Baroness Thomas of Walliswood
Born in 1935, educated at a girls' boarding school and Oxford University and married in 1958, I spent much of the next 25 years as a "diplomatic wife" in Moscow, Lisbon, Peru, Washington and Havana.
During time spent in the UK I helped establish KACAN (now the Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise - HACAN), joined the Liberal Party, served on Party Council and the Standing (policy) Committee and was successively Treasurer and Chair of Richmond-on-Thames Liberal Association. I also worked for The National Economic Development Office and set up and ran a confederation of trade associations in the Clothing Industry.
In 1983 and 1987 I contested Mole Valley for the Alliance. In 1985 I fought and won the Dorking South seat on Surrey County Council. The seat remains Liberal Democrat to this day. I served on the Highways and Transport Committee for all my 12 years on the Council and Chaired it for the three years 1993-6. I was Chairman of the Council in 1996-7 and retired at the 1997 election.
In 1994 I contested the Euro-elections in the West Surrey seat. I also entered the House of Lords where I was Liberal Democrat spokesman on Transport until 2001. I am currently a member of the laws and institutions Sub-Committee of the European Union Committee. I speak for the Liberal Democrats in the Lords on Womens Issues.
During the mid-90s I served as a Non-Executive Director of a Hospital Board and later on the Surrey Probation Committee. I am currently a "continuing" member of the Surrey Area Probation Board.
Throughout my life I have been a passionate believer in women's equality and an equally passionate gardener. I have been exceptionally lucky in many ways but most of all in my children and grandchildren.
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