The Rt Hon Michael Portillo
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office 1 February 2000 – 18 September 2001
Leader	William Hague
Preceded by	Francis Maude
Succeeded by	Michael Howard
Secretary of State for Defence
In office 5 July 1995 – 4 May 1997
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	Malcolm Rifkind
Succeeded by	George Robertson
Secretary of State for Employment
In office 20 July 1994 – 5 July 1995
Preceded by	David Hunt
Succeeded by	Gillian Shephard
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
In office 11 April 1992 – 20 July 1994
Preceded by	David Mellor
Succeeded by	Jonathan Aitken
Born	26 May 1953 (1953-05-26) (age 54) Bushey, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Political party	Conservative
Profession	Historian
Religion	Roman Catholic
Website	www.michaelportillo.co.uk

Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo (born 26 May 1953) is an English journalist, broadcaster, and former Conservative party politician and Cabinet Minister. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in the British Parliamentary system is the member of the Shadow Cabinet who is primarily responsible for marking the Chancellor of the Exchequer. ... is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... William Jefferson Hague (born 26 March 1961) is a British politician, the Member of Parliament for Richmond, North Yorkshire, former leader of the Conservative Party, and current Conservative Shadow Foreign Secretary. ... Francis Anthony Aylmer Maude (born 4 July 1953) is a British politician, the Conservative Member of Parliament for Horsham, Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, Shadow Minster for the Black Country and a member of the Privy Council. ... The Rt Hon. ... The Secretary of State for Defence is the senior United Kingdom government minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence. ... is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 124th day of the year (125th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... For other persons named John Major, see John Major (disambiguation). ... Sir Malcolm Leslie Rifkind, KCMG, QC (born 21 June 1946) is a Scottish Conservative and Unionist politician and Member of Parliament for the constituency of Kensington and Chelsea. ... George Robertson pictured at The Pentagon in June 2001 The Right Honourable George Islay MacNeill Robertson, Baron Robertson of Port Ellen, KT, GCMG, FRSA, PC (born 12 April 1946, in Port Ellen, Isle of Islay, Scotland) was the Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, between October 1999 and... Minister of Labour re-directs here. ... is the 201st day of the year (202nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... David James Fletcher Hunt, Baron Hunt of Wirral, PC MBE (born 1942), is an English Conservative politician, and was a member of the Cabinet during the Margaret Thatcher and John Major administrations. ... Gillian Patricia Shephard, Baroness Shephard of Northwold, PC (born January 22, 1940) is a British Conservative politician; she was the Member of Parliament for South West Norfolk, and a former Secretary of State and is now Parliamentary President of the Conservative Friends of Israel. ... The Chief Secretary to the Treasury is a junior position in the British Cabinet. ... is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 201st day of the year (202nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... The Right Honourable David Mellor (born 12 March 1949) is a British Conservative politician and barrister. ... This article is about the former British politician. ... is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Bushey (population 24,000) is a town in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire in the South East of England. ... For the similarly named county in the West Midlands region, see Herefordshire. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... A historian is an individual who studies history and who writes on history. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ...

Early life

Born Michael Denzil Portillo in Bushey in Hertfordshire, England, Portillo took the name Xavier at confirmation. His father was an exiled Spanish republican, Luis Gabriel Portillo, and his mother, the former Cora Blyth, is of Scottish extraction. An early brush with fame came in 1961 at the age of 8, when Portillo starred in a television advertisement for Ribena, a blackcurrant cordial drink. He was educated at Harrow County School for Boys^[1] and then won a scholarship to Peterhouse, Cambridge, where he came under the influence of Maurice Cowling.^[2] Bushey (population 24,000) is a town in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire in the South East of England. ... For the similarly named county in the West Midlands region, see Herefordshire. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The Popular Front (Spanish Popular Front) was an electoral coalition and pact signed in January 1936 by various left-wing political organisations, instigated by Manuel Azaña for the purpose of contesting that years election. ... This article is about the country. ... Ribena (trademark) is a brand of uncarbonated soft drink made by GlaxoSmithKline, containing blackcurrant juice. ... Harrow High School, formerly Harrow County School for Boys and Gayton High School is a state secondary school in the London Borough of Harrow, in the north-west of London. ... Full name Peterhouse Motto - Named after St Peter Previous names The Scholars of the Bishop of Ely St Peter’s College Established 1284 Sister College(s) Merton College Master The Lord Wilson of Tillyorn Location Trumpington Street Undergraduates 253 Postgraduates 125 Homepage Boatclub The chapel cloisters, through which Old Court... Maurice John Cowling (September 6, 1926 – August 24, 2005) was a British historian and a Fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge. ...

