Janet Whitaker, Baroness Whitaker

Janet Alison Whitaker, Baroness Whitaker (née Stewart; born 20 February 1936) is a British politician with the Labour Party.

Born Janet Alison Stewart, she is the daughter of Alan Harrison Stewart and Ella Stewart (née Saunders). She was educated at Nottingham High School for Girls, Girton College, Cambridge in the United Kingdom and at Bryn Mawr College and Harvard University in the United States. In 1964 she married Benjamin Whitaker (1934–2014) a barrister, author and human rights activist, who served a single term as Labour Party MP for Hampstead from 1966 to 1970. in recognition of a career in publishing and in the civil service. She was created a Life Peer on 5 August 1999 taking the title Baroness Whitaker, of Beeston in the County of Nottinghamshire. She is Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Gypsies, Travellers and Roma and President of Friends, Families and Travellers and of the Advisory Council for the Education of Romany and other Travellers

Whitaker joined the House of Lords on 5 August 1999. Since then she has sat on committees including Home Affairs, Human Rights, and Intergovernmental Organisations. Contributions include amending Bills to specify obligations to observe good design in housing and planning, to widen scope beyond classic religion to include belief and values; Bills so amended include the Communications Bill, Asylum Bill, Charities Bill 2005, Equality Bill, Education and Inspections Bill, Housing and Planning bill. and a member of the Advisory Board for the British Institute of Human Rights. and is a member of the All‐Party Parliamentary Group on the United Nations (UN APPG) from the House of Lords.

Whitaker was a Magistrate from 1984 until 2001. Currently, she is president of the South Downs Society. Overseas Development Institute: Council Member, Fellow of the College, and Sponsor/Patron