Editing Judith Chaplin (section)

==Career==
Chaplin was elected a councillor on [[Norfolk County Council]] in 1975, following her husband into the role; on the council she became chairman of the education committee. She took on a role in 1986 with the [[Institute of Directors]], becoming head of policy for the group. In 1988 she became special advisor to [[Nigel Lawson]], the then [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]], and remained in the role when [[John Major]] took over the following year.<ref name=ODNB /> When Major became [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]], she acted as his Private Secretary and political assistant.<ref>{{cite web|title=Major wanted Thatcher 'destroyed'|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/451396.stm|publisher=BBC News|access-date=14 November 2016|date=20 September 1999}}</ref>

She was elected to [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]] for [[Newbury (UK Parliament constituency)|Newbury]] at the [[1992 United Kingdom general election|1992 election]].<ref name=obituary /> That June she was appointed [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]], and she was considered likely to become chancellor of the exchequer herself in the future; however, these hopes were ended less than a year later by her sudden death.<ref name=ODNB />