- John Wakeham
John Wakeham, Baron Wakeham, PC, DL (born
June 22 ,1932 ), is a businessman and British Conservative Party politician.Since he left government, he has been active in business again, notably being an director of
Enron before its collapse. [ [http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/10095 UC reaches $168-million settlement with Enron directors in securities fraud case] at universityofcalifornia.edu]Educated at
Charterhouse School , he was a successful accountant and later businessman before his election to the
House of Commons for Maldon, Essex in 1974. He became a minister afterMargaret Thatcher 's victory in 1979.His first wife, Roberta, was killed in the
Brighton hotel bombing in October 1984 and he himself was trapped in rubble for seven hours, suffering serious crush injuries to his legs. They had two children together. He married his second wifeAlison Ward MBE in 1985Fact|date=February 2007 and they have a son of their own. She had been his secretary and, before that, was Margaret Thatcher's secretary.During the late eighties he served as
Leader of the House of Commons , in which capacity he was responsible for the first televisings of Parliament, and as Energy Secretary (1989–1992), where he drew up plans for theprivatisation ofelectricity .He was appointed a life peer as Baron Wakeham, of Maldon in the County of
Essex in 1992 byJohn Major , and then wasLeader of the House of Lords until 1994. He became chairman of thePress Complaints Commission in 1995, retiring in 2001. In 1997, he was appointed aDeputy Lieutenant ofHampshire .Tony Blair appointed him in 1999 to head a Royal Commission on reform of theHouse of Lords — the resulting report suggested a mainly appointed Lords be maintained, with a small elected component.References
* [http://www.apfn.org/enron/wakeham.htm ENRON'S John Wakeham] at apfn.org
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