Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis
Encyclopedia
Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis (born Andreas Adonis, 22 February 1963) is a British academic, journalist, Labour Party
politician and Life Peer
, who was Secretary of State for Transport
between 2009-2010.
Adonis was first appointed to the Labour Government following the 2005 general election
, as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Children, Schools and Families
.
He previously served, under the premiership of Tony Blair
, as an education and constitution policy advisor at the Number 10 Policy Unit
from 1998 to 2005, heading it from 2001 to 2003. Before joining the Government, Adonis was an academic at the University of Oxford
, then a journalist
at the Financial Times
and The Observer
.
Adonis is author or co-author of several books, including on studies of the English class system; the rise and fall of the poll tax
; and the Victorian
House of Lords
, and has co-edited a collection of essays on Roy Jenkins
. He was educated at Kingham Hill School and at Keble and Nuffield Colleges, Oxford. He is married with a son and daughter.
mother. His mother left the family when he was three and has had no communication with him since. Shortly thereafter, he was placed in care and lived in a council children's home until the age of 11, when Adonis was awarded a local education authority
grant to attend Kingham Hill School
.
After Kingham Hill School, Adonis went up to nearby Keble College
, Oxford
, graduating with a first class BA
in modern history
. At Christ Church
he subsequently completed a D.Phil
on the British aristocracy of the late 19th century before being appointed to a Fellowship (in History and Politics) at Nuffield College
.
From 1991 to 1996 he was an education and public policy
correspondent, industry correspondent and public policy editor at the Financial Times
. In 1996, he moved to The Observer
to work as a political columnist, leader writer and editor.
lor for the Alliance/Liberal Democrats
, representing the North Ward.
In 1994, he was selected by Westbury Constituency
Liberal Democrats as their Prospective Parliamentary Candidate
, but resigned after about 18 months, without having fought an election. The next year, he joined the Labour Party. During the mid to late 1990s, he was politically active in Islington North
, the constituency represented by the MP Jeremy Corbyn
; he was selected to contest St George's Ward, Islington London Borough Council
for Labour in 1998, but withdrew from the process when the education and constitution policy advisor post previously referred to was offered.
On 16 May 2005 he was created a life peer
as Baron Adonis, of Camden Town in the London Borough of Camden, elevation to membership of the House of Lords
making possible his appointment as a government minister without having been elected to Parliament
.
, Adonis became a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
for Schools and Learners in the Department for Education and Skills (later the Department for Children, Schools and Families
). In this role, he strongly advocated the creation of additional academies, specialist school
s and trust schools. He also encouraged state schools to adopt practices of the private sector
and generally believed in giving individual schools more independence and autonomy from central government and the Local Education Authorities. His lack of support for traditional comprehensives made him unpopular with some trade union
members and many on the Labour Party's left-wing. He was popular with some Opposition politicians, in particular the Conservative
Education Spokesman Michael Gove
who declared "We are on the same page as Andrew Adonis".
In October 2008, Adonis was reshuffled to the Department for Transport
holding a Minister of State
position. In May 2009 while reviewing potential cycle "super highways" with Kulveer Ranger
and Boris Johnson
the group had a 'near-death' experience when a passing lorry's back door 'suddenly flew open, dragged a parked car into the street and smashed into another – just feet from the group'. He was promoted to Secretary of State for Transport
in June 2009, serving until 11 May and the resignation of Gordon Brown as Prime Minister
.
Lord Adonis was involved in the 2010 post-election negotiations to form a coalition government
after no party achieved an outright majority. He was personally an enthusiast for a Lib-Lab deal
.
After a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government
was formed, he served as Shadow Transport Secretary for only a few days before retiring from frontline politics, and was succeeded in that role by Sadiq Khan
MP
.
(IfG), an independent charity with cross-party and Whitehall
governance working to improve government effectiveness.
, North London
.
|-
|-
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician and Life Peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
, who was Secretary of State for Transport
Secretary of State for Transport
The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...
between 2009-2010.
Adonis was first appointed to the Labour Government following the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
, as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Children, Schools and Families
Department for Children, Schools and Families
The Department for Children, Schools and Families was a department of the UK government, between 2007 and 2010, responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education...
.
He previously served, under the premiership of Tony Blair
Premiership of Tony Blair
The Premiership of Tony Blair began on 2 May 1997 and ended on 27 June 2007. While serving as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Blair concurrently served as the First Lord of the Treasury, the Minister for the Civil Service, the Leader of the Labour Party , and a Member of Parliament for the...
