Edwina Currie was born in Liverpool, UK in 1946 and went to the same school as Beatles George Harrison and Sir Paul McCartney. Much of her education was spent in the Cavern Club listening to their music. She won a scholarship to Oxford University to read Chemistry surrounded by Nobel prize winners, she switched to Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Also present (1968) was William Jefferson Clinton, hiding behind a beard. She took her Master's degree in economic history at the London School of Economics, an experience which turned her into a life-long Conservative.
Edwina has had three successful careers - so far! After a decade of public office in the city of Birmingham, she stood for Parliament in 1983 and represented a Midlands seat for 14 years. She became one of the nation's best known MPs and served in Margaret Thatcher's government 1986-88, in the Department of Health. She became famous for her campaigns on heart disease, women's cancer screening and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. She was also involved in the first AIDS campaign in the UK that saved many lives. She resigned over food safety (salmonella) in December 1988, and turned down John Major's request to return to government in 1992.
By then she was involved with career number two - writing. This has turned out to be a lot easier than politics, and in some ways loads more fun. In all she has published ten books. She started with non-fiction, then turned to novels which were instant best-sellers in the UK. Her sixth novel, This Honourable House, came out June 2001. They have been translated into German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese and Polish, but are not published in the USA.
Career number three started after the General Election in 1997 which trashed the Tories and brought Mr Blair to power. Edwina lost her seat, and was promptly offered a job by the BBC. She now has her own very successful weekend radio programme, Late Night Currie, which broadcasts live on the Internet all over the world. She also does TV presenting, and has appeared on most prime time TV shows in the UK and Ireland.
Edwina has been called the best communicator the Tories have, and a brash and energetic life force. Her life to date has been summed up by fellow writer and MP Sir Julian Critchley Edwina Currie has a brass neck, a silver tongue and a golden pen.
Edwina appears regulalry on our screens, having been on Come Dine With Me, Hell's Kitchen, Celebrity Mastermind (Which she won), Strictly Come Dancing and in 2014, I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.
Find out how to book Edwina Currie as the business speaker for your next event by calling SpeakOut! on 020 8914 8966 or clicking the button below.