15 Facts About Teresa Gorman

Teresa Gorman was Conservative Member of Parliament for Billericay, in the county of Essex, from 1987 to 2001 when she stood down.

Teresa Gorman was a leading figure in the rebellions over the Maastricht Treaty that nearly brought down John Major's government.

Teresa Gorman's father was a demolition contractor, her mother a waitress.

Teresa Gorman then trained to teach at Brighton Teacher Training College, qualifying in 1951.

Under her maiden name Moore, Teresa Gorman attempted to enter the House of Commons as an Independent candidate for the Conservative-held seat of Streatham in the October 1974 general election, polling 210 votes.

Teresa Gorman later sat as an elected member of Westminster City Council from 1982 to 1986.

Teresa Gorman was elected to the House of Commons in the 1987 election.

In 1992, Teresa Gorman introduced an amendment to the Representation of the People Act under the Ten Minute Rule to give two seats to each constituency, one for a male MP and one for a female.

Teresa Gorman was a prominent figure in the group of Conservative rebels over European issues.

Teresa Gorman tried to stand for the Conservative Mayor of London candidacy for the 2000 London mayoral election, but was blocked by the party leadership.

Teresa Gorman was censured by the House of Commons Standards and Privileges Committee for a failure to declare a relevant interest and other breaches of the code of conduct.

The committee found that she failed to declare that her husband Jim Teresa Gorman owned three properties in London when she proposed the repeal of the Rents Act.

Teresa Gorman subsequently announced her resignation from Parliament, although her retirement was influenced by caring for her husband Jim, who had cancer.

Teresa and James Gorman were married on 18 October 1952.

Teresa Gorman died from end-stage dementia on 28 August 2015 at a nursing home in Grays, Essex, England.