Joyce Anelay, Baroness Anelay of St John's

The Right Honourable The Baroness Anelay of St John's DBE FRSA
File:Joyce Anelay, Baroness Anelay of St Johns (cropped).jpg
Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 August 2014
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	The Baroness Warsi (Senior Minister of State)
Government Chief Whip of the House of Lords Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms
In office 12 May 2010 – 6 August 2014
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	The Lord Bassam of Brighton
Succeeded by	The Lord Taylor of Holbeach
Opposition Chief Whip of the House of Lords
In office 2 July 2007 – 11 May 2010
Leader	David Cameron
Preceded by	The Lord Cope of Berkeley
Succeeded by	The Lord Bassam of Brighton
Personal details
Born	(1947-07-17) 17 July 1947
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Richard Anelay
Alma mater	University of Bristol University of London Brunel University

DBE insignia

Joyce Anne Anelay, Baroness Anelay of St John's, DBE, PC, FRSA, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , (born 17 July 1947) is a British Conservative Party politician, currently serving as Minister of State of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (since 6 August 2014).

Lady Anelay was Government Chief Whip in the House of Lords from 12 May 2010 until 6 August 2014, having previously been Opposition Chief Whip prior to the 2010 General Election.

Early life

Born on 17 July 1947, daughter of Stanley Clarke, she was christened Joyce Anne and was educated locally at Enfield County School. She went up to Bristol University, graduating with the degree of BA and after further studies at Brunel, took the postgraduate degree of MA.

Following university, Anelay worked as a secondary school teacher from 1969 to 1974. She later became a volunteer adviser with the Citizens' Advice Bureau, served as a Justice of the Peace for Surrey and sat on the Social Security Appeal Tribunal.

Political career

Prior to her elevation to the peerage, Anelay held a number of senior posts in the Conservative Party organisation. She was Chair of the Conservative Women's National Committee from 1993 to 1996, appointed Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1990, and in 1995 Anelay was promoted Dame Commander (DBE). She was created a Life Peeress as Baroness Anelay of St John's, of St John's in the County of Surrey in 1996.

Between May 1997 and June 2002, Lady Anelay served in various Conservative front bench posts, including Opposition Whip and Shadow Minister for Culture, Media and Sport. She was a Shadow Home Office Minister from June 2002 to July 2007, and from 2 July 2007, she served as Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Lords until 2010. In 2009, Lady Anelay was sworn of the Privy Council.

After the General Election, on 12 May 2010, Lady Anelay was appointed Government Chief Whip in the Lords and Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms.

On 6 August 2014, the day after The Baroness Warsi's resignation, Lady Anelay was appointed in Warsi's place as Minister of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, attending Cabinet (although not as a member). Anelay did not on take on Lady Warsi's Faith and Communities brief, which reverted to Eric Pickles.

On 16 June 2015 Francis Wheen writing in The Independent quoted Lady Anelay alleging the majority of the Saudi population supported the torture of Raif Badawi. Wheen asked the Foreign Office how she could be certain and received no answer. Wheen maintains further people cannot know what the people in the absolute monarchy of Saudi Arabia support or oppose. Wheen maintains Lady Ansley was motivated by her wish to sell arms to the Saudi government.

Stance against aiding migrants in the Mediterranean Sea

While discussing Operation Mare Nostrum in 2014 she stated, "We do not support planned search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean [and] believe that they create an unintended ‘pull factor,’ encouraging more migrants to attempt the dangerous sea crossing and thereby leading to more tragic and unnecessary deaths." The subsequent EU operation, Operation Triton, did not receive British support and early 2015 saw a 1600% increase in the number of migrants drowning while attempting to cross the Mediterranean compared to early 2014.

Personal life

Anelay married in 1970, her university contemporary, Richard Anelay, QC, a Deputy High Court Judge, leading family and criminal law barrister, and former head of 1 King's Bench Walk Chambers.

Styles

• Miss Joyce Clarke, subsequently Mrs Richard Anelay (1947–1990)
• Mrs Richard Anelay, OBE (1990–1995)
• Dame Joyce Anelay, DBE (1995–1996)
• The Rt Hon. The Baroness Anelay of St John's, DBE (1996–2009)
• The Rt Hon. The Baroness Anelay of St Johns, DBE, PC (2009–)

External links

• Joyce Anelay on the Conservative Party website
• www.burkespeerage.com - ANELAY OF ST JOHNS, LP
• www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk
• Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005
• Current session contributions in Parliament at Hansard
• Voting record at PublicWhip.org
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou.com
• Profile at Westminster Parliamentary Record
• Profile at BBC News Democracy Live
• www.ukwhoswho.com

Party political offices
Preceded by The Lord Cope of Berkeley	Conservative Chief Whip of the House of Lords 2007–2014	Succeeded by The Lord Taylor of Holbeach
Political offices
Preceded by The Lord Cope of Berkeley	Opposition Chief Whip of the House of Lords 2007–2010	Succeeded by The Lord Bassam of Brighton
Preceded by The Lord Bassam of Brighton	Government Chief Whip in the House of Lords 2010–2014	Succeeded by The Lord Taylor of Holbeach
	Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms 2010–2014
Preceded by The Baroness Warsi as Senior Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs	Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 2014–present	Incumbent