Veronica Linklater

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Veronica Linklater, Baroness Linklater of Butterstone (b. 1943), is a Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords. Her career indicates her interests in children’s welfare, education and special needs, and prison reform. She was created a Life peer as Baroness Linklater of Butterstone, of Riemore in Perth and Kinross in 1997.

Linklater is the daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Archibald Michael Lyle and Hon. Elizabeth Sinclair, younger daughter of the former Leader of the Liberal Party Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso. She was educated at Cranbourne Chase School and the Universities of Sussex and London. In 1967 Linklater married the journalist Magnus Linklater. They have three children, two sons and one daughter.

In 1967, she became a Child Care Officer for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, and between 1970 and 1985, she became Governor to three Islington schools. From 1971 to 1977, she co-founded the Visitors’ Centre at Pentonville Prison, and her continuing interest in this field led to her involvement with the Winchester Prison Project, Prison Reform Trust from 1981 to 1982.

Career:

1967-68 Child Care Officer, London Borough of Tower Hamlets;
1971-77 Visitors Centre, Pentonville Prison – Co-Founder;
1970-85 Governor, 3 Islington schools;
1981-82 Prison Reform Trust – Winchester prison project;
1983-87 The Butler Trust – Founder, Administrator, Consultant;
1987-01 The Butler Trust - Trustee;
2001- The Butler Trust, Vice President;
1985-88 JP Inner London;
1987 Moved to Scotland;
1989-97 Children’s Panel member – Edinburgh South;
1989- Pushkin Prizes (Scotland) Co-ordinator, Trustee, Vice-Chairman;
1989- Society of Friends of Dunkeld Cathedral - President;
1990-96 Gulliver Award for the Performing Arts in Scotland – Committee member;
1991-04 The New School, Butterstone – Founder, Executive Chairman: For ‘educationally fragile’ children.
2004- Founder and President;
1991- Esmée Fairbairn Foundation – Trustee;
2001- Chairman, Rethinking Crime and Punishment;
1993-03 The Sutherland Trust – Patron;
1993-97 The Young Musicians Trust – Trustee;
1995 Perth & Kinross by-election – Lib-Dem candidate;
1997 Life Peer. The Baroness Linklater of Butterstone;
1997-04 The Maggie Keswick Jencks Cancer Caring Centres Trust – Director;
1998-99 Beattie Committee, Post School Provision for Young People with Special Needs - Member;
1998 Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh – Foundation Patron;
1998 -04 The Airborne Initiative - Patron;
1999 -01 University of the Highlands and Islands – Trustee, Development Trust;
2000- The National Schizophrenia Fellowship Scotland – Patron;
2001- Lyle Charitable Trust - Trustee;
2000-07 Secretary, The Scottish Peers Association;
2001-04 Barnardo’s – Member of the Scottish Committee;
2001-04 Napier University Court – Chancellor’s Assessor;
2002- National Family & Parenting Institute - Patron;
2003- The Beacon Fellowship Charitable Trust – Member of the Advisory Board;
2004- Research Autism- Patron;
2004- The Calyx, Scotland’s Garden Trust - Patron;
2004- Koestler Award Trust - Adviser;
2005- The Probation Boards Association - Patron;
2005- The Scottish Association for the Study of Offending - Member;
2005- Winston Churchill Memorial Trust – Council Member;
2005-06 House of Lords All Party Parliamentary Group on Offender Learning and Skills – Chairman;
2005- Action for Prisoners’ Families – Patron;
2007- President of Crime Reduction Initiative;
2007- Patron of PUSH;
2007 - Patron of Home-Start;
2007 - University of St. Andrews Medical Campaign Committee – Patron;
2007 - The Riemore Trust - Trustee.