Micheal Portillo Biography
Micheal Portillo is a renowned British political figure, journalist, and broadcaster. He served as a Conservative Member of Parliament from 1984 to 1997, becoming one of the most recognizable faces in the UK government.
After leaving politics, he turned his hand to television work, presenting documentaries on railways and his latest venture is his travel series ‘Great British Railway Journeys’ which began airing in 2010.
Portillo’s career began at an early age when he joined the Young Conservatives aged 16 and then rose through the ranks to become Secretary of State for Defense under John Major’s government in 1995. During this time he was responsible for implementing controversial defense reforms, including reductions in military spending and personnel.
He was first elected to a by-election in the House of Commons in 1984. A heavy admirer of Margaret Thatcher and a Eurosceptic, Portillo worked both under Thatcher and John Major as a junior minister before joining the cabinet in 1992.
The Rise and Re-Rise of Michael Portillo’s Career
Michael Portillo, a former Conservative MP and UK minister of state, has been on an incredible journey in his political career. After losing his seat in 1997 as part of the Labor landslide victory, he seemed to have disappeared from public life. However, over the past few years, he has made a remarkable comeback into the spotlight.
Portillo first rose to prominence in 1992 when Margaret Thatcher promoted him to Minister of State for Transport following her reelection. He was seen as a rising star within the party and held several cabinet positions until 1997 when his constituency was abolished due to boundary changes and he lost out at the ballot box. Since then he has enjoyed success through TV presenting work, writing books, and appearing on various television shows as an expert commentator on politics.
Micheal Portillo Age
Micheal Portillo was born Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo on 26th May 1953. He is 70 years old as of 2023.
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Micheal Portillo Parents
Portillo was born to an exiled Spanish Republican father, Luis Gabriel Portillo (1907–1993), and a Scottish mother, Cora Waldegrave (1919–2014), at Bushey, Hertfordshire. Portillo’s father, a devout Catholic, was a member of left-wing movements in the 1930s and fled Madrid when he fell to General Franco in 1939 and settled in England.
Micheal Portillo’s Wife|Is Michael Portillo Married?
Yeah. Since 1982 Portillo has been married to Carolyn Eadie. They were married on 12 February. The couple had met in college. As Michael went to grammar school in Harrow County (which was for boys only), they are believed to have met as children at another academy.
Micheal Portillo’s Wife Carolyn Eadie
Carolyn is with Spencer Stuart, as a senior executive recruitment consultant at the City of London. The duties of Michael and Carolyn in politics did not cease when Micheal retired after the 2005 General Election. They were spotted at Margaret Thatcher’s funeral together and were attending events together.
It is a shame, though, that Carolyn can not come on Michael’s cross-country adventures!
Is Portillo Still Married?
According to Celebs Dating Pedia, He is currently single. He is not dating anyone. He has no children.
Micheal Portillo Railway Journey
Great British Railway Journeys is a BBC documentary series presented by Michael Portillo, who was instrumental in saving the Settle line to Carlisle from closure in 1989. The program was first broadcast on BBC Two in 2010 and has returned on a total of 11 series annually.
The series features Portillo traveling around Great Britain, Ireland, and Isle of Man rail networks, referring to Bradshaw’s Guide and comparing how the different destinations have changed since; initially using a copy of the 1840s, but later using other editions
Micheal Portillo Education
He was educated for Boys at Stanburn Primary School in Stanmore, Greater London, and Harrow County School. He won a scholarship to Peterhouse, Cambridge afterward. While at school Portillo had supported the Labor Party’s cause; he attributed to the influence of the right-wing Peterhouse historian Maurice Cowling his embrace of conservatism at Cambridge. Portillo gave an interview in 1999, during which he discussed homosexual relationships that he had while at university.
Micheal Portillo Press| BBC Radio
Portillo has written a regular column for The Sunday Times. He contributes to other newspapers (up to May 2006 he had been a theater critic for the New Statesman) and is a regular radio broadcaster on UK radio. Portillo is a long-serving panel member in The Moral Maze series on BBC Radio 4. He introduced a two-part series on BBC Radio 4, called Capitalism on Trial in September 2011. Portillo has also presented a history series called The Things We Forgot to Remember on BBC Radio 4.
He presented a series of twelve 15-minute radio programs on BBC Radio 4 in June 2013 (following the daily World at One news program) called 1913 – the Year Before, about the state of Britain in the years preceding World War I, challenging the view that these years were optimistic and cheerful.
On 7 May 2020, Portillo was announced to join the new Times Radio digital station, which was launched in June 2020. He currently hosts a political, cultural, and historical Friday evening program.
Micheal Portillo Salary and Net Worth
Portillo, a British political pundit and former Member of Parliament, has amassed an impressive net worth estimated at £1.8 million. Throughout his career in the political arena and beyond, he has achieved success both financially and professionally.
Beginning his professional career as a Conservative politician in 1974, serving as MP, Portillo held prominent roles within the government throughout the 1990s. He served as Secretary of State for Defense, before returning to frontbench politics. He then pursued presenting work on television shows such as Great British Railway Journeys and other projects such as writing books and newspaper columns which have earned him considerable wealth over time.
Micheal Portillo Honors
- Michael Portillo was sworn in 1992 as a member of the United Kingdom’s Privy Council, giving him the honorary title “The Right Honorable.”
- Richmond, The American International University in London in 2003 awarded him an Honorary Doctorate.
Portillo was made a fellow of the Royal Scottish - Geographical Society (FRSGS) in 2018.
He received the City of London’s Freedom Award. On 29 September 2019, he was given the honor to lead the annual Sheep Drive over London Bridge.
Portillo Twitter