Pennelope Beckles-Robinson

{{Short description| Trinidad and Tobago politician and attorney (born 1961)}}

{{Infobox MP

| honorific_prefix = The Honourable

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| image = Pennelope Beckles-Robinson (cropped).jpg

| alt =

| caption = Beckles in 2022

| office5 = Member of the
Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago
for Arima

| majority5 = 5,388 (40.0%)

| term_start5 = 10 August 2020

| term_end5 =

| predecessor5 = Anthony Garcia

| successor5 =

| term_start6 = 11 December 2000

| term_end6 = 24 May 2010

| predecessor6 = Rupert Griffith

| successor6 = Rodger Dominic Samuel

| order2 =

| office2 = Minister of Planning and Development

| term_start2 = 16 March 2022

| term_end2 = 1 May 2025

| primeminister2 = Keith Rowley

| order3 =

| office3 = Minister of Housing and Urban Development

| term_start3 = 19 August 2020

| term_end3 = 16 March 2022

| primeminister3 = Keith Rowley

| successor3 = Camille Robinson-Regis

| order4 =

| office4 = Deputy Speaker of the Parliament

| term_start4 = 2007

| term_end4 = 2010

| office = 9th Leader of the Opposition

| term_start = 6 May 2025

| term_end =

| president = Christine Kangaloo

| primeminister = Kamla Persad-Bissessar

| predecessor = Kamla Persad-Bissessar

| primeminister4 = Patrick Manning

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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|09|12}}

| birth_place = Borde Narve Village

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| party = People's National Movement

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| spouse = {{married|Noel Robinson|2008}}

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| nickname = Penny

}}

Pennelope Althea Beckles-Robinson (born 12 September 1961) is a Trinidad and Tobago attorney and politician. She has served as a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for Arima since the 2020 general election. She is the incumbent Leader of the Opposition. Previously she was the country's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, as well as Minister of Planning and Development.

Early life and education

Beckles was born on 12 September 1961 in Borde Narve Village, three months before parliament history was created in Trinidad and Tobago growing up without electricity or running water.{{cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2012-11-04/she’s-good-political-stock|title=She's of good political stock|first=Rhonda Krystal|last=Rambally|date=4 November 2012|accessdate=19 August 2017|work=Trinidad and Tobago Guardian}} Her father, Lionel Beckles, worked for the Oilfields Workers' Trade Union and she has four brothers and one sister.{{cite web|url=http://rg-59fcf77b2f6d0287cd0789d2810e8400.port2408.net/news/2014-02-14/penny’s-dad-her-corner|title=Penny's dad in her corner|work=Trinidad and Tobago Guardian|date=14 February 2014|accessdate=19 August 2017}} She attended St Raphael's Grade School and St Joseph's Convent, San Fernando. She graduated from the University of the West Indies, Barbados, and the Hugh Wooding Law School.

Career

Beckles has practised as an attorney since 1988, attached to the Chambers of Theodore R Guerra and Associates.

Beckles first entered parliament when she was appointed an opposition Senator for the People's National Movement (PNM) in 1995. She was then elected to the House of Representatives representing the Arima constituency in 2000, serving until 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.ttparliament.org/members.php?mid=26&pid=5&id=PBE01|title=Ms. Pennelope Beckles, MP|publisher=Parliament of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago}} She was appointed Minister for Social Development in 2001, Minister for Culture and Tourism in 2002, and Minister for Public Utilities and the Environment in 2003.

Beckles was Trinidad and Tobago's first female Deputy Speaker of the Parliament from 2007 until 2010 and served as Leader of Opposition Business from 2010 until 2013. In November 2012, she was elected lady vice-chair of the PNM, but she was dropped from the senate by party leader Keith Rowley in December 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2013-12-09/beckles-insists-she-remains-loyal-pnm|title=Beckles insists she remains loyal to PNM|work=Trinidad and Tobago Guardian|date=9 December 2013|accessdate=19 August 2017|first=Reshma|last=Ragoonath}}{{cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2013-12-04/strategic-move|work=Trinidad and Tobago Guardian|title=Strategic Move: Rowley eyes 2015 after shake-up|date=4 December 2013|first=Richard|last=Lord|accessdate=19 August 2017}} In May 2014, Beckles unsuccessfully challenged Rowley for the leadership of the party.{{cite web|url=http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/PENNYS-RELATIVE-HELD-IN-GUN-RAID-251735381.html|title=Penny's Relative Held in Gun Raid|work=Saturday Express|date=22 March 2014|accessdate=19 August 2017|first=Mark|last=Fraser}}{{cite web|url=http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/The-PNM-election-race-is-on-250415711.html|work=Saturday Express|title=The PNM election race is on|date= 14 March 2014}} On 4 February 2015, she was rejected in her bid to represent the PNM for the constituency of Arima in the 2015 general election.{{cite web|url=http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Penny-Difficult-time-with-family-issues-296970661.html|work=Trinidad Express|title=Penny: Difficult time with Family Issues|date=19 March 2015|accessdate=19 August 2017}}

Beckles was appointed Trinidad and Tobago's Permanent Representative to the UN by Prime Minister Rowley in August 2016.{{cite web|url=https://www.un.org/press/en/2016/bio4873.doc.htm|title=New Permanent Representative of Trinidad and Tobago Presents Credentials|date=22 August 2016|accessdate=19 August 2017|publisher=United Nations}}{{cite web|url=http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20160211/news/rowley-picks-pennelope-as-un-ambassador|work=Trinidad Express|title=Rowley picks Pennelope as UN Ambassador|first=Leah|last=Sorias|date=11 February 2016|accessdate=19 August 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20160403/news/pnm-makes-changes-to-its-constitution|work=Saturday Express|title=PNM makes changes to its constitution|first=Ria|last=Taitt|date=3 April 2016|accessdate=19 August 2017}} She postponed taking up the appointment to attend the funeral of former Prime Minister Patrick Manning in July.{{cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2016-07-03/penny-postpones-un-appointment-following-manning’s-death|work=Trinidad and Tobago Guardian|title=Penny postpones UN appointment following Manning's death|date=3 July 2016|accessdate=19 August 2017|first=Charles|last=Kong Soo}}

She was appointed as Minister of Planning and Development on 16 March 2022 following a cabinet reshuffle.{{Cite web |title=The Honourable Pennelope Beckles-Robinson {{!}} Ministry of Planning and Development |url=https://planning.gov.tt/node/22 |access-date=2022-04-16 |website=planning.gov.tt}}

Following the 2025 Trinidad and Tobago general election, on Wednesday, 30 April 2025, she was selected to be Leader of the Opposition within the People's National Movement by a slim 7-6 margin.{{Cite web |last=Rupert |first=Enrique |date=2025-04-30 |title=Pennelope Beckles-Robinson set to become Opposition Leader |url=https://newsday.co.tt/2025/04/30/pennelope-beckles-robinson-set-to-become-opposition-leader/ |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=Trinidad and Tobago Newsday |language=en-US}} She is the PNM's first female opposition leader.{{Cite web |date=2025-05-01 |title=Cheers as Penny makes history |url=https://trinidadexpress.com/news/local/cheers-as-penny-makes-history/article_ebe9ee80-0740-4575-b47f-f890c966a5ca.html |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=Trinidad Express Newspapers |language=en}}

Personal life

Beckles married Noel Robinson in December 2008,{{cite web|url=http://www.trinidadexpress.com/featured-news/A_wedding_story-115482529.html|work=Saturday Express|title=A wedding story|date=24 December 2008|accessdate=19 August 2017}} and she has four stepchildren. She also became the guardian of her ten-year-old niece after her sister Michelle died in 2015.