Name: Lorely Burt

Position: MP, Liberal Democrats & Shadow Minister for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform

Biography: Lorely Burt is the Liberal Democrat MP for Solihull and the shadow minister for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. Lorely’s career began in the Prison Service before working in training and personnel and subsequentially set up her own training company; she then worked as a director in the marketing and financial services sector and later moved into part-time consultancy work.

She began her political career as a councillor on Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council. In 2005 she succeeded in overturning a substantial conservative majority in the Solihull constituency. Following her election, Lorely Burt became a Liberal Democrat spokewoman on Northern Ireland and she also served on the Treasury Select Committee. Following Sir Menzies Campbell’s election to leadership of the party, she became the Liberal Democrat spokesperson on Small Business and Women and Equality.

She has been awarded the Federation of Small Business award for most ‘business friendly’ Member of Parliament. In 2009 she also received the WeBenc International Luminary Award for services to women in business. She is also the first female Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party.

Lorely has a Bsc Economics from University College, Swansea and a MBA after studying within the Open University.