Margot James (Parliamentary Candidate)

Margot grew up in the Midlands and was educated at Millfield School and the London School of Economics (LSE) where she gained a degree in Economics and Government. After graduating, Margot worked in the wine trade in London and later in Bordeaux. During this time she studied for the Wine and Spirit Educational Trust exams and gained a distinction in the Diploma in wines and spirits. Margot is a keen collector of fine wines.

Margot learned a great deal about business from her late father who was an entrepreneur and self made businessman. Margot says “the talk around our table at night was always about my Dad’s business, if I ever complained my Mum would tell me to be quiet and remind me that the reason we lived where we did and I went to the school I did was because of the business”.

After her spell in the wine trade Margot set up her own business (The Shire Health Group) to provide public relations services and marketing consultancy to the pharmaceutical industry. Her company has been voted ‘Consultancy of the Year’ three times. Shire Health was acquired by the WPP Group in 1999 and Margot has stayed on as part time Chairman.

As well as her business career, Margot has made time for work in the voluntary and public sectors. She was a non-executive director of an NHS Trust between 1998 and 2002. She has deployed her fundraising and marketing skills on behalf of numerous charities, in particular she has been a trustee of ‘Abantu’, an Africa development charity and a mentor to young people in business via The Princes’ Trust.

Margot lives with her partner, television presenter and fashion editor, Jay Hunt.  In her spare time Margot helps her mother who, despite being 90 years old this year, is a keen attender of Conservative meetings and events. 

In addition Margot enjoys the countryside (she belongs to the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England and the Countryside Alliance), music, theatre and sport. Margot is a season ticket holder at Chelsea Football Club.

Conservatives -- Working for Holborn & St Pancras

The people of Holborn & St Pancras (H&StP) have been badly served by Labour Councils and a left wing Labour MP over the last 20 years and more. More than a third of the constituency is designated as being in the top ten percent of the country in terms of social deprivation. Forty five per cent of people live in council housing much of which is in a poor state of repair. Recently council tenants became eligible for a grant of £283m from central government which is now being withheld because the tenants voted against transferring the management of their homes to an Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO).

The other key issues locally are crime and the consequences of the illegal drugs trade which make life intolerable for the many people living on the council estates affected. Congestion, the state of the roads and endless and disorganised roadworks are a major source of irritation to residents.

Conservatives in H&StP will be campaigning to do well in the GLA elections and the European elections (June 2004) and will be focussing on crime, drugs, housing and promoting regeneration.

Margot's Experience

Margot is a member of the Kensington & Chelsea Conservative Association (K&C CA) and serves on the Courtfield ward committee. She is also a member of the Mid-Worcester Conservative Association. Margot chairs ‘Business & Politics’ a group she set up with fellow members and the agent of K&C CA, designed to reconnect the Conservative Party with business and professional audiences.

Margot also advises the opposition trade and industry front bench team as a member of the small business network. In addition Margot belongs to a number of party interest groups namely: the Conservative Animal Welfare Group, the Conservative History Group and Conservatives4Cities.

In her university years, Margot was research assistant to Sir Anthony Durant MP, chairman of the Conservative Society and a student governor of the LSE.

Contact Margot margot.james@shirehealth.com