Eleanor Laing

Eleanor Pritchard was born on 1 February 1958 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, and raised in the nearby village of Elderslie, where her father was a councillor. She was privately educated at St Columba's School, an independent school. Laing graduated from Edinburgh University with Master of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degrees.{{cite web |url=http://www.st-columbas.org/UserFiles/COLUMBAN%20DECEMBER%2008(1).pdf |title=The Columbian |volume=23 |date=December 2008 |website=St-columbus.org |access-date=6 January 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306171913/http://www.st-columbas.org/UserFiles/COLUMBAN%20DECEMBER%2008%281%29.pdf |archive-date=6 March 2012 }} She was the first female President of the Edinburgh University Students' Association. She worked as a solicitor in Edinburgh and the City of London.

At the 1987 general election, Laing stood as the Conservative candidate in Paisley North, coming second with 15.8% of the vote behind the Labour incumbent Allen Adams.{{cite web |title=Election Data 1987 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1987.txt |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054243/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1987.txt |archivedate=15 October 2011 |accessdate=28 June 2017 |publisher=Electoral Calculus }}

In 1995, she sought selection for Southend West, but was narrowly defeated in the selection process by David Amess, the sitting MP for Basildon.{{cite web |title=David (Anthony Andrew) |url=http://internetserver.bishopsgate.org.uk/files/Parliamentary%20Profiles%20Archive/A-D%5CAMESS,%20David/AMESS,%20David.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602214246/http://internetserver.bishopsgate.org.uk/files/Parliamentary%20Profiles%20Archive/A-D%5CAMESS,%20David/AMESS,%20David.pdf |archive-date=2 June 2021 |access-date=29 May 2021 |website=internetserver.bishopgate.org.uk}}

At the 1997 general election, Laing was elected to Parliament as MP for Epping Forest with 45.5% of the vote and a majority of 5,252.{{cite web |title=Election Data 1997 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1997.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054424/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1997.txt |archive-date=15 October 2011 |access-date=18 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}}

Following the election, she was selected for the Education Select Committee, chaired by Labour's Margaret Hodge. Once in Parliament, Laing signed up to the Eurosceptic wing of the party, first supporting Michael Howard then William Hague for the Conservative leadership.

Laing sponsored the motion for lowering the homosexual age of consent to 16 in June 1998, saying in Parliament that: "Nothing that is being proposed tonight is in any way encouraging physical sexual activity among young people before they are sufficiently mature. It is nonsense to say that there cannot be equality between 16-year-old boys and 16-year-old girls. Young people need protection, but young people are not protected by being made into criminals". Labour MPs paid tribute for Laing for speaking against the majority view of the then Parliamentary Conservative Party, of whom 110 of their 165 MPs voted against the measure.{{cite web |title=REDUCTION IN AGE AT WHICH CERTAIN SEXUAL ACTS ARE LAWFUL (Hansard, 22 June 1998) |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1998/jun/22/reduction-in-age-at-which-certain-sexual#S6CV0314P0_19980622_HOC_289 |accessdate=8 December 2023 |website=api.parliament.uk}}

She has been an opponent of devolution, and criticised the Blair government on many of the details of the transfer of power. In December 2000, she was appointed as opposition Scottish spokeswoman.

At the 2001 general election, Laing was re-elected as MP for Epping Forest with an increased vote share of 49.1% and an increased majority of 8,426.{{cite web |title=Election Data 2001 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2001ob.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054450/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2001ob.txt |archive-date=15 October 2011 |access-date=18 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}}

Laing voted against the repeal of Section 28 in 2003.{{cite web |title=The Public Whip — Voting Record – Eleanor Laing MP, Epping Forest (10348) |url=http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpn=Eleanor_Laing&mpc=Epping_Forest&house=commons&display=allvotes#divisions}}

Laing first entered the shadow cabinet in 2004 as Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities under the leadership of Michael Howard, after previously serving as Shadow Minister of Children from June to November 2003.{{cite web | url=http://www.conservatives.com/people/person.cfm?PersonID=4930 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040823010427/http://www.conservatives.com/people/person.cfm?PersonID=4930 | archive-date=23 August 2004 | title=Conservative Party - Eleanor Laing MP }} Whilst continuing in this role, Laing became Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, serving briefly from May 2005, shortly after the 2005 general election, to December 2005 when David Cameron came to power as Leader of the Opposition.