Portillo graduated in 1975 with a first-class degree in history, and after a brief stint with Ocean Transport and Trading Co., a freight firm, he joined the Conservative Research Department in 1976. Following the Conservative victory in 1979 he became a government adviser. He left to work for Kerr-McGee Oil from 1981–1983 and fought his first, unsuccessful, election in the 1983 general election, in the safe Labour seat of Birmingham Perry Barr, losing against Jeff Rooker. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Conservative Research Department (CRD) was an integral part of the central organisation of the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom. ... The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 and is regarded as a pivotal point in 20th century British politics. ... The Kerr-McGee Corporation (NYSE: KMG) is an energy company involved in the exploration and production of oil and gas resources, as well as the manufacture of titanium dioxide (TiO2) pigment. ... The UK general election, 1983 was held on June 9, 1983 and gave the Conservatives and Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945. ... Birmingham Perry Barr is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Jeffrey Rooker, Baron Rooker, PC (born on June 5, 1941), is a British politician. ...

Member of Parliament

He returned to advisory work for the government and in December 1984 he stood for and won the Enfield Southgate by-election following the murder of the incumbent, Sir Anthony Berry, in the bombing by the IRA of the Grand Hotel in Brighton, England. Sir Anthony George Berry MP (12th February 1925 - 12th October 1984) was a UK politician, Conservative MP for the constituency of Enfield Southgate, and a junior minister in Margaret Thatchers government. ... The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Irish: Óglaigh na hÉireann) (IRA; also referred to as the PIRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the Army or the RA.[2]) is an Irish Republican, left wing[3] paramilitary organisation that, until the Belfast Agreement, sought to end Northern... Night View of the Grand Hotel, Brighton, 2006 The Brighton hotel bombing was the bombing by the Provisional IRA of the Grand Hotel in the English resort city of Brighton in the early morning of October 12, 1984. ... Brighton is located on the south coast of England, and together with its immediate neighbour Hove forms the city of Brighton and Hove. ...

Portillo retained the Enfield Southgate seat until 1997. Initially he was a Parliamentary Private Secretary to John Moore and then an assistant whip. In 1987 he was made under secretary for Social Security, in 1988 he was given his first ministerial post as Minister of State for Transport. He then held the local government portfolio (1990), arguing in favour of the ultimately highly unpopular Community Charge system (popularly known as Poll Tax). He demonstrated a consistently right-of-centre line (exemplified by his insistence, in a well-publicised speech, of placing 'clear blue water' between the policies of the Conservatives and other parties) and was favoured by Norman Tebbit and Margaret Thatcher. His rise continued under John Major; he was made a Cabinet Minister as Chief Secretary to the Treasury (1992), and admitted to the Privy Council the same year. Portillo subsequently held the portfolios of Employment (1994) and then Defence (1995-1997). His high profile led to constant attention from the media, including the magazine Private Eye, which mocked him as Portaloo. Enfield, Southgate is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... A Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) is a junior role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament (MP). ... John Edward Michael Moore, Baron Moore of Lower Marsh, PC (born November 26, 1937), is a British politician who was Member of Parliament for Croydon, Central, and under Margaret Thatcher was a cabinet minister. ... In politics, a whip is a member of a political party in a legislature whose task is to ensure that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires. ... A minister or a secretary is a politician who heads a government ministry or department (e. ... Minister of State is a title borne by officials in certain countries governed under the parliamentary system. ... Local governments are administrative offices that are smaller than a state or province. ... A poll tax, head tax, or capitation is a tax of a uniform, fixed amount per individual (as opposed to a percentage of income). ... Norman Beresford Tebbit, Baron Tebbit, CH, PC (born 29 March 1931) is a British Conservative politician and former Member of Parliament (MP) for Chingford, who was born in Southgate in Enfield. ... Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (née Roberts; born 13 October 1925) served as British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 and leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 until 1990, being the first and to date only woman to hold either post. ... For other persons named John Major, see John Major (disambiguation). ... The Chief Secretary to the Treasury is a junior position in the British Cabinet. ... A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, especially in a monarchy. ... Private eye may mean: Look up Private eye on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Private Eye a fortnightly British satirical magazine-newspaper, edited by Ian Hislop (as of 2005) A private investigator, a private detective for hire (see also crime fiction and detective fiction) Private Eye, a song by Alkaline Trio... A portable toilet is a modern, portable, self-contained outhouse manufactured of molded plastic in a variety of colors and are often used as a temporary toilet for construction sites and large social gatherings. ...

