Theo Clarke – The Conservative MP with a Roosevelt connection

Theo Clarke is the Conservative MP for Stafford, a constituency in the West Midlands of England. She was elected in the 2019 general election, succeeding Jeremy Lefroy who had held the seat since 2010. But what is the connection between Theo Clarke and one of the most famous presidents in American history, Franklin D. Roosevelt? In this article, we will explore the life and career of Theo Clarke, and how she is related to the Roosevelt family.

Birth, Family and Background

Theodora Roosevelt Clarke, also known as Theo Clarke, was born on the 4th of August in 1985. She is the daughter of Teresa de Chair, who is the daughter of Somerset de Chair, a writer and politician from Britain, and Sir Charles Mansfield Tobias Clarke, the 6th Baronet. She has a younger sister, Augusta, and a younger brother, Sir Lawrence Clarke, the 7th Baronet, who is a former Olympian and competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Theo Clarke is related to two US Presidents, Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt, through her mother’s side. Her grandmother, Lady Juliet Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, was a descendant of Robert Livingston, the 1st Lord of Livingston Manor. She is also the niece of Jacob Rees-Mogg’s wife, who is a prominent Conservative politician and a former Business Secretary.

Theo Clarke went to Downe House School, a private boarding school for girls in Berkshire. She then studied Russian Art at Newcastle University and the Courtauld Institute of Art, where she majored in art history. She had prior experience working at both the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Christie’s, a prominent British auction house. In 2011, she established Russian Art and Culture, an online magazine centred around the arts. Additionally, she played a role in founding the Association of Women in the Arts, a network connecting women within the arts industry.

Theo Clarke established the Coalition for Global Prosperity in 2017, a campaign group that promotes UK leadership on humanitarian and international development issues. She volunteered in Sierra Leone after the Ebola outbreak as part of her work.

Theo Clarke MP: Political Career

Theo Clarke is an MP for Stafford from the Conservative Party. She has been representing the constituency since 2019. Before becoming a politician, she worked in the arts sector and set up a campaign group for global prosperity. Here is an overview of her political career:

• Theo Clarke contested the Bristol East seat in the 2015 and 2017 general elections, but failed both times.
• In 2019, she was chosen as the Conservative candidate for Stafford, taking over from the retiring MP Jeremy Lefroy.
• She secured the Stafford seat in the 2019 general election with a record majority of 14,377 votes (28.1%).
• She has been a part of the International Development Committee, the Women and Equalities Committee, the Speaker’s Advisory Committee on Works of Art, and several other committees.
• She has also been named as the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Kenya, a role that involves boosting trade and investment between the UK and Kenya.
• She has advocated for issues such as women’s rights, animal welfare, climate change, and international development.
• She has also shared her traumatic experience of giving birth to her daughter, where she sustained a serious injury and required surgery. She has urged the government to do more to help women who suffer from birth trauma. Theo Clarke is a rising star in the Conservative Party and has been commended for her work ethic, passion, and vision. She is one of the few MPs who is related to two US presidents, Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt. She is also the niece of Jacob Rees-Mogg’s wife, who is a former Business Secretary.

Personal Life

Theo Clarke tied the knot with Henry Coram-James, a businessman and a former army officer, in 2021. They have a daughter, Arabella, who was born in 2022. Theo Clarke has shared her traumatic experience of giving birth to her daughter, where she had a third degree tear and required emergency surgery. She has urged the government to do more to support women who suffer from birth trauma.

Achievements & Controversies

• She has been part of several committees, such as the International Development Committee, the Women and Equalities Committee, the Speaker’s Advisory Committee on Works of Art, and others.
• She has also been named as the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Kenya, a role that involves boosting trade and investment between the UK and Kenya. She played a key role in implementing the UK-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement, which ensured that Kenyan businesses continued to have duty-free access to the UK market even after Brexit.
• She has been a strong supporter of various causes including women’s rights, animal welfare, climate change, and international development. She has also shared her traumatic experience of giving birth to her daughter, where she sustained a serious injury and required surgery. She has urged the government to do more to help women who suffer from birth trauma.
• She has received some criticism for her participation in the Conservatives Friends of Russia group, which was set up by the Russian government of Vladimir Putin in 2012. She has also been blamed for being out of touch with her constituents and failing to address their concerns. She has defended her record and said that she is working hard to represent Stafford.

Bottom Line

Theo Clarke is a Conservative MP with a unique connection to the Roosevelt family. She has a diverse background in the arts and has made significant contributions in the areas of international development and trade. However, she has faced some criticism for her involvement with the Conservatives Friends of Russia group and her perceived lack of engagement with her constituents.