, as an education and constitution policy advisor at the Number 10 Policy Unit
Number 10 Policy Unit
The Number 10 Policy Unit is a body of policymakers in 10 Downing Street in the British government. Originally set up to support Harold Wilson in 1974, it has gone through a series of guises to suit the needs of successive Prime Ministers, staffed variously by political advisers, civil servants or...
from 1998 to 2005, heading it from 2001 to 2003. Before joining the Government, Adonis was an academic at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, then a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
at the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
and The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
.
Adonis is author or co-author of several books, including on studies of the English class system; the rise and fall of the poll tax
Poll tax
A poll tax is a tax of a portioned, fixed amount per individual in accordance with the census . When a corvée is commuted for cash payment, in effect it becomes a poll tax...
; and the Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, and has co-edited a collection of essays on Roy Jenkins
Roy Jenkins
Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead OM, PC was a British politician.The son of a Welsh coal miner who later became a union official and Labour MP, Roy Jenkins served with distinction in World War II. Elected to Parliament as a Labour member in 1948, he served in several major posts in...
. He was educated at Kingham Hill School and at Keble and Nuffield Colleges, Oxford. He is married with a son and daughter.
Early life
Adonis is the son of an immigrant Greek Cypriot father Nicos, a commis waiter, and an EnglishEnglish people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
mother. His mother left the family when he was three and has had no communication with him since. Shortly thereafter, he was placed in care and lived in a council children's home until the age of 11, when Adonis was awarded a local education authority
Local Education Authority
A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
grant to attend Kingham Hill School
Kingham Hill School
Kingham Hill School is a Christian school based on the Church of England denomination. It was founded by local Christian landowner Charles Edward Baring Young in 1886 as a school and home for deprived boys and was designed by the architect William Howard Seth-Smith...
.
After Kingham Hill School, Adonis went up to nearby Keble College
Keble College, Oxford
Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...
, Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, graduating with a first class BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in modern history
Modern World
Modern World or The Modern World may refer to:*Modernity, a popular academic term.*The modern era, the age in which people today now live.*Modern World, a song by Wolf Parade from their 2005 album Apologies to the Queen Mary....
. At Christ Church
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
he subsequently completed a D.Phil
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
on the British aristocracy of the late 19th century before being appointed to a Fellowship (in History and Politics) at Nuffield College
Nuffield College, Oxford
Nuffield College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is an all-graduate college and primarily a research establishment, specialising in the social sciences, particularly economics, politics and sociology. It is a research centre in the social sciences...
.
From 1991 to 1996 he was an education and public policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
correspondent, industry correspondent and public policy editor at the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
. In 1996, he moved to The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
to work as a political columnist, leader writer and editor.
Political background
From 1987 until 1991 Adonis was an Oxford city councilOxford City Council
The Oxford City Council provides local government for the city of Oxford in England.- Overview :Between the 2004 local elections, and 2010 the council was in minority administration, first by councillors from the Labour Party, with the Liberal Democrats being the official opposition...
lor for the Alliance/Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
, representing the North Ward.
In 1994, he was selected by Westbury Constituency
Westbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Westbury was a parliamentary constituency in Wiltshire from 1449 to 2010. It was represented in the House of Commons of England until 1707, and then in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801...
Liberal Democrats as their Prospective Parliamentary Candidate
Prospective parliamentary candidate
Prospective parliamentary candidate is a term used in British politics to refer to candidates selected by political parties to fight individual constituencies in advance of a general election. This terminology was motivated by the strict limits on the amount of expenses incurred by an actual...
, but resigned after about 18 months, without having fought an election. The next year, he joined the Labour Party. During the mid to late 1990s, he was politically active in Islington North
Islington North
Islington North is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election...
, the constituency represented by the MP Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Bernard Corbyn is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Islington North since 1983.-Early and personal life:...
; he was selected to contest St George's Ward, Islington London Borough Council
Islington London Borough Council
Islington London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Islington in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. Islington is divided into 16 wards, each electing three councillors...
for Labour in 1998, but withdrew from the process when the education and constitution policy advisor post previously referred to was offered.
On 16 May 2005 he was created a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baron Adonis, of Camden Town in the London Borough of Camden, elevation to membership of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
making possible his appointment as a government minister without having been elected to Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
.
Ministerial career
Following his appointment to the House of LordsHouse of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, Adonis became a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
A Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State is the lowest of three tiers of government minister in the government of the United Kingdom, junior to both a Minister of State and a Secretary of State....
for Schools and Learners in the Department for Education and Skills (later the Department for Children, Schools and Families
Department for Children, Schools and Families
The Department for Children, Schools and Families was a department of the UK government, between 2007 and 2010, responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education...