Laing was again re-elected at the 2005 general election with an increased vote share of 53% and an increased majority of 14,358.{{cite web |title=Election Data 2005 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2005ob.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054249/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2005ob.txt |archive-date=15 October 2011 |access-date=18 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}}

Laing continued as Shadow Women and Equalities Minister until a July 2007 reshuffle, when she became Shadow Minister for Justice, a role she remained in until the 2010 general election.

At the 2010 general election, Laing was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 54% and an increased majority of 15,131.{{cite web |title=Election Data 2010 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726162034/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt |archive-date=26 July 2013 |access-date=17 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}}{{cite news |title=Election 2010 | Constituency | Epping Forest |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/election2010/results/constituency/b65.stm |website=BBC News}} After the election, and the formation of the Cameron–Clegg coalition, Laing did not receive a government post, thus returning to the backbenches.

In 2012, Laing voted against the third reading of the proposed House of Lords Reform Bill 2012,{{cite web|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2012-07-10/division/12071096000674/HouseOfLordsReformBill?outputType=Names|title=House of Lords Reform Bill (Division 47: held on Tuesd – Hansard – UK Parliament|accessdate=8 December 2023}} and opposed a referendum on Scottish independence. She also spoke in favour of a referendum on the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union, and paid tribute to Margaret Thatcher and her legacy during a Commons session dedicated to tributes to the late former Prime Minister, which took place shortly after her death.{{cite web|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2013-04-10/debates/1304104000001/TributesToBaronessThatcher|title=Tributes to Baroness Thatcher – Hansard – UK Parliament|accessdate=8 December 2023}}

Laing criticised the manner in which the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 was introduced by arguing "social change should come about by evolution, not by diktat from the top of government" and subsequently abstained from voting on it.{{cite news |last1=Watt |first1=Nicholas |date=1 March 2013 |title=Cameron's 'social change by diktat' hurting Conservatives, Tory warns |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/mar/01/cameron-social-change-diktat-hurting-conservatives |access-date=1 April 2015 |work=The Guardian}}

File:Dame Eleanor Laing in the Speaker's Chair (2024-03-06).jpg]]

In May 2013, the First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means, Nigel Evans, was arrested on suspicion of rape and sexual assault. He was acquitted of those charges, but resigned from his position in the Chair on 10 September 2013. On 16 October, Laing was elected to succeed Evans as the First Deputy Chair, the holder of which post is one of the Deputy Speakers of the House.{{cite web |url =http://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2013/october/deputy-speaker-election-eleanor-laing-elected/ |access-date=16 October 2013 |publisher =Parliament.uk |title =Deputy Speaker election: Eleanor Laing elected }}

At the 2015 general election, Laing was again re-elected with an increased vote share of 54.8% and an increased majority of 17,978.{{cite web |title=Election Data 2015 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017112223/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt |archive-date=17 October 2015 |access-date=17 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}}{{cite news |title=Epping Forest parliamentary constituency – Election 2017 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/politics/constituencies/E14000693 |work=BBC News}}

In January 2016, Laing criticised Tulip Siddiq, who was seven months pregnant at the time, for breaking the customs of the House by leaving a debate shortly after speaking. Siddiq had already been in the debate for two hours and left at 14:30 to eat. According to witnesses, Laing told Siddiq not to use her pregnancy as an excuse for her behaviour.{{cite news|last1=Swinford|first1=Steven|last2=McCann|first2=Kate|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/12089377/Heavily-pregnant-MP-allegedly-accused-of-bringing-down-whole-of-womankind-by-leaving-debate-to-eat.html|title=Heavily pregnant MP allegedly accused of 'bringing down womankind' by leaving debate to eat|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=8 January 2016|access-date=8 January 2016}}

Laing voted leave in the 2016 Brexit referendum.{{cite web|url=https://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/14579044.hard-work-needed-pleasing-eu-result-says-eleanor-laing/|title=Hard work needed after 'pleasing' EU result, says Eleanor Laing|website=East London and West Essex Guardian Series|date=24 June 2016 |access-date=7 January 2020}}

At the snap 2017 general election, Laing was again re-elected with an increased vote share of 62% and an increased majority of 18,243.{{cite news |title=Epping Forest Parliamentary constituency |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000693 |access-date=19 November 2019 |website=BBC News |publisher=BBC}} Laing was again re-elected at the 2019 general election with an increased vote share of 64.4% and an increased majority of 22,173, an election which she described as "very nasty".{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/politics/constituencies/E14000693|title=Epping Forest parliamentary constituency – Election 2019|access-date=7 January 2020}}

