The WEA’s three patrons bring top-level political expertise from each of Britain’s main national political parties.
Sir Bob Russell is the Liberal Democrat MP for Colchester.
Since being elected in 1997, Bob has been a member of the Liberal Democrat Defence Team, a Party Whip, a former Sports Spokesperson for the Party, and a long serving member of the Home Affairs Select Committee.
Bob is a strong supporter of adult learning and the WEA, and has close links with our branch in Colchester. He is also a keen local historian, environmentalist and road safety campaigner.
He was educated in Colchester at Myland Primary School, St Helena Secondary Modern School for Boys, and the North-East Essex Technical College. He is a journalist by profession, and is the first resident of Colchester for more than 100 years to represent the town in Parliament.
Gillian Shephard, Baroness Shephard of Northwold
Gillian is a former Conservative MP for South West Norfolk, and a former Secretary of State for Education.
Born Gillian Watts, she became a school teacher and a member of Norfolk County Council after graduating from Oxford University. She was also a WEA tutor in the then Eastern District before her parliamentary career: her first course was in 1966/7 and her last in 1983/4. Many of her courses concentrated on Europe, particularly on France and on the comparative history of England and France.
Gillian was elected to Parliament in 1987, and first joined the Cabinet in 1989. In 1990 she became Minister of State at HM Treasury and the following year she was given the additional role of Deputy Chairman of the Party. She subsequently served as Secretary of State for Employment and then as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food before becoming Secretary of State for Education in 1995. She remained in this position until the 1997 general election. She served in two shadow cabinet posts before returning to the backbenches in 1999, and stepped down from the House of Commons at the 2005 general election.
On June 21, 2005, Gillian became a life peer as Baroness Shephard of Northwold (a parish and village in Norfolk).
Stephen Twigg is the current Labour Co-operative MP for Liverpool West Derby
Stephen serves on the Labour front bench as a shadow minister in the Foreign Affairs team. He is also Chair of the Liverpool domestic violence charity Chrysalis and a member of the shopworkers trade union Usdaw.
Stephen previously served as MP for Enfield Southgate, during which time he worked has the Minister of State for School Standards, while his work outside parliament has included high profile positions at the Foreign Policy Centre, the Holocaust Centre and the Aegis Trust.
Stephen was educated at Southgate comprehensive, and became the first pupil from the school to obtain a place at Oxford University.