Eleanor Burnham
{{Short description|Welsh Liberal Democrat politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Eleanor Burnham
| image = Eleanor Burnham (53965850310) (cropped).jpg
| imagesize = 150px
| alt =
| caption = Official portrait, 2007
| constituency_AM = North Wales
| assembly = National Assembly for Wales{{!}}Welsh
| majority =
| term_start = 22 March 2001
| term_end = 5 May 2011
| predecessor = Christine Humphreys
| successor = Aled Roberts
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Wrexham, Wales
| death_date =
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| party = Welsh Liberal Democrats
| otherparty =
| spouse = Derek Burnham (div)
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Eleanor Burnham is a Welsh Liberal Democrat politician who was a Member of the Welsh Assembly (AM) for North Wales from 2001 until 2011.
Background
Burnham was born in Wrexham and brought up in Gwnodl Fawr, Cynwyd. Her early career was in social services management. She was previously a Wrexham Magistrate and a member of Denbigh Hospital Mental Health Tribunal. She has worked as a fundraiser for St. Kentigern Hospice, St. Asaph. A fluent Welsh speaker, Burnham is a qualified aromatherapist and her hobbies include gardening, cycling and swimming.
Burnham is an amateur singer who won a prize in the Soprano category at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod and is a former member of Mid Wales Opera.{{cite web|url=https://www.totalpolitics.com/articles/culture/mezzo-soprano-assembly-member|title=The Mezzo-Soprano Assembly Member|author=Eleanor Burnham|date=19 September 2008|website=Total Politics|access-date=12 March 2021}} After leaving the Senedd, she competed in the "Voice of Wales" competition.{{cite web|url=https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/politician-eleanor-burnham-pitches-singing-2734756|title=Politician Eleanor Burnham pitches for singing stardom|date=24 February 2011|author=Hywel Trewyn|website=North Wales Live|access-date=12 March 2021}}
Politics
Burnham succeeded as Liberal Democrat AM for North Wales on 22 March 2001 after Christine Humphreys had resigned because of ill-health. Burnham was the Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly spokesperson on Culture, Welsh Language and Sport. Her political interests lie in full devolution for Wales, social inclusion and lifelong-learning. In this role she repeatedly challenged the Culture Minister, Alun Pugh, "to prove whether or not he can be the champion for the Welsh language".{{cite web|url=http://www.eburnham.org.uk|title=Eleanor Burnham AM|website=Welsh Lib Dems|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051025053613/http://www.eburnham.org.uk/|access-date=12 March 2021|archive-date=25 October 2005|url-status=live}}
After losing her seat in 2011, Burnham received a "resettlement grant" of £32,000, but commented that she did not think it was "morally correct" for AMs to receive the grants if they had other jobs to go to. She retrained as a teacher.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-17699852|title=Payout of £845,179 for 22 ex-AMs who quit or lost seats|date=13 April 2012|publisher=BBC|access-date=12 March 2021}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20050301221852/http://www.wales.gov.uk/who/members-biog1-e.htm#eleanor_burnham Eleanor Burnham AM] official biography at the Welsh Assembly website
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20051001004346/http://www.welshlibdems.org.uk/people_e_detail.asp?memberNo=175 Eleanor Burnham AM] profile at the site of Welsh Liberal Democrats
Offices held
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{{succession box
| title = Assembly Member for North Wales
| years = 2001 – 2011
| before = Christine Humphreys
| after = Aled Roberts
}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burnham, Eleanor}}
Category:Liberal Democrat members of the Senedd
Category:Female members of the Senedd
Category:20th-century British women politicians
Category:Welsh-speaking politicians
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
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