Laing stood in the 2019 Speaker election, to replace John Bercow, campaigning on restoring trust to the House of Commons.{{cite web|url=https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/constitution/house/house-magazine/108897/eleanor-laing-its-time-restore-trust-house-commons|title=Eleanor Laing: It's time to restore trust in the House of Commons|date=7 January 2020|website=PoliticsHome.com|access-date=7 January 2020}} Laing was critical of Bercow, and called his impartiality into question,{{cite web|url=https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/politics/news/106867/deputy-speaker-eleanor-laing-takes-swipe-john-bercows-impartiality-plea|title=Deputy Speaker Eleanor Laing takes swipe at John Bercow's 'impartiality' in plea for Brexit calm|date=27 September 2019|website=PoliticsHome.com|access-date=7 January 2020}} pledging to do things differently and bring kindness to the Speaker's chair.{{cite web|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/staggers/2019/10/it-s-time-do-things-bit-differently-could-eleanor-laing-be-next-speaker|title="It's time to do things a bit differently": could Eleanor Laing be the next speaker?|website=www.newstatesman.com|access-date=7 January 2020}} Laing lost to Lindsay Hoyle, but declared her intention to stand to replace him as Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons. She was elected by her fellow MPs, and became the first woman to be the Chairman of Ways and Means.

Laing took a leave of absence from December 2022 after undergoing surgery, and returned to the chair during the week of 6 March 2023. Her leave of absence was extended to 31 March 2024, but Laing has continued in her duties in the Chair. Roger Gale served as deputy speaker while she was absent.

In June 2023, former prime minister Boris Johnson called for Bernard Jenkin to resign from his participation in the Commons Select Committee of Privileges, the Select Committee which investigated whether Johnson had misled parliament, when it was reported by the Guido Fawkes website that Jenkin had attended an event on 8 December 2020 in parliament. This was a "drinks party" held by Laing in her office, while such events were banned under the current guidelines.{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/jun/14/boris-johnson-calls-for-tory-mp-on-privileges-committee-to-resign |title=Boris Johnson calls for Tory MP on privileges committee to resign |first=Aubrey |last=Allegretti |work=The Guardian |date=14 June 2023 |accessdate=14 June 2023}} In November 2023, the police investigation into the "drinks party" attended by Laing was closed, with the "threshold for fines not being met".{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-67662064|title=Police close investigation into MPs' Covid event|date=8 December 2023|accessdate=8 December 2023|website=BBC News}}

Since November 2023, she has been under investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Daniel Greenberg, for "actions causing significant damage to the reputation of the House as a whole, or of its Members generally".{{cite web |title=Allegations currently under investigation by the Commissioner |url=https://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/standards-and-financial-interests/parliamentary-commissioner-for-standards/complaints-and-investigations/allegations-currently-under-investigation-by-the-commissioner/ |website=UK Parliament |access-date=18 December 2023}}

In May 2024, she announced she would stand down at the 2024 general election.{{cite web |title=x.com |url=https://twitter.com/eleanor4epping/status/1793614540686737869?t=2wz3WENPqFg-ZlUGmGIHGQ&s=19 |access-date=23 May 2024 |website=X (formerly Twitter)}}

After standing down as an MP, Laing was nominated for a life peerage in the 2024 Dissolution Honours.{{London Gazette |date=7 August 2024 |issue=64480 |page=15222 |supp=y}}{{Cite web |title=Dissolution Peerages 2024 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dissolution-peerages-2024 |access-date=4 July 2024 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Whannel |first=Kate |date=4 July 2024 |title=Theresa May and 'bionic' MP awarded peerages |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c84975xgdwlo |work=BBC News |language=en |access-date=4 July 2024}} She was created Baroness Laing of Elderslie, of Epping Forest in the County of Essex, on 22 August 2024.{{London Gazette |date=29 August 2024 |issue=64500 |page=16662}}

