On This Day

20 December 1951

Happy birthday to Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green 2005-15

Born in Highgate Middlesex, Lynne Featherstone was elected a Liberal Democrat Councillor for Muswell Hill ward in the London Borough of Haringey and was leader of the opposition from 1998 to 2002. From 2000 until she stood down in 2005 she served as a member of the London Assembly. Featherstone first contested Hornsey and Wood Green in 1997, finishing third over 25,000 votes behind the Labour winner. She moved into second place in 2001. In the 2005 election she won the seat with one of the largest swings in the election. In 2010 Featherstone joined the new coalition government as Parliamentary Under Secretary for Equalities, moving in September 2012 to become Under Secretary of State for International Development. In November 2014 she was promoted to Minister of State at the Home Office. As a minister Featherstone campaigned to end female genital mutilation and played a pivotal role in the passing of legislation on same sex marriage. In 2012 Attitude Magazine named Featherstone politician of the year. In the general election of 2015 Featherstone lost her seat but returned to parliament later in the year when she went to the House of Lords as Baroness Featherstone. She now speaks for the party on energy and climate change.