Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis (born c. 1963) is a United Kingdom Minister of State in the Department for Education and Skills, and was from 1998 to 2005 a political advisor in the Policy Unit for the Labour Government under Tony Blair. An academic, Adonis is generally credited with being behind most of Labour's key educational policies since coming to power in the 1997 general election. Directly before being appointed to the Lords and government following the 2005 general election, Adonis was the primary policy advisor on education, public services, and constitutional reform in the Policy Unit at Number 10, having headed the Unit as a whole from 2001 until 2003. In 2003, The Guardian ranked him as the eigth most influential public sector figure. 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... A Minister of State, in parliamentary systems, is a junior minister. ... Department for Education and Skills (DfES) is a department in the United Kingdom government created in 2001. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Labour Party is a centre-left or Democratic Socialist political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics), and one of the United Kingdoms three main political parties. ... The Right Honourable Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (Tony Blair) MP (born Edinburgh 6 May 1953) is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. ... The Labour Party is a centre-left or Democratic Socialist political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics), and one of the United Kingdoms three main political parties. ... The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997. ... The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 and won by the Labour Party, led by Tony Blair. ... The Number 10 Policy Unit is the body of political advisors and policy-makers in Number 10. ... 10 Downing Street (commonly known as Number 10), is the most famous London street address. ... 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Guardian was also the name of a U.S. television series. ...

As he was not a Member of Parliament, on appointment as a Minister he was also nominated for a life peerage, and on 16 May he was created Baron Adonis, of Camden Town in the London Borough of Camden. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ... In the United Kingdom, Life Peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles may not be inherited (those whose titles are inheritable are known as hereditary peers). ... May 16 is the 136th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (137th in leap years). ...

Political influence

Generally Adonis is said to be an education policy expert. He has influenced most of the Labour Party's key educational policies since the party came to power in the 1997 general election. [1] (http://politics.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,9115,1480977,00.html) In 2003, Patrick Butler, Society editor at The Guardian, ranked him after Ken Livingstone, Sir Ian Kennedy, James Strachan, Paul Dacre, Dave Prentis, Ed Balls and Geoff Mulgan as the eigth most influential (not powerful) figure in Britain's public services. [2] (http://society.guardian.co.uk/societyguardian/story/0,,1038546,00.html) The Labour Party is a centre-left or Democratic Socialist political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics), and one of the United Kingdoms three main political parties. ... The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997. ... The Guardian was also the name of a U.S. television series. ... Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London Kenneth Robert Livingstone, known as Ken Livingstone (born June 17, 1945) is the current Mayor of London. ... Paul Michael Dacre (born November 14, 1948) is a British journalist. ... Ed Balls (born February 25, 1967) served as chief economics adviser at the Treasury of the United Kingdom under Gordon Brown from 1999 to 2004. ... Geoff Mulgan is director of the Institute for Community Studies based in London and Visiting Professor at University College, London. ...

This may explain why he became, as Michael White at The Guardian puts it, "...a handy hate figure for critics of Tony Blair and the New Labour project". [3] (http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour/story/0,9061,1399488,00.html) There have been multiple public figures named Michael White or Mike White, including: Michael White (journalist) - Editor for The Guardian Michael White (politician) - Former Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio Michael White (clarinetist) - New Orleans jazz musician Mike White - Television writer This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other... The Guardian was also the name of a U.S. television series. ... New Labour is an alternative name of the British political Labour Party. ...

He was the architect of the "Fresh Start" policy, where "failing schools" were closed and reopened with new names and new staff. In 2000, when the experiment began to fail dramatically with the resignation of the three "super-heads" in five days, he resigned from the governing body of the Islington Arts and Media School. The BBC Two programme Head on the Block documented the problems of the school in its first year. [4] (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,19809-1607195_1,00.html) His Academies programme has attracted strong criticism from educationalists, parents and labour politicians. [5]  (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/05/15/nlab15.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/05/15/ixnewstop.html) BBC Two (or BBC2 as it was formerly styled) was the second UK television station to be aired by the BBC. History The channel was scheduled to begin at 7:20pm on April 20, 1964 and show an evening of light entertainment, starting with the comedy show The Alberts and...