The Defence Secretary job was seen by some as a reward for his cautious loyalty to Major during the leadership challenge of John Redwood, following Major's 'back me or sack me' resignation as party leader in 1995. Portillo was urged by many to stand himself against Major, and some embarrassment was incurred when it transpired that a potential campaign HQ with banks of telephone lines had been set up. Portillo was to admit later that this was an 'error' - 'I did not want to oppose [Major], but neither did I want to close the possibility of entering a second ballot if it came to that.'^[3] Portillo's apparent equivocation at this time was later seized on by his opponents within the party as a mark of his indecisiveness. John Alan Redwood (born 15 June 1951 in Dover, Kent) is a British Conservative Party politician and Member of Parliament for Wokingham. ...

As Defence Secretary Portillo opposed the admission of homosexuals to the Armed Forces. He also invited criticism by invoking the motto of the SAS, "Who Dares, Wins", at a speech at the Conservative Party annual conference. The Secretary of State for Defence is the senior United Kingdom government minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence. ... For other uses, see Motto (disambiguation). ... The Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) is the principal special forces unit of the British Army. ...

1997 election defeat

Portillo's loss of the Enfield Southgate seat in the 1997 general election to Stephen Twigg came as a shock to many politicians and commentators, and came to symbolise the extent of the Conservatives' defeat. Memorably, he was interviewed by Jeremy Paxman on the election night prior to the calling of his own seat and was stumped by the question of 'Are we seeing the end of the Conservative Party as a credible force in British politics?'. Portillo has since admitted that he knew he had lost his seat by the time of the interview: The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997. ... Stephen Twigg (born 25 December 1966) is a British politician and former Labour Member of Parliament for Enfield Southgate. ... Jeremy Dickson Paxman (born 11 May 1950) is an English BBC journalist, news presenter and author. ...

Photographs and film coverage of Portillo's speech after the count (as at the head of this article) have become iconic in symbolising the end of the 'Thatcher era' (as prolonged by John Major) of Conservative rule in the UK. The Right Honourable David Mellor (born 12 March 1949) is a British Conservative politician and barrister. ... James Goldsmith as he appeared in his Referendum Party’s mass-mailed video tape, March 1997. ... Putney is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...

Return to the House of Commons

After the election, Portillo renewed his attachment to Kerr McGee but also undertook substantial media work including programmes for the BBC and Channel 4. He also seemed to be moving in his expressed opinions more towards the centre-right. For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... This article is about the British television station. ...

In an interview with The Times given in the summer of 1999, Portillo admitted to youthful homosexual dalliances. A few weeks after he had given this interview, the death of Alan Clark gave Portillo the opportunity to return to Parliament, despite Lord Tebbit accusing Portillo of lying about the extent of his sexual "deviance".^[7] Nonetheless Portillo comfortably won the by-election in late November 1999 to represent Kensington and Chelsea, traditionally one of the safest Conservative seats. The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom since 1788. ... Alan Kenneth Mackenzie Clark (13 April 1928 - 5 September 1999) was a British Conservative politician, historian and diarist. ... Norman Beresford Tebbit, Baron Tebbit, CH, PC (born 29 March 1931) is a British Conservative politician and former Member of Parliament (MP) for Chingford, who was born in Southgate in Enfield. ... The Member of Parliament for Kensington and Chelsea, the Rt. ... Kensington and Chelsea is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...

On 1 February 2000 William Hague promoted Portillo to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Chancellor. On 3 February Portillo stood opposite the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, in the House of Commons for the first time in his new role. During this session, Portillo made two significant announcements: is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... William Jefferson Hague (born 26 March 1961) is a British politician, the Member of Parliament for Richmond, North Yorkshire, former leader of the Conservative Party, and current Conservative Shadow Foreign Secretary. ... The Shadow Cabinet (also called the Shadow Front Bench) is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition (or the leader of other smaller opposition parties) form an alternative cabinet to the governments, whose... The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister responsible for all economic and financial matters. ... is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For others with the same or similar names, see Gordon Brown (disambiguation). ...

• The next Conservative Government will respect the independence of the Bank of England and will legislate to enhance that independence and increase accountability to Parliament.
• The next Conservative Government will not repeal the national minimum wage.

