|HOMEPAGE | NEWS | WORLD SERVICE | SPORT | MY BBC||help|
|You are in: Vote2001: Key People|
Thursday, 22 March, 2001, 16:01 GMT
Jackie Ballard: Home Affairs
By BBC News Online's Ray Dunne
As one of just a handful of women MPs in the Liberal Democrats Jackie Ballard has been tipped for good things.
She was one of the famous faces of election night in 1997, personifying the Lib Dems' success in winning their largest number of seats in more than a generation.
Like many of the party's successful MPs, Mrs Ballard owed much to tactical voting.
She contested the Somerset constituency of Taunton in the 1992 general election and was widely tipped to win the seat.
However, a last minute surge to the Conservatives deprived her of victory and she was forced to wait five years before winning the backing of the local electorate.
A one-time close associate of former party leader Paddy Ashdown, Mrs Ballard is an outspoken and confident MP.
The campaign got off to a flying start - literally - when Mrs Ballard embarked on an 800-mile round-trip around the UK on the first day.
The dark horse
As the only woman candidate in the race Mrs Ballard, whose campaign slogan was "Jackie B - who cares wins", was constantly referred to as the "dark horse".
She told the party that she would oppose closer links with the Labour Party and make proportional representation at Westminster a priority if elected.
However, Liberal Democrat party members failed to agree and Mrs Ballard came fourth in the battle to replace Mr Ashdown. The party instead chose Charles Kennedy who decided to omit Mrs Ballard and a number of his other challengers from the Lib Dem front bench after his election.
Nevertheless, the Taunton MP is well liked in the party and has a high profile among the grassroots.
A former social worker, she is a former deputy leader of Somerset county council and leader of South Somerset district council.
She has strong views on poverty, the environment and is against fox hunting and is now the party's deputy home affairs spokeswoman.
Mrs Ballard is also in favour of more women MPs within the Lib Dems and has campaigned in the past for an increase in female candidates.
Divorced in 1989, she says she enjoys swimming and listening to Celtic rock music.
Her Taunton seat, which was won from the Tories last time around, will be one of those watched closely by the Liberal Democrat leadership.
As an MP in a marginal seat, Mrs Ballard's success or otherwise may be an early signal on election night of how the Lib Dems will perform nationally.
|^^ Back to top
VOTE2001 | Main Issues| Features | Crucial Seats | Key People | Parties | Results & Constituencies | Candidates | Opinion Polls | Online 1000 | Virtual Vote | Talking Point | Forum | AudioVideo | Programmes | Voting System | Local Elections
Nations: N Ireland | Scotland | Wales
To BBC News>> | To BBC Sport>> | To BBC Weather>>