The Rt Hon. the Lord Foster of Bath
Donald Michael Ellison Foster, known professionally as Don Foster, is a British Liberal Democrat politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1992 to 2015. He was born on July 26, 1952 in London, England and was educated at Oxford University, where he earned a degree in modern languages.
Foster entered politics in the 1980s, serving as a councillor in the London Borough of Hackney. He was elected as an MP in 1992, representing the constituency of Bath. During his time in Parliament, Foster served as the Liberal Democrats’ spokesperson for culture, media, and sport, and later as the party’s spokesperson for communities and local government.
Foster was known for his work on a number of issues, including education, the arts, and the environment. He was a strong advocate for the promotion of science and technology, and worked to increase funding for research and development in these areas. He also supported efforts to protect the natural environment, and was a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Climate Change.
In addition to his political work, Foster was also involved in a number of charitable and community organizations. He served as a member of the board of directors for the National Trust, a conservation organization that works to protect historic buildings and landscapes in the United Kingdom, and was a patron of the Bath Festival, a annual arts and music festival held in the city of Bath.
Foster retired from Parliament in 2015, after serving 23 years as an MP but now sits in the House of Lords as a life peer. He was succeeded in the constituency of Bath by Wera Hobhouse, who was also elected as a Liberal Democrat. Despite his retirement from politics, Foster remains active in public life, and continues to speak out on issues of importance to him.
He was known for his views on the UK housing market and his efforts to address the issue of affordable housing. He supported measures to increase the availability of affordable housing, including the construction of new homes, the rehabilitation of existing properties and the cutting of ‘needless red tape’.
Foster believed that the government had a role to play in addressing the housing crisis, and advocated for increased investment in housing development and the implementation of policies to ensure that new homes were built in a way that was environmentally sustainable. He also supported the use of incentives, such as tax breaks, to encourage developers to build more affordable homes.
In addition to supporting the construction of new homes, Foster also argued for the need to protect and preserve existing affordable housing. He supported efforts to prevent the conversion of affordable housing into more expensive properties, and worked to ensure that affordable housing units were not lost due to redevelopment or other changes in land use.
Overall, Foster’s views on the UK housing market were driven by a belief that everyone should have access to a safe and affordable place to live, and that the government had a responsibility to address the issue of housing affordability.
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