Violet Marie Silvestry (born 17 February 1962) is a Conservative Party politician and Member of Parliament for South Coventry (2019 - incumbent) who has served as Environment Secretary from 12 January 2020 to 20 January 2020 and is Business Secretary from 20 January 2020.
Early Life
Silvestry was born in 1962, in South Coventry, Midlands, into a military family. Her family moved frequently during her early years as her father – a supplies and catering officer in the Royal Air Force, formerly a diver and bomb disposal specialist in the Royal Navy – was posted around the world, including Hong Kong and Malta.
Silvestry was educated at service and civilian primary schools, later attending a girls' grammar school in Watford, where she was Head Girl in 1979–1980. Whilst at secondary school, Silvestry took on a range of part-time jobs, including a Saturday job at her local branch of John Lewis. She left sixth form with high grades in business subjects at A-level.
Parliamentary Career
Violet Silvestry became a Member of Parliament in early 2019 as a Liberal Democrat and was the newly elected Member of Parliament for South Coventry. Later becoming Deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats under Christopher Rippon's leadership.
On the 28th of December 2019, Violet Silvestry defected from the Liberal Democrats and joined the Conservative Party after claiming that Christopher Lord had taken the party into "an abyss". Since defecting, Silvestry was appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Rural Affairs and Food and planned to increase offshore turbines whilst decreasing onshore turbines.
After the Conservative Party removed Prime Minister Quincy Duval after disappearing, Violet Silvestry was appointed as the new Business Secretary under Henry Pitt-Rivers Premiership.