Both of these policies were flagship policies of New Labour and were opposed by large factions of the Conservative Party when introduced and indeed up until Portillo's announcement. Commentators suggested this was an example of Portillo taking the initiative in terms of Conservative Party policy and was the first step towards increasing acrimony between Hague and his shadow Chancellor. Headquarters Coordinates , , Governor Mervyn King Central Bank of United Kingdom Currency Pound sterling ISO 4217 Code GBP Base borrowing rate 5. ... The minimum wage is the minimum rate a worker can legally be paid (usually per hour) as opposed to wages that are determined by the forces of supply and demand in a free market. ... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ...

Bid for party leadership and retirement from politics

Following the 2001 general election Portillo contested the leadership of the party. In the first ballot of Conservative MPs, he led well. However there followed an onslaught of attacks from the right-wing press (notably the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail), including veiled (and not-so-veiled) references to his youthful homosexual experiences and to his equivocation at the time of Major's 1995 resignation. He was knocked out in the final round of voting by Conservative MPs, leaving party members to choose between Iain Duncan Smith and Kenneth Clarke. When Duncan Smith was elected leader Portillo returned to the backbenches. In March 2003, he voted in favour of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ^[8] In November 2003 Portillo announced that he would not seek re-election and stepped down from the House of Commons at the 2005 general election. Tony Blair William Hague Charles Kennedy The UK general election, 2001 was held on 7 June 2001 and was dubbed the quiet landslide by the media. ... This article concerns the British newspaper. ... The Daily Mail is a British newspaper and the oldest tabloid, first published in 1896. ... Rt. ... This article is about Kenneth Clarke, the English politician. ... For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that Marginal constituencies in the United Kingdom be merged into this article or section. ...

Media career

From 2002 onwards, Portillo has developed an active career in media, both as a commentator on public affairs and as a writer and/or presenter of TV and radio documentaries. Until 2006, he was also a non-executive director of BAE Systems plc. He stepped down from that position in March 2006 owing to potential conflicts of interest^[9]. A non-executive director is a member of the board of directors of a company who does not form part of the executive management team. ... BAE Systems plc is the worlds third largest defence contractor,[3] the largest in Europe and a commercial aerospace manufacturer. ...

Since 2003, Portillo has appeared in the BBC weekly political discussion programme This Week with Andrew Neil and the Labour MP Diane Abbott. Portillo has known Abbott for many years: they both attended schools in the London Borough of Harrow, Portillo and Abbott were in a joint school production of Romeo and Juliet — but not in the title roles.^[10] Later, whilst still at school, Portillo cast Abbott in a film version of Macbeth, but the film was never completed.^[10] The chemistry between Portillo and Abbott has been credited with ensuring the programme's popularity. For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... This Week is a current affairs and politics TV programme on the BBC, screened on Thursday evenings, hosted by Andrew Neil alongside former Conservative MP Michael Portillo, and Labour MP Diane Abbott. ... Andrew Ferguson Neil (born May 21, 1949, Paisley) is a Scottish journalist and broadcaster. ... Diane Julie Abbott (born September 27, 1953 in Paddington, London) is a British Labour Party Member of Parliament, representing the Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency. ... The London Borough of Harrow is a London borough of outer north-west London. ... Romeo and Juliet in the famous balcony scene by Ford Madox Brown For other uses, see Romeo and Juliet (disambiguation). ... Macbeth and Banquo meeting the witches on the heath by Théodore Chassériau. ...

Portillo has featured in a number of television documentaries, including one on Richard Wagner, of whose music he is a notable fan, and two on Spain: Great Railway Journeys: From Granada to Salamanca for Channel 4 (2002), and a programme on Spanish wildlife for BBC Two's The Natural World series (2006) - Portillo is a fluent Spanish speaker. He showed an unexpectedly warm and perceptive side of his nature when he took over for one week the life, family and income of a single mother living on benefits in Wallasey - When Michael Portillo became a Single Mum, (2003).^[11] He chose to present Queen Elizabeth I for the BBC's series of Great Britons in 2002. Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (22 May 1813 – 13 February 1883) was a German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or music dramas as they were later called). ... For other uses, see Granada (disambiguation). ... Salamanca (population 160,000) is a city in western Spain, the capital of the province of Salamanca, which belongs to the autonomous community (region) of Castile-Leon (Castilla y León). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Wallasey is a large town on the mouth of the River Mersey, at the north-eastern corner of the Wirral. ... This article is about Elizabeth I of England. ... // In 2002, the BBC conducted a vote to determine whom the general public considers the 100 Greatest Britons of all time. ...

