Veronica Linklater, Baroness Linklater of Butterstone

Veronica Linklater, Baroness Linklater of Butterstone (15 April 1943 – 15 December 2022) was a British Liberal Democrat politician and member of the House of Lords. Her career indicated her interests in children's welfare, education and special needs, and prison reform.

The Right Honourable The Baroness Linklater of Butterstone
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
In office 1 November 1997 – 12 February 2016 Life peerage
Personal details
Born	(1943-04-15)15 April 1943
Died	15 December 2022(2022-12-15) (aged 79) Dunkeld, Scotland
Political party	Liberal Democrats

Linklater was the daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Archibald Michael Lyle and Hon. Elizabeth Sinclair, younger daughter of the former Leader of the Liberal Party Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso. Her first cousin, John Sinclair, 3rd Viscount Thurso, was an elected Liberal Democrat MP for the seat of Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross. She was educated at Cranborne Chase School, a former boarding independent school for girls situated at New Wardour Castle, near Tisbury, Wiltshire, followed by the Universities of Sussex and London. In 1967, she married the journalist Magnus Linklater; they had three children, two sons and one daughter.^[1]

In 1967, she became a Child Care Officer for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, and between 1970 and 1985, she became governor to three Islington schools. From 1971 to 1977, she co-founded the Visitors' Centre at Pentonville Prison, and her continuing interest in this field led to her involvement with the Winchester Prison Project, Prison Reform Trust from 1981 to 1982. She was a trustee of the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.^{[citation needed]}

In 1992, she turned her parents mansion house in Butterstone into a school for children with special needs called the New School. She was inspired to set up the school after struggling to find an appropriate school for her daughter, Freya, who has cerebral palsy and struggled with mainstream education.^[1][2]

She stood for the Liberal Democrats in the 1995 Perth and Kinross by-election, finishing fourth.^[3] She was created a life peer as Baroness Linklater of Butterstone, of Riemore in Perth and Kinross, in the 1997 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours.^[4] She retired in February 2016^[5] following the House of Lords Reform Act 2014.

Linklater died from complications of Alzheimer's disease in Dunkeld, on 15 December 2022, at the age of 79.^[1][6][7]

Arms

Coat of arms of Veronica Linklater, Baroness Linklater of Butterstone

Notes Linklater matriculated arms at the Lyon Office in 1999. Crest A book expanded Gules binding and fore-edges Or charged with a star of six rays waved Argent. Escutcheon Gules fretty Or surmounted of a galley oars in saltire sails furled Sable flagged Gules the sails charged with a crescent Or a bordure Or. Supporters Dexter a cock Or combed Gules sinister a shelldrake wings addorsed Proper.^[8] Motto "An I May".^[9]

References

1. "Baroness Linklater, Lib Dem peer who campaigned on penal reform and child welfare – obituary". The Telegraph. 27 December 2022. (subscription required)
2. "The toff at the top". The Herald Scotland. 27 June 1998.
3. Boothroyd, David. . United Kingdom Election Results. Archived from the original on 20 July 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
4. "No. 54851". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 August 1997. pp. 8909–8910.
5. "Retired members of the House of Lords". UK Parliament. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
6. "Veronica Linklater, Baroness Linklater of Butterstone death notice". The Times. 17 December 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
7. "Baroness Linklater of Butterstone obituary". The Times. 23 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
8. Debrett's Peerage. 2019. p. 3383.
9. "October Lecture". Heraldry Society of Scotland. Retrieved 1 November 2020.

Sources

• Profile, hansard.millbanksystems.com; accessed 20 March 2014.
• , parliament.uk; accessed 20 March 2014.