Phil Willis, Baron Willis of Knaresborough

George Philip " Phil" Willis, Baron Willis of Knaresborough, of Harrogate in the County of North Yorkshire ( born November 30, 1941) is a former British teacher and politician of the Liberal Democrats, who for several years a deputy in the House of Commons since 2010 and was member of the House of Lords.

Life

Study and career

After attending the Grammar School in Burnley Willis began studying at the City of Leeds and Carnegie College, a modern part of Leeds Metropolitan University, and acquired there in 1963 Educational Certificate ( Certificate in Education ). He was subsequently 1963-1965 teacher at the Middleton County Secondary Boys ' School and then to 1967 Head of the Department of History at Moor Grange County Secondary Boys' School, before he 1967-1974 as senior teacher ( senior master) at the Primrose Hill high School worked.

During a subsequent use as a vice-principal ( Deputy Head ) on the West Leeds Boys ' Grammar School 1974-1978 Willis completed a postgraduate study of pedagogy at the University of Birmingham and finished this in 1978 with a Bachelor of Philosophy ( B.Phil.Education ).

Then he clipped from Leeds in the Teesside area, where he was headmaster 1978-1982 ( Headteacher ) of Ormesby School in Celevland. He then returned to Leeds and was there during the years 1983 to 1997 principal of John Smeaton Community High School in Penda's Fields.

Political career

Local politician and Member of the House

End of the 1980 Willis began his political career in local politics when he was elected in 1988 for the Liberal Democrats as a member of the Council of the Borough of Harrogate and this remained until 1999. During this time, he was from 1990 to 1997 Chairman of this Council.

At the same time he was also a member of the Council of the County of North Yorkshire, and at the same time Vice-Chairman of this Council between 1993 and 1997.

In the general election of 1 May 1997 Willis was elected Members of the House of Commons and represented in this up to the general election on 6 May 2010 the constituency of Harrogate and Knaresborough.

During his many years the House membership, he was initially between 1997 and 1999 spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats in the House of Commons for further and higher education and adult education, before he for 1999-2001 only "shadow minister" of education and employment and thereafter from 2001 to 2005 Education and ability in the shadow cabinet of his party was.

Then Willis, who was from 1999 to 2000 member of the House Committee on Education and Employment, was between 2005 and 2007 Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology and from 2007 to 2010 of the House Committee on Innovation, Universities, Science and capability. During this time Wills in 2007 was chairman and the Joint Parliamentary Committee to advise the Draft Human Tissue and Embryos Bill.

House of Lords member

After his retirement from the House of Commons Willis was raised on 18 June 2010 as a life peer with the title Baron Willis of Knaresborough, of Harrogate in the County of North Yorkshire in the peerage. On July 7, 2010 then followed his introduction ( Introduction) as a member of the House of Lords. Since then, he has been a member of the House of Lords Committee on Science and Technology.

Besides acting Lord Willis since 2010 as chairman of the Association of Societies for Medical Research ( Association of Medical Research Charities ( AMRC ) ) and the Charitable Trust of the Association of Colleges ( Association of Colleges Charitable Trust). In addition, he is involved since 2011 as a member of the Advisory Board of the National Environmental Research Council ( Natural Environment Research Council ) and the Foundation for Research and Technology (Foundation for Science and Technology) and is also the Chairman of the e- Learning Foundation.