Since 2002, he has presented his own discussion series, "Dinner with Portillo", on BBC Four, in which political and social questions are explored by Portillo and his seven guests, over a four-course meal. Now (2007) in its fifth series, his guests have included Bianca Jagger, Grayson Perry, Francis Wheen, Seymour Hersh, PD James, Baroness Shirley Williams, George Galloway and Germaine Greer. For the BBC radio station, see BBC Radio 4. ... Bianca Jagger at the Dropping Knowledge projects Table of Free Voices in Berlin, September 2006 Bianca Jagger (born Bianca Pérez Morena de Macías on May 2, 1950, in Managua, Nicaragua) is a social and human rights advocate. ... Grayson Perry (born 24 March 1960), is an award-winning English artist, best known for his ceramics and cross-dressing. ... Francis James Baird Wheen (born January 22, 1957) is a British writer and journalist, who was educated at Harrow School and Royal Holloway College, University of London. ... Seymour Myron Sy Hersh (born April 8, 1937 Chicago) is an American Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist and author based in Washington, DC. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker magazine on military and security matters. ... Phyllis Dorothy James, Baroness James of Holland Park OBE (born 3 August 1920) is an English writer of crime fiction and member of the House of Lords, who writes as P. D. James. ... The Baroness Williams of Crosby Shirley Williams, Baroness Williams of Crosby, PC (born July 27, 1930), is a British politician. ... George Galloway,. (born 16 August 1954 in Dundee) is a Scottish politician and author noted for his left-wing views, confrontational style, and rhetorical skill. ... Germaine Greer (born January 29, 1939) is an Australian-born writer, broadcaster and retired academic, widely regarded as one of the most significant feminist voices of the 20th century. ...

In 2007, he participated in the BBC television project The Verdict, serving, with other well-known figures, as a jury member hearing a fictional rape case. He was elected the jury's foreman. The Verdict is a controversial 2007 BBC television drama reality show about a fictional rape case. ... For jury meaning makeshift, see jury rig. ...

Portillo writes a regular column for The Sunday Times, contributes to other journals, (he was a theatre critic for the New Statesman until May 2006), and is a regular radio broadcaster in the UK. The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper distributed in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International which is in turn owned by News Corporation. ... The New Statesman is a left-of-centre political weekly published in London. ...

Personal life

Portillo married Carolyn Eadie in 1982; they have no children. Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ...

Since 1998, Portillo has been a Commissioner of the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP). www. ...

He is also an Arsenal fan.

References

1. ^ Maynard, Jeff. Old Gaytonians in Politics. Virtual Gaytonian. Retrieved on 2007-07-29.
2. ^ CV: Michael Portillo. BBC News. Retrieved on 2007-07-29.
3. ^ Believe me, Mr Miliband, No 10 is within your grasp, article by Portillo in The Sunday Times, 15 April 2007.
4. ^ Television coverage of the Putney election result 1997, YouTube
5. ^ This Week, BBC One, 26 April 2007
6. ^ Television coverage of the Enfield Southgate election result 1997, YouTube
7. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/456555.stm
8. ^ http://www.stopwar.org.uk/new/resources/mpnames.htm
9. ^ http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9067-2106253,00.html
10. ^ ^{a b} This detail, correcting an error, was added by Clive Anderson on 2 July 2007, as an example of the workings of this site, during the making of Factual: The Wikipedia Story (BBC Radio 4), first broadcast on 24 July 2007. Anderson was at school with Abbott and Portillo; the issue of 'original research' was not raised in the programme itself.
11. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/reviews/3195040.stm

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ... is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ... is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper distributed in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International which is in turn owned by News Corporation. ... is the 105th day of the year (106th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ... BBC One is the primary television channel of the BBC, and the first in the United Kingdom. ... is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ... Clive Anderson (born 10 December 1952) is a former practising barrister turned successful comedy writer as well as a television and radio presenter in the United Kingdom. ... is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ... old Radio 4 logo BBC Radio 4 is a UK domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. ... is the 205th day of the year (206th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ...

Further reading

• Michael Gove, (1995), "Michael Portillo: The Future of the Right" ISBN 1857023358
• Michael Gove, (2000), "Michael Portillo", Fourth Estate, 448 pages, ISBN 1-84115-363-X (paperback).

Michael Andrew Gove (born August 26, 1967) is a Conservative politician, journalist and author in the United Kingdom. ...

External links

• Michael Portillo official site
• Guardian Unlimited Politics Ask Aristotle - Michael Portillo
• They Work For You - Michael Portillo
• The Public Whip - Michael Portillo voting record
• Harrow County Grammar School

Offices held