Edward Lord

Charles Edward Lord JP is a Liberal Democrat politician and a senior figure in English local government. He is chairman of the Public Private Partnerships Programme (4ps) and an "ex-officio" member of the Executive and Improvement Board of the Local Government Association. He has been an elected member of the City of London Court of Common Council since February 2001.

Early life and education

Born near Rochdale, Lancashire on 13 January 1972, son of Charles Andrew Lord, a leather merchant, and Vivienne Marie Fairbank (now Brittain after remarriage), a teacher. He attended Bury Grammar School from 1976 to 1990, where he was a prefect, Derby House cricket captain and an active member of the Debating Society as well as appearing in many dramatic productions. He was awarded School half colours in his final year at Bury in recognition of his five years’ service as scorer to the 1st XI cricket team.

On leaving Bury, he attended the University of Essex, reading Public Policy & Public Management in the Government Department, including Professor Anthony King’s seminar on comparative executives. Whilst at Essex, he was chairman of the Students’ Union Council; a member of University Senate; chairman of the Conservative Association; and secretary of the Law Society. Unusually, he also became a committee member of the University of Essex Association and a governor of at the local Sir Charles Lucas School. He graduated from Essex in 1994.

Party politics

He joined the Rochdale Conservative & Unionist Association early in 1987, after protesting at the secrecy of the Labour-run Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council’s budget. He re-formed and became chairman of Rochdale Young Conservatives later that year, going on to be elected secretary of the North West Area Young Conservatives in 1990 (becoming senior vice chairman in 1991 and vice-president from 1992-1995). He was a member of the national executive committee of the National Union of Conservative & Unionist Associations from 1991 to 1994 and of the Young Conservatives National Advisory Committee from 1991 to 1995, unsuccessfully standing as a YC national vice-chairman in 1995.

In 1994, he became the first Conservative to be elected to the national executive of the National Union of Students for over a decade. Re-elected in 1995, he served as chairperson of the Social Policy Committee and took the chair at the NUS national conferences in 1995 and 1996.

He acted as candidate’s aide to John Whittingdale MP in South Colchester & Maldon in the 1992 General Election and to John Marshall in Finchley & Golders Green in 1997. In 2002, he was approved for the Conservative parliamentary candidates list.

In 2003, he joined the Norris for London campaign as deputy director, working to campaign director Mark MacGregor.

In November 2003, Michael Howard succeeded Iain Duncan Smith as Conservative Party leader, which provoked Mr Lord’s resignation from the Party. He said "Despite the removal of Iain Duncan Smith's malign influence, the Conservative Party shows no sign of changing. I can summon no enthusiasm for the leadership of Michael Howard who remains an unreconstructed authoritarian; uncaring, unfeeling and determined to suppress individuals' civil rights to conform to his moral doctrine."

He decided to join the Liberal Democrats, commenting that he was attracted to the Party’s commitment to a free, fair and open society. He immediately became a fundraising adviser to the then party treasurer, Reg Clark, becoming deputy party treasurer to Lord Clement-Jones in July 2005, stepping down when Menzies Campbell became leader the following year.

City of London

Elected to the City of London Court of Common Council for the Ward of Coleman Street in February 2001 at the age of 29, he has been the youngest or second youngest member of the City of London Corporation ever since. He has served on the Barbican Residential (*); Community & Children’s Services; Establishment (*); Finance; Hampstead Heath Management; Libraries, Archives & Guildhall Art Gallery; Licensing (*); Planning & Transportation (*); Police and Port Health & Environmental Services Committees and the boards of governors of the City of London School for Girls and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama (*) [* indicates currently serving] . He is deputy chairman of the Licensing Committee and also of the Guildhall Club, which provides the Members’ Bar and Dining Room.

He is a liveryman of the Fletchers’ Company and a freeman of the Leathersellers’ Company and Spectacle Makers’ Company. He became a Freeman of the City of London in January 2000.

Local government

First appointed to the Improvement Board of the Local Government Association in 2004 as one of its inaugural deputy chairmen, he translated roles in 2005 and now serves on the Board "ex-officio" as chairman of the Public Private Partnerships Programme (4ps).

4ps is a public body which works with all local authorities to secure funding and accelerate the development, procurement and implementation of PFI schemes, public private partnerships, complex projects and programmes. It offers hands-on project support, gateway reviews, skills development and best practice know-how.

As chairman of 4ps, he is also a member of the LGA’s Strategy & Finance Policy Review Group and was co-opted as a non-voting member of the LGA Executive in September 2008 as well as serving as vice-chairman of the Member Task Group overseeing the implementation of the LGA Group Development Strategy.

He is an elected member of the LGA Liberal Democrat Group Executive and serves as Assistant Whip.

Non-political career

His career post graduation mainly centred around public relations and fundraising, working in various roles for the National Playing Fields Association, Otto Schiff Housing Association and British Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 1998, he became development director of Liverpool John Moores University and from 2000 to 2002 held the same role at the City University London. Since leaving City, he has worked freelance and in interim roles for a number of charities. Since April 2007 he has been engaged as a consultant for City based executive search specialists, CF Appointments.

His interest in education and charities extends beyond work as he has been a trustee, governor or board member of numerous bodies, including: Anne Frank Trust (UK); British Youth Council; Christ’s Hospital Foundation; City Parochial Foundation; College of Optometrists; Holloway School; Pride Trust; Refugee Council; Sir John Cass’s Foundation School; and Westminster Challenge.

His other public appointments include being deputy chairman of the Whittington Hospital NHS Trust and board member of Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners and London Strategic Housing.

The law

Always having had a great interest in the Law, he became a Justice of the Peace for the City of London in 2002 and since 2007 has been sitting in the appellate jurisdiction of the Crown Court at the Old Bailey and Southwark Crown Court.

Inspired by his work as a Justice, Lord has now joined the Middle Temple as a student member and began reading part-time for the Bar in September 2008 at BPP Law School.

Personal life

Edward Lord and his partner Laura Willoughby MBE, a Liberal Democrat councillor on Islington Council have been together since October 2003.

In addition to politics, his interests also include Cricket; Football; Freemasonry; urban and country walking; reading; good food; wine; and travel. He is a member of the Lord's Taverners, National Trust, Reform Club and Soho House.

External links

*City of London Corporation [http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/corporation/committees/member/member_details.asp?memberid=201]

*4ps [http://www.bosenet-group.com/PageContent.aspx?id=29&tp=Y]

*Defection to the Liberal Democrats [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3243714.stm]