The Honourable Annabel Thérèse Keswick, Lady Keswick (née Fraser; 15 October 1942 – 13 September 2022), was a Scottish lady from the Fraser family who married Lord Reay and then Sir Henry Keswick. She was influential in British politics as the special advisor to Kenneth Clarke and then as director of the Centre for Policy Studies. She was Chancellor of the University of Buckingham from 2014 to 2020.
Tessa Keswick | |
|---|---|
 In her garden in Wiltshire | |
| Born | Annabel Thérèse Fraser 15 October 1942 |
| Died | 13 September 2022 (aged 79) |
| Alma mater | Woldingham School |
| Spouse(s) | Hugh Mackay, 14th Lord Reay (div.) |
| Father | Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat |
Professional career
editKeswick served as a special policy advisor to Kenneth Clarke from 1989 to 1995.[1] During that time she worked at the Department of State for Health, the Department of Education and Science, the Home Office and HM Treasury.
After resigning from this position in 1995,[2] she became executive director of the Centre for Policy Studies, eventually becoming its deputy chairman from January 2004 until April 2017.[3] In this role she contributed to, commissioned and published over 100 public policy pamphlets on the European Union, the Constitution, law and order, education, health, tax and regulatory affairs and women's issues. She has written on these subjects for most of the national newspapers, and appeared on radio and on television.
Journalism
editKeswick has contributed articles for The Daily Telegraph,[4] The New Statesman,[5] Financial Times,[6] and The Spectator,[7] among other publications.
Books
editOn 9 January 2020, Keswick published The Colour of the Sky After Rain,[8] about her impression of the Chinese people and their culture after decades of travel to China and the Far East.[9][10]
Other positions
editIn September 2013, Keswick was appointed a director of Daily Mail and General Trust.[citation needed] In the same month, she was elected chancellor of the University of Buckingham, a position she held until 2020.[11]
She was a patron of the British Museum,[citation needed] the National Gallery[citation needed] and the Victoria and Albert Museum.[citation needed] In July 2007 she became a Fellow of King's College London.[12]
Personal life and death
editKeswick was the daughter of Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat and Rosamond Delves (née Broughton). She was married firstly to Hugh Mackay, 14th Lord Reay, and then to businessman Sir Henry Keswick from 1985.[13]
Keswick died of ovarian cancer on 13 September 2022, at the age of 79.[14][15]
References
edit- ^ "Biography - Tessa Keswick - Author". Tessa Keswick. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ Patricia Wynn-Davies (25 February 1995). "Treasury adviser to resign". The Independent. ESI Media. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ "Blogs by Tessa Keswick". Centre for Policy Studies. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
- ^ Keswick, Tessa (2 December 2001). "Who is telling the truth about the health service?". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ "Writers". New Statesman. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ "Tessa Keswick". Financial Times. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ "Author: Tessa Keswick". The Spectator. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ "The Colour of the Sky After Rain". Head of Zeus. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ Julia Llewellyn Smith. "Tessa Keswick's three rules for winning over China: don't show off, don't grovel and tell the truth". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 27 January 2020. (subscription required)
- ^ "Tessa Keswick: The Changing Landscape of China". Robert Elms. BBC Radio London. 9 January 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ Dean, Sam (23 January 2020). "Dame Mary Archer appointed new Chancellor of the University of Buckingham". Buckingham Advertiser. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Fellows and Honorary Fellows of the College as at June 2019" (PDF). King's College London. June 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ "Annabel Terese (Tessa) FRASER". Clement-Jones family - Person Sheet. 9 November 2008. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ "Tessa Keswick, political adviser to Ken Clarke, director of the Centre for Policy Studies and Sinophile – obituary", The Daily Telegraph, 14 September 2022
- ^ "Lady Keswick", The Times, p. 54, 15 September 2022