). In this role, he strongly advocated the creation of additional academies, specialist school
Specialist school
The specialist schools programme was a UK government initiative which encouraged secondary schools in England to specialise in certain areas of the curriculum to boost achievement. The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust was responsible for the delivery of the programme...
s and trust schools. He also encouraged state schools to adopt practices of the private sector
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
and generally believed in giving individual schools more independence and autonomy from central government and the Local Education Authorities. His lack of support for traditional comprehensives made him unpopular with some trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
members and many on the Labour Party's left-wing. He was popular with some Opposition politicians, in particular the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Education Spokesman Michael Gove
Michael Gove
Michael Andrew Gove, MP is a British politician, who currently serves as the Secretary of State for Education and as the Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the Surrey Heath constituency. He is also a published author and former journalist.Born in Edinburgh, Gove was raised in Aberdeen...
who declared "We are on the same page as Andrew Adonis".
In October 2008, Adonis was reshuffled to the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
holding a Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
position. In May 2009 while reviewing potential cycle "super highways" with Kulveer Ranger
Kulveer Ranger
Kulveer S Ranger is a British Conservative politician, currently the Mayor of London's Director of Environment and Digital London. He was previously Director for Transport Policy, appointed by Boris Johnson after he won the Mayoral election in May 2008.-Family and early life:Ranger is a Sikh, born...
and Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
the group had a 'near-death' experience when a passing lorry's back door 'suddenly flew open, dragged a parked car into the street and smashed into another – just feet from the group'. He was promoted to Secretary of State for Transport
Secretary of State for Transport
The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...
in June 2009, serving until 11 May and the resignation of Gordon Brown as Prime Minister
Premiership of Gordon Brown
The Premiership of Gordon Brown began on 27 June 2007, when Brown accepted the Queen's invitation to form a government, replacing Tony Blair as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and ended with his resignation as Prime Minister on 11 May 2010...
.
Lord Adonis was involved in the 2010 post-election negotiations to form a coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
after no party achieved an outright majority. He was personally an enthusiast for a Lib-Lab deal
Lib-Lab pact
In British politics, a Lib-Lab pact is a working arrangement between the Liberal Democrats and the Labour Party.There have been four such arrangements, and one alleged proposal, at the national level...
.
After a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government
United Kingdom coalition government (2010–present)
The ConservativeLiberal Democrat coalition is the present Government of the United Kingdom, formed after the 2010 general election. The Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats entered into discussions which culminated in the 2010 coalition agreement, setting out a programme for government...
was formed, he served as Shadow Transport Secretary for only a few days before retiring from frontline politics, and was succeeded in that role by Sadiq Khan
Sadiq Khan
Sadiq Aman Khan is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Tooting since 2005, succeeding Tom Cox as the Labour MP for the seat...
MP
MP
MP or mp may refer to:*Machine pistol*Malayo-Polynesian languages*Manu propria, a Latin expression for with one's own hand*Martinair IATA airline designator or reservation code*Maximum parsimony, a term used in statistical analyses...
.
Post-ministerial career
In July 2010, it was announced Lord Adonis would become Director of the Institute for GovernmentInstitute for Government
The Institute for Government is an United Kingdom independent charity that aims to improve government effectiveness created in 2008. It was initially funded with about £15 million by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, at the instigation of Lord David Sainsbury.....
(IfG), an independent charity with cross-party and Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
governance working to improve government effectiveness.
Personal life
Adonis is married to Kathryn Davies, once a student of his, with whom he has two young children named Edmund and Alice. The family lives in IslingtonIslington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
, North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
.
Various New Statesman articles
- Ben PimlottBen PimlottBenjamin John Pimlott, known as Ben Pimlott , was a British historian of the post-war period in Britain...
The Queen: A Biography of Elizabeth II – book review, 1996, Andrew Adonis - Our progressives only look dead (prospects for a revival of progressivism in the United Kingdom), 1996, Andrew Adonis
- Christopher BookerChristopher BookerChristopher John Penrice Booker is an English journalist and author. In 1961, he was one of the founders of the magazine Private Eye, and has contributed to it for over four decades. He has been a columnist for the Sunday Telegraph since 1990...
and Richard North The Castle of Lies: Why Britain Must Get Out of Europe – book review, 1996, Andrew Adonis - Anthony Barnett This Time: Our Constitutional Revolution – book review, 1996, Andrew Adonis
External links
|-
|-