Dame Shirley, Lady Porter DBE is a British politician who led Westminster City Council in London from 1983 to 1991, representing the Conservative Party.
25 Facts About Shirley Porter
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Shirley Porter is the daughter and heiress of Sir Jack Cohen, the founder of Tesco supermarkets.
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Shirley Porter was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1991 by John Major after delivering victory in Westminster for the Conservatives in the 1990 local elections.
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Shirley Porter moved to Herzliya Pituah in Israel in 1994 during the inquiry into homes for votes.
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Shirley Porter bought a flat in London in 2006, but continued to spend most of her time in Israel.
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Shirley Porter has been a governor of Tel Aviv University and, through the Porter Foundation, funded buildings and projects at the university.
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Between 1939 and 1945 Shirley Porter boarded at Warren School For Girls in Worthing, Sussex.
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Shirley Porter then spent a year at La Ramee, a finishing school in Lausanne, Switzerland, followed by a year at St Godric's Secretarial and Language School in Hampstead, London.
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Shirley Porter married Leslie Porter on 26 June 1949 at the New West End Synagogue, Paddington, London.
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Leslie Shirley Porter joined the board of Tesco and became chairman in 1973.
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Shirley Porter was awarded a knighthood in 1983, with Porter becoming Lady Porter.
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Early in her career, Shirley Porter garnered national attention for her involvement and implementation of anti-litter campaigns in Westminster.
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Shirley Porter encouraged hoteliers to join forces to attack the squalor that was affecting their businesses.
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Shirley Porter's enthusiasm aided her election as vice-chairman of Highways and Works Committee on 28 June 1977.
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Shirley Porter told press reporters that they would privatise rubbish collection if the strikers did not return to work.
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Shirley Porter increased the regularity of rubbish collections and convinced local businesses to sponsor litter bins.
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In 1982 Shirley Porter became Chairman of the General Purposes Committee and set to work in alleviating the issue.
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Shirley Porter resigned from the council in 1993, and retired to live in Israel with her husband.
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Shirley Porter criticised Shirley Porter by name for the first time and added that her actions were "the opposite of the council's policies today".
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Shirley Porter moved to Herzliya Pituah, Israel in 1994 during the inquiry into homes for votes.
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Shirley Porter has served as a governor of Tel Aviv University.
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Shirley Porter has been involved with various environmental projects in Israel.
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Shirley Porter cited the "echo of something more than simple class snobbery in the judgments made of her voice and decor".
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In November 2009, BBC Radio 4 broadcast the radio play Shirleymander, which dramatised the events of Porter's time as leader of Westminster City Council, with the role of Porter played by Tracy-Ann Oberman.
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In 2018, a stage adaptation of the play starred Jessica Martin as Shirley Porter and had a brief run at the Playground Theatre in North Kensington, west London.