filled with "competition economists" who would change the NHS beyond recognitition. There was no point 'liberating' the NHS from political control only to shackle it to an unelected economic regulator.
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...
general practitioner
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
and 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 Totnes
Totnes (UK Parliament constituency)
Totnes is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament , using the first-past-the-post voting system....
for the 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...
since 2010. She is notable for having been selected as a candidate to follow the retiring MP Anthony Steen
Anthony Steen
Anthony David Steen is a British Conservative Party politician who was a Member of Parliament from 1974 to 2010, and the chairman of the Human Trafficking Foundation. Having represented Totnes in Devon since 1997, he was previously MP for South Hams from 1983, and had also been the MP for...
through an 'open primary
Open primary
An open primary is a primary election that does not require voters to be affiliated with a political party in order to vote for partisan candidates. In a traditional open primary, voters may select one party's ballot and vote for that party's nomination. As in a closed primary, the highest voted...
' in which the Conservative Party posted ballot papers to every voter in the constituency. She has portrayed herself as a politician who has worked a "real job", and has campaigned for restrictions on alcohol sales to combat alcohol-related crime.
Family and early life
Wollaston was born in WokingWoking
Woking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, and moved frequently in her early life as her father Ken was serving in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and was posted to different bases. She was educated at a mixture of military and civilian schools, spending the longest time at Tal Handaq in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. In 1980 she went to Guy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital is a large NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in south east London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It is a large teaching hospital and is home to the King's College London School of Medicine...
to study medicine, taking an additional course in pathology at the same time as her primary course. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science
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...
degree in Pathology in 1983, and graduated in Medicine from King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
in 1986. She then trained as a general practitioner
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
, qualifying in 1992.
While at Guy's Hospital, Wollaston met her husband Adrian; they have three children.
Devon
In 1996 Wollaston moved to Devon to work as a general practitioner in ChagfordChagford
Chagford is a small town and civil parish on the north-east edge of Dartmoor, in Devon, England, close to the River Teign. It is located off the A382, about 4 miles west of Moretonhampstead. The name Chagford is derived from the word chag, meaning gorse or broom, and the ford suffix indicates its...
on the edge of Dartmoor
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an area of moorland in south Devon, England. Protected by National Park status, it covers .The granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. The moorland is capped with many exposed granite hilltops known as tors, providing habitats for Dartmoor wildlife. The...
. She was also a police forensic examiner from 1996 to 2001, dealing with victims of sexual assault. From 2001 she was a part-time teacher of junior doctors at Peninsula Deanery in Plymouth. She became a fellow of the Higher Education Academy in Exeter in 2007, and was an examiner for the Royal College of General Practitioners
Royal College of General Practitioners
The Royal College of General Practitioners is the professional body for general practitioners in the United Kingdom. The RCGP represents and supports GPs on key issues including licensing, education, training, research and clinical standards. It is the largest of the medical royal colleges, with...
.
Totnes selection
Wollaston joined the Conservative PartyConservative 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...
in 2006, having been spurred into politics by her opposition to the threatened closure of Moretonhampstead
Moretonhampstead
Moretonhampstead lies on the edge of Dartmoor and is notable for having the longest one-word name of any place in England. The parish church is dedicated to St. Andrew. George Oliver and John Pike Jones , 1828, Exeter: E. Woolmer. Moretonhampstead is twinned with Betton in France.-History:The...
Community Hospital. However Wollaston accepted that she had "no background in politics" when in 2009 she put her name forward for the selection of a candidate for the Totnes
Totnes (UK Parliament constituency)
Totnes is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament , using the first-past-the-post voting system....
constituency, citing as qualifications "only real life experience, approachability and enthusiasm". The Conservative Association placed her on the shortlist of three to succeed Anthony Steen
Anthony Steen
Anthony David Steen is a British Conservative Party politician who was a Member of Parliament from 1974 to 2010, and the chairman of the Human Trafficking Foundation. Having represented Totnes in Devon since 1997, he was previously MP for South Hams from 1983, and had also been the MP for...
, who had announced his retirement after criticism as part of the United Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal
United Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal
The United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal was a major political scandal triggered by the leak and subsequent publication by the Telegraph Group in 2009 of expense claims made by members of the United Kingdom Parliament over several years...
in 2009; the Conservatives had already decided that the selection would be made by an 'open primary' in which non-members would have a vote. On 9 July the Conservative Party leader 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 ....
announced that the party would, for the first time, send a postal ballot paper to every voter instead of holding the selection at an open meeting.
