Janet Fookes, Baroness Fookes

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Janet Evelyn Fookes, Baroness Fookes DBE DL (born February 21, 1936) is a Conservative member of the House of Lords.

Fookes was educated at Royal Holloway College, University of London. She was a teacher from 1958 to 1970. She served as a councillor on Hastings Borough Council 1960-61 and 1963-70. She was a Conservative Member of Parliament for Merton and Morden 1970-74 and Plymouth Drake 1974-97, when she retired. Drake was never a safe seat, but Fookes managed to survive many strong challenges in each general election she fought, including with a majority of just 34 in the October 1974 general election. She was Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons from 1992 to 1997.

Fookes served on the Council of the RSPCA 1975-92, and was chair 1979-81. She was made a Life peer as Baroness Fookes, of Plymouth in the County of Devon in 1997. She had previously been made a Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE) in 1989 and became Deputy Lieutenant of East Sussex in 2001. Her red hair makes her very noticable in the House of Lords, and she is a regular contributor to debates.