Shipley

Shipley town (1991 pop. 28,815), West Yorkshire, N England, on the Aire River. Of its varied industries, light engineering and the manufacture of woolens and worsteds are the most important. Within the district is Saltaire, a model village founded by Titus Salt in 1853 for the manufacture of alpaca.

Shipley, Jenny (1952– ) New Zealand National Party politician, first female Prime Minister of New Zealand (1997– ).

Shipley, Jenny (b. 4 Feb. 1952). Prime Minister of New Zealand, 1997–9 Born in Gore, she graduated from Christchurch Teachers College in 1971. She settled down near Ashburton (central Canterbury), and became active in politics for the National Party. She was elected as a Member of Parliament for her constituency in 1987. In 1990 she became Minister for Social Welfare and Women's Affairs, and in 1994 she became Minister for Health. As such, she was responsible for introducing a radical reform of the welfare system. This entailed a privatization of much of the health system, and a reduction in social security. She succeeded Jim Bolger as Prime Minister in 1997. She continued her predecessor's coalition with the New Zealand First Party for half a year, but when the coalition broke apart in 1998 she headed a minority government. She retired as Leader of the Opposition in 2001.