Chancellor: University of Bradford
Mr Imran Khan
Mr Imran Khan
Baroness Amos was the fi rst black woman to sit in cabinet and the third-ever
woman to become Leader of the House of Lords. Born in Guyana in 1954, Valerie
Ann Amos studied Sociology at Warwick University in 1976, completed a Master's
degree in Cultural Studies at the University of Birmingham in 1977, and
went on to doctoral research at the University of East Anglia. She then
started her career in London, working in Equal Opportunities, Training and
Management Services for local authorities in Lambeth, Camden and Hackney.
Baroness Amos was chief executive of the Equal Opportunities Commission from 1989 to 1994, and then director of Amos Fraser Bernard from 1995 to 1998. She became a life peer in 1997, taking the title Baroness Amos of Brondesbury in the London Borough of Brent. She was appointed a Government Whip in the House of Lords in July 1998. In addition to her role as a Spokesperson on International Development, she also spoke on Social Security and Women's Issues.
Baroness Amos was made Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2001. She joined the Cabinet as International Development Secretary in May 2003, before becoming Leader of the House of Lords and President of the Council in October 2003. She has also been Deputy Chair of the Runnymede Trust (1990-98), a Trustee of the Institute of Public Policy Research, and a non-executive Director of the University College London Hospitals Trust. Her charity works involved being the Chair of the board of governors at Royal College of Nursing Institute (1994-98) and one of the Directors of Hampstead Theatre.
