Angela Billingham, Baroness Billingham

Angela Theodora Billingham, Baroness Billingham JP (born 31 July 1939) is a British Labour politician.

Born Angela Theodora Case in Liverpool, she was educated at Aylesbury Grammar School, the Institute of Education and the Department of Education, Oxford University. She became a teacher, working in education for thirty five years until 1995.

Baroness Billingham was a councillor for many years. From 1970 until 1974, she served on Banbury Borough Council, then from 1974 to 1984 on Cherwell District Council. She was Mayor of Banbury in 1976. She was an Oxfordshire county councillor 1993-4. She stood for Parliament in 1992 for Banbury, without success.

Billingham was elected to the European Parliament for Northamptonshire and Blaby in 1994. [cite news | last =Foster | first =Jonathan | title =The European Elections: Working-class voters wooed back | work =The Independent | language =English | date =1994-06-13 | accessdate =2007-03-05] In 1999 she unsuccessfully stood for the European Parliament in the new East Midlands Region. She was made a life peer as Baroness Billingham, of Banbury in the County of Oxfordshire on 2 May, 2000 and sits on the Labour benches. [cite news | last = Hartley-Brewer | first = Julia | coauthors = Woodward, Will | title =Policy and Politics: Blair `balances' Lords with 33 new peers | work =The Guardian | pages =11 | language =English | date =2000-03-31 | accessdate =2007-03-05] [cite news | title =Life Peers | work =The Times (London) | pages =24 | language =English | date =2000-05-04 | accessdate =2007-03-05]

She has promoted sports for people with disabilities and is a regular on Sky News where she previews the following morning's newspapers. Angela also campaigns for reform of the current Daylight Saving system, arguing that lighter evenings could end the national scourge of childhood obesity by allowing children to do an extra hour of physical activity a day. She also cites economic, environmental and safety concerns as important reasons for reform of the current system. She is also a keen tennis player, and is Chair/ Captain of the Commons and Lords Tennis Club.

She married Peter Billingham in 1962 and they had two daughters, Zoë and Caroline. Peter died in 1992. Zoë is married to Dennis Skinner, son of Dennis Skinner.

Parliamentary expenses

Subsistence Allowances are designed to help peers who live in the country to attend late-night votes and debates in Parliament, Billingham, who has a flat in Hampstead and a country house in Suffolk claimed £26,983 in 2006-07 in overnight allowances, prompting calls for an inquiry. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/feb/10/lords Peers face demand for expenses probe] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/baroness_billingham Baroness Billingham page on theyworkforyou.com]