Gillian Merron MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign & Commonwealth Office

Gillian was appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign & Commonwealth Office in October 2008.

Before joining the FCO, Gillian was the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at DFID (January 2008 – October 2008).  Prior to that, she was Cabinet Office Minister and Minister for the East Midlands at the Cabinet Office (June 2007 – January 2008) and Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department of Transport (2006 – 2007).

Gillian has also been a Government Whip and an Assistant Government Whip, as well as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Minister for Defence Procurement and the Minister for the Armed Forces.

Gillian was elected Member of Parliament for Lincoln in 1997.  Born on 12 April 1959, she was educated at Wanstead High School and Lancaster University, where she gained a BSc (Hons) in Management Sciences.  Gillian has lived and worked in the East Midlands for many years, starting work in 1982 as a Business Development Adviser before becoming a Local Government Officer then a Trade Union Official for NUPE and UNISON.

Gillian’s main interests outside of politics are supporting Lincoln City Football Club, running, gym and films.  In the summer of 2005, Gillian served as a volunteer with Voluntary Services Overseas in Guyana.

Responsibilities:

• Overseas Territories
• South America
• Caribbean/Central America
• Australasia and Pacific
• Consular policy
• Business
• Protocol
• HR and Diversity
• Leads on Africa, Human Rights, Global Issues and Commonwealth in Commons.