However, some of those who worked with him in this project were complimentary, describing Adonis as "a supportive and constructive governor". "Andrew had an in-depth knowledge of how policies were going to be applied and where things were going," ... "I had a lot of respect for him." And: "We were trying to create a new school out of a failing school and it was always going to be difficult. Andrew worked very hard." [6] (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,19809-1607195_1,00.html).

In September 2004 Adonis was rumoured in the media to have been heavily involved in the resignation of the then Secretary of State for Education and Skills, Estelle Morris, when they failed to work effectively together. 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Right Honourable Estelle Morris (born 1952) is a English Labour politician and member of the House of Lords. ...

Early and private life

Adonis attended the private Kingham Hill School in Oxfordshire. He graduated in History from Keble College, Oxford, subsequently completing a doctorate in 19th century political history, and took up a post as research fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford. Later he did freelance work as a columnist for The Observer and as a journalist at the Financial Times (mainly on electronic equipment and development), as well as writing the official biography of Roy Jenkins. Kingham Hill School[1] An idependant fee paying boarding school located near the village of Kingham in Oxfordshire. ... Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from Latin Oxonia) is a county in South East England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. ... History is a term for information about the past. ... Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. ... Nuffield College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Financial Times building The Financial Times (FT) is an international business newspaper printed on distinctive salmon pink broadsheet paper. ... Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead, OM, PC (November 11, 1920 - January 5, 2003) was a British politician and a prominent Labour MP in the 1960s and 1970s and founding member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). ...

He is son of a retired postman, a Greek Cypriot who immigrated in 1960, and has a passion for steam locomotives. He is married to Kathryn Davies (born 31 January 1968), who was one of his students at Oxford. Lady Adonis is a graduate of Jesus College who has worked in public relations and marketing; she grew up in Tunbridge Wells, but her family has Welsh origins. Greek Cypriot refers to the Greek-speaking population of the island of Cyprus. ... Great Western Railway No. ... January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... The University of Oxford, situated in the city of Oxford in England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... Public relations (PR) is the aspect of mass-marketing that deals with the control or manipulation of public opinion, through processes that control the presentation of the image and message presented by a client. ... Traditionally, Marketing has been a term applied to the craft of linking the producers (or potential producers) of a product or service with customers, both existing and potential. ... Tunbridge Wells (officially Royal Tunbridge Wells) is a Wealden town in west Kent in England, just north of the border with East Sussex. ...

Early political career

Adonis did not actually join the Labour Party until 1995. In Oxford he had been an active member of the SDP in his late teens, and subsequently the Liberal Democrats. He once stood for Parliament in Oxford but was not elected. He was a local councillor in Oxford from 1987-1991. 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Oxford is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England, with a population of 134,248 (2001 census). ... The acronym SDP can stand for: Session Description Protocol Social Democratic Party, for example: Social Democratic Party of the United Kingdom Social Democratic Party (Japan) Social Democratic Party of Finland Social Democratic Party of Germany (more often known by the German abbreviation SPD) Social Democratic Party of Croatia Service Data... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a social liberal political party based in the United Kingdom. ...

In 1994 (?) Andrew Adonis was selected by Westbury Constituency Liberal Democrats as their Parliamentary Candidate, but resigned after about 18 months, without fighting an election. It was rumoured he had toyed with the idea of joining the Tories before switching to New Labour.[7] (http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour/story/0,,980001,00.html).

Political background

As a co-author of the book A Class Act, Adonis calls for strong selection in schools. He is in fact regarded as being responsible for the introduction of top-up fees in England [8] (http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour/story/0,,980001,00.html). It is said that he is opposed to the elitism of the 'Oxbridge' universities and independent schools, although he is himself sometimes called an elitist since he is allegedly a part and a product of this elitism and Oxbridge insider relationships. Oxbridge is a portmanteau name for the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, the two oldest in the United Kingdom. ... An independent school is a school which is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operation and is instead operated by tuition charges, gifts, and perhaps the investment yield of an endowment. ...

It was therefore not a surprise to the informed public that in 2003 he and his wife planned to send one of their two sons to the private Deutsche Schule in Richmond, London [9] (http://www.dslondon.org.uk/), which seemed inconsistent with his political statements and Labour affiliations [10] (http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour/story/0,,980001,00.html) [11] (http://resource.nusonline.co.uk/v1/pdf/3917.pdf). Adonis is known to admire the German school system. Richmond may refer to multiple places: Australia Richmond, New South Wales Richmond, Queensland Richmond, Tasmania Richmond, Victoria (also Richmond railway station) Canada Richmond, British Columbia Richmond, Ontario Richmond, Prince Edward Island Richmond, Quebec federal electoral districts: Richmond (electoral district), British Columbia (current) Richmond (Nova Scotia electoral district) (historic) Richmond (Quebec... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ...