{{Main|United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal}}

After details of MPs' expense claims were released by the press in 2009 it was shown that Laing had avoided paying £180,000 capital gains tax on the sale of her Westminster flat by declaring it as her primary residence. This was due to its having a higher value than her constituency home, making it her primary residence under capital gains tax rules. However she had registered the flat as her second home with the Parliamentary Fees Office, and by doing so had claimed through her Additional Costs Allowance some of the interest due on her mortgage. Laing's constituency is Epping Forest, which neighbours London and less than an hour's journey by tube. When questioned, she said that prior to the sale of the flat she had sought the advice of her solicitor.[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5410704/MPs-expenses-Eleanor-Laing-didnt-pay-capital-gains-tax-on-second-home.html MPs expenses: Eleanor Laing didn't pay capital gains tax on second home], The Telegraph, 30 May 2009 Laing was cleared by the Legg Inquiry; nonetheless, she voluntarily repaid £25,000 as a "moral gesture".{{cite news| url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6875270.ece| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430103157/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6875270.ece| url-status=dead| archive-date=30 April 2011|title=MPs expenses repaid | location=London | newspaper=The Times | first=Fiona | last=Hamilton}}{{subscription required|date=January 2016}} As a result of the issue over her expenses, an unsuccessful attempt was made to deselect her by her constituency party, led by the Leader of Epping Forest District Council.{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/6442038/MPs-expenses-Eleanor-Laing-reselected.html | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | first=Jon | last=Swaine | title=MPs expenses: Eleanor Laing reselected | date=27 October 2009}}

Laing is divorced with one son, born in 2001.{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/2004/mar/25/pregnant-women-discrimination#S6CV0419P1_20040325_HOC_82|title=Pregnant Women (Discrimination) (Hansard, 25 March 2004)|website=api.parliament.uk|access-date=6 September 2021}} Laing refers to her son being born 'exactly one week' after the 'last general election', in this context being the 2001 election.

Laing is a supporter of Rangers F.C., and is a vice-chairman of the Westminster Parliamentary Rangers Supporters' Club.{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12461452.MPs_form_Rangers_supporters_apos__club_at_Westminster/|title=MPs form Rangers supporters' club at Westminster|date=5 March 2008|work=The Herald|access-date=15 June 2017}}

She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours List.

{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.eleanorlaing.com Eleanor Laing MP] official constituency website
• [http://www.conservatives.com/People/Members_of_Parliament/Laing_Eleanor.aspx Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100315150839/http://www.conservatives.com/People/Members_of_Parliament/Laing_Eleanor.aspx |date=15 March 2010 }} at the Conservative Party
• {{UK MP links | parliament = mrs-eleanor-laing/36 | hansard = mrs-eleanor-laing | hansardcurr = 1387 | guardian = 2986/eleanor-laing | publicwhip = Eleanor_Laing | theywork = eleanor_laing | record = Eleanor-Laing/Epping-Forest/259 | bbc = 25182.stm | journalisted = }}

{{s-start}}

{{s-par|uk}}

{{s-bef|before=Steven Norris}}

{{s-ttl

|title=Member of Parliament for Epping Forest

|years=1997–2024

}}

{{s-aft|after=Neil Hudson}}

{{s-break}}

{{s-bef|before=Nigel Evans}}

{{s-ttl|title=First Deputy Chair of Ways and Means|years=2013–2019}}

{{s-aft|after=Dame Rosie Winterton}}

{{s-break}}

{{s-bef|before=Lindsay Hoyle}}

{{s-ttl|title=Chair of Ways and Means|years=2020–2024}}

{{s-aft|after=Nus Ghani}}

{{s-break}}

{{s-off}}

{{s-bef|before=Caroline Spelman}}

{{s-ttl|title=Shadow Minister for Women and Equality|years=2004–2007}}

{{s-aft|after=Theresa May}}

{{s-break}}

{{s-bef|before=James Gray}}

{{s-ttl|title=Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland|years=2005}}

{{s-aft|after=David Mundell}}

{{s-end}}

{{Chairmen of Ways and Means}}

{{2019 Speaker of the British House of Commons election}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Laing, Eleanor}}

Category:1958 births

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century British women politicians

Category:20th-century English women politicians

Category:21st-century British women politicians

Category:21st-century English women politicians

Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh School of Law

Category:British Eurosceptics

Category:British feminists

Category:British unionists

Category:Conservative Party (UK) life peers

Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies

Category:Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Category:Deputy speakers of the British House of Commons

Category:Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies

Category:Life peeresses created by Charles III

Category:Life peers created by Charles III

Category:Nobility from Renfrewshire

Category:People educated at St Columba's School, Kilmacolm

Category:People from Epping Forest District

Category:People from Paisley, Renfrewshire

Category:Scottish feminists

Category:Scottish solicitors

Category:UK MPs 1997–2001

Category:UK MPs 2001–2005

Category:UK MPs 2005–2010

Category:UK MPs 2010–2015

Category:UK MPs 2015–2017

Category:UK MPs 2017–2019

Category:UK MPs 2019–2024

Category:UK MPs who were granted peerages

Category:Women legislative deputy speakers

Category:Lawyers awarded damehoods