Government and Opposition
The House of Lords is the upper house of the UK Parliament and one of the oldest legislative bodies in the world. Members of the House of Lords, known as peers, are generally appointed, although there are limited elections for a small number of peers who have inherited their titles.
The following members of the government and opposition have also either held elected office within Medway, or sought election in Medway:
Current Government Ministers
Current Members of the Opposition
Former Government Ministers
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The Rt Hon. Arthur Bottomley OBE PC |
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Minister of Overseas Development 11 Aug 1966 - 29 Aug 1967 |
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Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations 18 Oct 1964 - 11 Aug 1966 |
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Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs 1946 - 1951 |
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Secretary for Overseas Trade 1946 - 1947 |
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Rehman Chishti |
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Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for North America, Sanctions and Consular Policy 8 Jul 2022 - 7 Sep 2022 |
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Prime Minister's Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief 12 Sep 2019 - 14 Sep 2020 |
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Prime Ministerial Trade Envoy to Pakistan 11 Sep 2017 - 15 Nov 2018 |
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Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Attorney General May 2015 - Jul 2016 |
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Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of State for Education Jul 2014 - May 2015 |
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The Rt Hon. Thérèse Coffey DBE PC |
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Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 25 Oct 2022 - 13 Nov 2023 |
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Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 6 Sep 2022 - 25 Oct 2022 |
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Secretary of State for Health and Social Care 6 Sep 2022 - 25 Oct 2022 |
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Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 8 Sep 2019 - 6 Sep 2022 |
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Minister of State for Environment and Rural Opportunity 17 Jul 2016 - 8 Sep 2019 |
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Deputy Leader of the House of Commons 11 May 2015 - 17 Jul 2016 |
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Assistant Whip 15 Jul 2014 - 8 May 2015 |
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Parmjit Dhanda |
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Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 28 Jun 2007 - 6 Oct 2008 |
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Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Skills 8 May 2006 - 28 Jun 2007 |
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The Rt Hon. Dame Peggy Fenner DBE |
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Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1 Sep 1981 - 1 Sep 1986 |
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Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 5 Nov 1972 - 4 Mar 1974 |
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The Most Hon. James Gascoyne-Cecil KG GCVO CB PC |
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Leader of the House of Lords 27 Apr 1925 - 4 Jun 1929 |
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Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal 6 Nov 1924 - 4 Jun 1929 |
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Lord President of the Council 24 Oct 1922 - 22 Jan 1924 |
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Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 24 Oct 1922 - 25 May 1923 |
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President of the Board of Trade 12 Mar 1905 - 4 Dec 1905 |
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Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal 17 Oct 1903 - 4 Dec 1905 |
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Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs 12 Nov 1900 - 9 Oct 1903 |
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The Rt Hon. Sir Gerald Kaufman |
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Minister of State for Industry 4 Dec 1975 - 4 May 1979 |
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Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Industry 12 Jun 1975 - 4 Dec 1975 |
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Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment 8 Mar 1974 - 12 Jun 1975 |
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Sarah McCarthy-Fry |
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Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury 18 Jun 2009 - 11 May 2010 |
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Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Planning 9 Jun 2009 - 18 Jun 2009 |
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Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools and Learners 5 Oct 2008 - 8 Jun 2009 |
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Lt Col The Rt Hon. John Moore-Brabazon GBE MC PC |
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Minister of Aircraft Production 1 May 1941 - 22 Feb 1942 |
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Minister of Transport 3 Oct 1940 - 1 May 1941 |
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Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport 11 Nov 1924 - 14 Jan 1927 |
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Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport 8 Oct 1923 - 22 Jan 1924 |
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The Rt Hon. Albert Murray |
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Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport 13 Oct 1969 - 19 Jun 1970 |
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Jonathan Shaw |
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Minister for Disabled People 5 Oct 2008 - 11 May 2010 |
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Minister for the South East 28 Jun 2007 - 11 May 2010 |
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Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Marine, Landscape and Rural Affairs 28 Jun 2007 - 5 Oct 2008 |
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Assistant Whip 5 May 2006 - 28 Jun 2007 |
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The Rt Hon. Kelly Tolhurst |
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Minister of State for Schools and Childhood 7 Sep 2022 - 27 Oct 2022 |
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Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip) 1 Jul 2022 - 7 Sep 2022 |
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Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Rough Sleeping and Housing 8 Sep 2020 - 16 Jan 2021 |
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Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport 13 Feb 2020 - 8 Sep 2020 |
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Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy 19 Jul 2018 - 13 Feb 2020 |
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Assistant Whip 9 Jan 2018 - 19 Jul 2018 |
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Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Jun 2017 - Jan 2018 |
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Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for International Development Sep 2016 - Jun 2017 |
Former Members of the Opposition
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The Rt Hon. Anneliese Dodds MP |
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Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities 21 Sep 2021 - 5 Jul 2024 |
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Chair of the Labour Party 9 May 2021 - 6 Jul 2024 |
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Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer 5 Apr 2020 - 9 May 2021 |
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Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury 3 Jul 2017 - 5 Apr 2020 |
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The Rt Hon. Hugh Gaitskell CBE |
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Leader of HM Most Loyal Opposition 14 Dec 1955 - 18 Jan 1963 |
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Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer 26 Oct 1951 - 14 Dec 1955 |