Ministerhood and peerage

The move first to promote Adonis as a Minister of State and then to nominate him as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Education and Skills is said to have followed the recognition that Adonis had played already a major role in the Department's policy outline, even in David Blunkett's days. Because of this the Education Secretary, Ruth Kelly is described by The Observer as 'less than thrilled' over his elevation at whatever rank [12] (http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,6903,1479107,00.html). A Minister of State, in parliamentary systems, is a junior minister. ... A Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, in the United Kingdom government structure, is a minister who is junior to a Minister of State who is then junior to a Secretary of State. ... David Blunkett The Right Honourable David Blunkett P.C.,M.P. (born June 6, 1947) is a British Labour Party politician. ... The Secretary of State for Education and Skills is the chief minister of the Department for Education and Skills in the United Kingdom government. ... The Right Honourable Ruth Maria Kelly (born 9 May 1968) is a British politician. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

The prospect of Adonis' peerage and ministerhood was described by Roy Hattersley, former Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and lifelong advocate of comprehensive schooling, as an example of Tony Blair's "kamikaze attacks on its [the Labour Party's] most cherished values" and that the appointment "wins high marks for [its] arrogant insensitivity" [13] (http://politics.guardian.co.uk/election/comment/0,15803,1479616,00.html). Roy Sydney George Hattersley, Baron Hattersley, PC (born December 28, 1932), is a British Labour Party politician, writer and journalist. ... The Right Honourable Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (Tony Blair) MP (born Edinburgh 6 May 1953) is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. ...

Lord Adonis's membership of the House of Lords is seen only as an attempt to overcome the flaw that he has not been elected. [14] (http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,6903,1479107,00.html). It is already argued that the Peerage under Tony Blair since 1997 has been used quite strategically in comparison to the former seven years under John Major. Important Cabinet officials have generally only been created life peers upon retirement from the House of Commons. Apparently Adonis's peerage - without naming any relevant merits - has thrown another light on the discussion about the democratic legitimacy of the House of Lords as a parliamentary institution which was challenged by Adonis himself in 1988 [15] (http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1487093,00.html). This article is about the British House of Lords. ... The Peerage is a system of titles of nobility which exists in the United Kingdom and is one part of the British honours system. ... The Right Honourable Sir John Major, KG, CH (born 29 March 1943) is a senior British politician who served in the cabinets of Margaret Thatcher as Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer before succeeding Thatcher as Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1990 to... In the United Kingdom, Life Peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles may not be inherited (those whose titles are inheritable are known as hereditary peers). ... In some bicameral parliaments of a Westminster System, the House of Commons has historically been the name of the elected lower house. ... This article is about the British House of Lords. ...

Quotation: "His detractors refer to him as "more Andrew than Adonis" but his elevation to office could signal a determination within Blair to secure a radical legacy."[16] (http://www.epolitix.com/EN/News/200505/731ecff8-7a96-405c-bb59-6e2601cca98d.htm) A 19th-century reproduction of a Greek bronze of Adonis found at Pompeii A Syrian dying-and-reborn annual vegetation god imported into Greek mythology but always retaining aspects of his Semitic Near Eastern origins, Adonis was one of the most complex cult figures in classical times. ...

His Publications

Remarkable list of 27 books and articles listed at amazon.com - to be completed

[17] (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index%3Dblended%26field-keywords%3DAndrew%252520Adonis%26store-name%3Dall-product-search/002-5311653-4729611)

External links

• Guardian profile (http://politics.guardian.co.uk/election/story/0,15803,1479876,00.html)
• BBC profile (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/vote_2005/frontpage/4530847.stm)
• Picture (http://www.karrot.org.uk/graphics/adonis.jpg)
• VIDEO House of Lords - his maiden speech (to watch type "Adonis" and chose 25 May 2005 video (his speech: 0.00.00 - 00.16.00 non verbal comments: 05.41.00 - 06.05.00) (http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Archive.aspx)