BARONESS Ashton of Upholland is brilliant at getting what she wants - be it blagging her way on to the bridge of a cross-Channel ferry to borrow the captain’s ship-to-shore telephone to schmoozing alongside celebrities.

“Cathy has absolutely no shame,” said Graham Bann, Business in the Community executive director for London, a close friend who has holidayed with her several times. Her talent for getting what she wants is being keenly tested now as the minister for school standards and early years steers the education Bill through the House of Lords.

In the battle of the baronesses, Lady Ashton, who voted in TV’s Pop Idol contest, is up against Baroness Blatch, a fearsome debater and veteran of seven years as a Tory education minister.

The pair are chalk and cheese, but appear to respect each other. Lady Blatch is stern but polite as she scrutinises the Bill line by line. Lady Ashton’s forte is relaxed informality. But Mr Bann said she should not be underestimated.

“Cathy is brilliant at getting her way, whether it is rooting out the only bottle of French wine on the Greek island of Paros, or blagging her way on to the bridge of a ferry.

“She can spot a celebrity at 100 yards. Three years ago she was on holiday in St Lucia when she saw Robert Lindsay in the pool.

She decided she must meet him, so introduced herself saying, ‘I was having dinner with Alan Ayckbourn the other week, and he told me you were one of the most talented actors in Britain today.’ She has absolutely no shame.”

Her determination to make things happen has been honed over many years at the Business in the Community charity, then as freelance policy adviser, and most recently chair of Hertfordshire Health Authority.

Lady Ashton was educated at Upholland grammar school in Wigan, leaving to do her A-levels at Wigan and District Mining and Technical College. After graduating from London University she worked for two years for CND.

While director of public affairs for BITC, she helped establish the employers’ forum in Disability and Opportunity 2000 (now called Opportunity Now) to promote equality for women in the work place.

Until last summer when she received the call from Number 10, Cathy Ashton, 46, was chair of governors of her children’s school, Spencer junior, in St Albans.

Yvette Glacken, headteacher, said: “She was very supportive but questioning as well, and always had the children’s interests at heart. She always took a great interest in the day-to-day activities of the school, such as accompanying day trips.

“She is just the sort of parent you want in the school: to have her as governor as well was a bonus.”

The school benefited from her excellent connections - “she got Lord Puttnam to open our Millennium library, and Quentin Blake to do some drawings for the school,” said Mrs Glacken.

Never daunted by any project, however challenging, Lady Ashton took on three step-children when she married political journalist Peter Kellner in 1988. They have a son, who started secondary school last autumn, and a daughter in Year 5.

Always a snappy dresser, often in tailored suits in strong colours, with unusual eye-catching brooches, Lady Ashton lists “retail therapy” as one of her recreations in Who’s Who.