The Prime Minister has just announced that Dame Katherine Grainger is to become a life peer.
The government outlined Dame Katherine’s success which has led to the peerage being conferred upon her: “Dame Katherine Grainger is Britain’s most decorated female rower and the only female athlete – in any sport – to gain medals in five consecutive Olympic Games. Following her completion of two terms as Chair of UK Sport, Dame Katherine was appointed as Chair of the British Olympic Association.
“Born in Glasgow, Dame Katherine read law at the University of Edinburgh and then obtained a Masters in law from the University of Glasgow and a PhD from King’s College London. Dame Katherine began rowing in 1993, winning a silver medal at the Sydney, Athens and Beijing Olympics, before winning a gold medal in London, and a further silver medal in Rio de Janeiro, as well as eight World Championship medals, including six gold medals.
“Dame Katherine is on the board of the Youth Sport Trust and is patron of Netball Scotland, Winning Scotland and the National Coastwatch Institution. She was appointed a DBE in 2017, following previous awards of MBE and CBE. Katherine was previously Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University and is currently the Chancellor of the University of Glasgow and Honorary Colonel of the 215 (Scottish) Multirole Medical Regiment of the British Army. She is also the Honorary President of Scottish Rowing.”
Other new cross-bench peers announced today include Sir Tim Barrow, GCMG LVO MBE – lately National Security Adviser. Former Second Permanent Under-Secretary and Political Director at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Dr Simon Case CVO – lately Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service. Former Private Secretary to HRH Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. Former Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, and Dame Sharon White, Lady Chote, DBE – former Chair of the John Lewis Partnership, former Chief Executive of the Ofcom and former Second Permanent Secretary at HM Treasury. A life peerage cannot be inherited.
