Michelle Donelan

Michelle Emma May Elizabeth Donelan (born 8 April 1984) is a British politician who has served as Minister of State for Universities since 2020. A member of the Conservative Party, she has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Chippenham since 2015.

Michelle Donelan

MP
Donelan in 2019
Minister of State for Universities
Assumed office
13 February 2020
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byChris Skidmore
Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
In office
24 July 2019 – 13 February 2020
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byJeremy Quin
Succeeded byJames Morris
Member of Parliament
for Chippenham
Assumed office
7 May 2015
Preceded byDuncan Hames
Majority11,288 (19.8%)
Personal details
Born
Michelle Emma May Elizabeth Donelan

(1984-04-08) 8 April 1984[1]
Whitley, Cheshire, England
Political partyConservative
EducationThe County High School, Leftwich[2]
Alma materUniversity of York (BA)[1]
Websitemichelledonelan.co.uk

Education and early life

Michelle Emma May Elizabeth Donelan was born in April 1984.[3][4] She grew up in Whitley, Cheshire, and at the age of fifteen spoke at the Conservative Party Conference in Blackpool in 1999,[2] having decided to be a politician at the age of six.[5] She was educated at The County High School, Leftwich[2] and was awarded a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in history and politics from the University of York.[1] During her undergraduate study she was involved in York Student Television.[2]

Career

Before the election of 2015, Donelan's career outside politics was in marketing, including a time working on Marie Claire magazine and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).[1][6] She subsequently stood for parliament at the 2010 general election in the safe Labour seat of Wentworth and Dearne, taking 7,396 votes (17.6%) to Labour MP John Healey's 21,316 (50.6%). She was then selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate for Chippenham in February 2013.[6] In Wiltshire, the constituency includes the market towns of Bradford on Avon, Chippenham, Corsham and Melksham, and the surrounding rural areas.[1][7]

After her selection at Chippenham, she became a Trustee of Help Victims of Domestic Violence, a charitable organisation based in the town and a member of the Steering Group of Wiltshire Carers. In 2013 she bought her first house, in the Chippenham town centre.[8] She defeated incumbent Liberal Democrat member Duncan Hames with 26,354 votes (47.6%) to 16,278 (29.4%).[9]

In July 2015, Donelan was elected (by fellow MPs) onto the Education Select Committee, where she became part of the Sub-Committee on Education, Skills and the Economy in November 2015.

Before the 2016 referendum, Donelan was opposed to the UK leaving the European Union.[10]

In June 2017, Donelan was re-elected as MP for Chippenham with 31,267 votes (54.7%), a majority of 16,630 over the 14,637 Liberal Democrat votes (25.6%).[9]

Donelan was appointed an assistant whip in 2018[11] and a government whip in July 2019. In September 2019, she was appointed parliamentary under-secretary for children to cover maternity leave for Kemi Badenoch.[12]

In the December 2019 general election, Donelan was re-elected with 30,994 votes (54.3%), a majority of 11,288 over the 19,706 Liberal Democrat votes (34.5%).[13]

In the February 2020 cabinet reshuffle, she became Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation.[7][14][15] As of May 2020, her responsibilities included universities[2] and co-chairing the Family Justice Board, which oversees the performance of the family justice system and is advised by the Family Justice Council.[16]

Personal life

Donelan is a practising Christian.[8]

References
  1. Anon (2017). "Donelan, Michelle Emma May Elizabeth". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com (online Oxford University Press ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U283877. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
  2. Kernohan, David (2020). "Who is new universities minister Michelle Donelan?". wonkhe.com. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  3. "No. 61230". The London Gazette. 18 May 2015. p. 9126.
  4. "Michelle Donelan MP". myparliament.info. MyParliament. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  5. Rea, Ailbhe (21 August 2020). "Paranoid Androids". New Statesman. p. 14.
  6. "Tories select Michelle Donelan as prospective parliamentary candidate for Chippenham". Bath Chronicle. 4 March 2013.
  7. Baker, John (17 February 2020). "Michelle Donelan, the MP for Chippenham, is the new Minister of State for Universities". wiltshiretimes.co.uk. Wiltshire Times. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  8. Donelan, Michelle (2019). "About Michelle". michelledonelan.co.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  9. "Election 2017: Chippenham parliamentary constituency". bbc.co.uk. BBC News. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  10. Goodenough, Tom (2016). "Which Tory MPs back Brexit, who doesn't and who is still on the fence?". spectator.co.uk. The Spectator. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  11. "Michelle Donelan MP". gov.uk. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  12. "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Children and Families) (maternity cover)". gov.uk. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  13. "Chippenham Parliamentary constituency". bbc.com. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  14. "University students and COVID-19 FAQ - Education in the media". dfemedia.blog.gov.uk.
  15. "Michelle Donelan named universities minister as science split off". timeshighereducation.com. Times Higher Education. 13 February 2020.
  16. "Family Justice Board". gov.uk. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Duncan Hames		 Member of Parliament
for Chippenham
2015–present		 Incumbent
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