During the selection process, Wollaston campaigned on the problems of alcohol-related crime, citing also the 8,000 annual deaths from alcohol. She later supported curbs on low priced alcoholic drinks. Wollaston said that she might not have put her name forward had she known that the selection was to be by open primary, but highlighted that the selection offered voters a choice between a career politician and "someone with a real job". At a public hustings, she was asked whether her lack of political experience would make it difficult for her to throw and take political punches; she replied that this was not what politics was about for her, and that she would not indulge in it. Her reply prompted spontaneous applause.
The primary was conducted under the plurality
Plurality voting system
The plurality voting system is a single-winner voting system often used to elect executive officers or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single-member constituencies...
("first past the post") method used in national elections. In the selection result, Wollaston was proclaimed the winner with 7,914 votes (48%), ahead of Sara Randall Johnson (leader of East Devon
East Devon
East Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council is based in Sidmouth, and the largest town is Exmouth.The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the borough of Honiton with the urban districts of Budleigh Salterton, Exmouth, Ottery St. Mary, Seaton, Sidmouth...
District Council) who had 5,495 (33%), and Nick Bye (Mayor of Torbay
Torbay
Torbay is an east-facing bay and natural harbour, at the western most end of Lyme Bay in the south-west of England, situated roughly midway between the cities of Exeter and Plymouth. Part of the ceremonial county of Devon, Torbay was made a unitary authority on 1 April 1998...
) who had 3,088 (19%). Nearly a quarter of all voters returned their ballots, a higher turnout than was expected.
Parliament
As the general election approached, Wollaston made clear her anger at suggestions that she would be a part-time MP, and said that she would not continue her medical practice if elected. The local Liberal Democrats denied that they were behind rumours that Wollaston intended to continue to practice part-time. She accepted that the scandal over Anthony Steen's expenses claims had damaged the Conservative Party's chances, and declined his offer of the use of his home to run the Conservative campaign. She pledged to vote in a euroscepticEuroSceptic
EuroSceptic is the second album of British singer Jack Lucien. It was released in October 2009.Due to being an album influenced by Europop, it features songs with parts in different languages...
direction and to support a bypass for Kingskerswell
Kingskerswell
Kingskerswell is a village and civil parish in the south of the county of Devon, England. The village grew up where an ancient track took the narrowest point across a marshy valley and it is of ancient foundation, being mentioned in the Domesday Book. It has a church dating back to the 14th century...
.
On election day, Wollaston was elected with a majority more than double the previous election. She supported the formation of a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government as being the most appropriate for her constituency in the circumstances after the election, explaining that voters wanted to see politicians working together. Her maiden speech
Maiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
on 2 June further outlined her concerns about alcohol-related crime and alcoholic drink pricing, and also mentioned issues of concern in her constituency including bovine tuberculosis.
In July Wollaston referred to her experience working with sexual assault victims in warning the Government against its plans to introduce anonymity for people suspected of or charged with rape. She argued that it would constitute a "further barrier" for victims to report their crime, and that the vast majority of sexual assaults already went unreported. She successfully pressed the Government to take up the way the European Union Working Time Directive
Working Time Directive
The Working Time Directive is a European Union Directive, which creates the right for EU workers to a minimum number of holidays each year, paid breaks, and rest of at least 11 hours in any 24 hours; restricts excessive night work; and makes a default right to work no more than 48 hours per week....
applied to junior doctors' training, saying that it was causing patient care to suffer. Wollaston declared in October 2010 that she would not vote to repeal the Hunting Act 2004
Hunting Act 2004
The Hunting Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The effect of the Act is to outlaw hunting with dogs in England and Wales from 18 February 2005...
because "the overwhelming majority" in her constituency were opposed to hunting.
Wollaston broke the Conservative whip in November 2010 to support an amendment setting a threshold of 40% turnout for the result of the referendum on voting systems to be valid, and later in the month supported a Labour amendment to allow more policyholders to claim compensation over the collapse in Equitable Life dividends.
In March 2011, Wollaston warned 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 ....
that the NHS reforms would result in the NHS going "belly up." Wollaston warned that the reorganisation would result in confusion with doctors being overwhelmed. She said there was a risk that Monitor
Monitor (NHS)
Monitor, also known as the Independent Regulator for NHS Foundation Trusts, is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom. Its purpose is to regulate NHS Foundation Trusts or Foundation Hospitals - hospitals that have opted out of direct governmental control. The body was established in...
, the new regulator would be filled with "competition economists" who would change the NHS beyond recognitition. There was no point 'liberating' the NHS from political control only to shackle it to an unelected economic regulator.
External links
- Dr Sarah Wollaston MP official site