Jenny Tonge, Baroness Tonge

Jennifer Louise Tonge ( born February 19, 1941), since 2005 Baroness, is a politician in the United Kingdom. She was 1997-2005 Liberal Democratic Member of Parliament ( MP) created for the 1997 London constituency Richmond Park. Since June 23, 2005, she is a life member of the House of Lords.

Political career

From 1981 to 1990 Tonge Councillor of London Borough of Richmond upon Thames constituency of Richmond Park was included. It launched four years, the Social Committee. After the general election of 1997, in which they won a House seat, she was in her party for International Development.

In 2002, she asked Tony Blair as part of a debate about creationism and evolution, whether this " happy with it is that is both taught together at state schools. "

From party leader Charles Kennedy in January 2004 it was replaced as the spokesperson after she had said that she could understand if Palestinians become suicide bombers and that they as such a self would be. An apology, she refused. Tonge supported some pro-Palestinian activists and MPs, who held a two-minute silence in memory of the slain of Israel Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmad Yasin. Qualify for the award of a terrorist was therefore attacked in the press, particularly by Melanie Phillips, a journalist who writes for the Daily Mail and Jewish Chronicle.

Jenny Tonge lost a daughter in 2004 by current accident and retired in May during the British general election, 2005 returned to their grandchildren to support. Your seat took Susan Kramer.

Since June 23, 2005, she is Baroness Tonge of Kew of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and thus for life peer in the House of Lords.

In early 2006, she reached the House of Lords, the Gana and Gwi San of the Kalahari, which attempted " to remain the Stone Age " and in " the Botswana government blackmail " by refusing to leave their country. This conclusion they drew from a trip to Botswana in 2002, which was paid for by Debswana, a joint venture between De Beers and the Botswana government owns the mineral rights for diamonds in the San settlement area in the Kalahari.

In September 2006, Tonge said in a speech at the University of Edinburgh during a meeting at the edge of a party conference that the " pro-Israel lobby, the Western world clutching hold, especially financially," and " probably our party. American research confirmed that the Israeli lobby has a disproportionate influence on U.S. foreign policy. " She was referring to the publication of the political scientist John Maersheimer, The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy.

Led by the Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey Leonard then formed a bipartisan group of lords who stated that Tonge 's comments "irresponsible and inappropriate " and that they would " revive classic anti- Jewish Konspirations Theory". The party leadership and the Chief Whip Office of the House of Lords decided then " recommendations " on how to deal with Jenny Tonge and sent her this. The Board of Deputies of British Jews hoping for expulsion from the party.

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