Member of House of Lords

Tessa Blackstone started her career as an academic at the London School of Economics. She taught at the Institute of Education, went onto become the Master of Birkbeck College for 10 years (1987-97) and was Vice Chancellor of the University of Greenwich (2004-11).

In 1987, Blackstone was awarded a life peerage. She was Opposition spokeswoman for Education and Science (1988-92), for Treasury matters (1990-91), and for Foreign Affairs (1992-97).  In 1997, she became Minister of State for Education and Employment (1997-2001) and then served in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport as the Minister for the Arts.

Blackstone is currently Chair of the Orbit Housing Group, the British section of the Franco British Council, the British Lung Foundation and the Bar Standards Board. She was a Trustee of the Royal Opera House until June 2014, Chair at Great Ormond Street Hospital until 2017, and Chair of the British Library until August 2018. She has published widely in academic journals and written a number of books, mainly on social and educational policy. Her many publications on education and social policy issues include ‘Race Relations in Britain’ with Bhikhu Parekh and Peter Saunders (Routledge, 1997), and ‘Disadvantage and Education’ with Jo Mortimore (Heinemann, 1982). In the national media, she has broadcast and written extensively.