Alison McGovern
Encyclopedia
Alison McGovern is a British
Labour Party
politician
who has been the Member of Parliament
for Wirral South since 2010.
, she was born in Bromborough
, Merseyside
, the daughter of a British Railways telecoms engineer father and a mother who trained as a nurse.
She was educated at Brookhurst Primary School, and then Wirral Grammar School for Girls
, where she was the Head Girl from 1998-1999. She then studied Philosophy at University College London
.
On graduation, she worked as a researcher at the House of Commons, before handling communications for developmet projects at Network Rail
.
in 2006, later becoming the Deputy Leader of the 29 strong group of Labour councillors.
She was selected as the Labour Party
candidate for Wirral South in December 2009 due to Ben Chapman's decision to stand down at the next election for family reasons following adverse publicity in The Daily Telegraph
over the expenses scandal, and subsequently won the seat in the 2010 general election beating the Conservative Party
candidate, Jeff Clarke, by 531 votes.
, whom she described as "very amiable".
She became former Prime Minister Gordon Brown
's parliamentary private secretary in July 2010. On 14th September 2010 she held her first adjournment debate regarding employment prospects for young people in Wirral. In November 2010 she was selected by the PLP
to become a member of the International Development Select Committee.
In December 2010 she introduced a private member's bill
before Parliament that would amend the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 to broaden the scope of the general duty of library authorities so as to include a duty to provide related cultural facilities alongside the library service. It will receive its second reading on 17 June 2011.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who has been the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Wirral South since 2010.
Early life
The granddaughter of song writer and activist Peter McGovernPeter McGovern
Peter McGovern was an English songwriter and activist.He was born in north Liverpool, near the docks, and attended St. Edwards School, West Derby and Queen Elizabeth's School, Anfield...
, she was born in Bromborough
Bromborough
Bromborough is a large village within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the Wirral Peninsula, to the south of Bebington and to the north of Eastham...
, Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, the daughter of a British Railways telecoms engineer father and a mother who trained as a nurse.
She was educated at Brookhurst Primary School, and then Wirral Grammar School for Girls
Wirral Grammar School for Girls
Wirral Grammar School for Girls is an all-girls grammar school located on the Wirral Peninsula, United Kingdom.-Admissions:It is situated on Heath Road, Bebington, on the Wirral Peninsula, England, next door to Wirral Grammar School for Boys. The school consists of lower school and Sixth Form ,...
, where she was the Head Girl from 1998-1999. She then studied Philosophy at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
.
On graduation, she worked as a researcher at the House of Commons, before handling communications for developmet projects at Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
.
Political life
She was first elected as a Councillor for Brunswick Park in the London Borough of SouthwarkLondon Borough of Southwark
The London Borough of Southwark is a London borough in south east London, England. It is directly south of the River Thames and the City of London, and forms part of Inner London.-History:...
in 2006, later becoming the Deputy Leader of the 29 strong group of Labour councillors.
She was selected as the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
candidate for Wirral South in December 2009 due to Ben Chapman's decision to stand down at the next election for family reasons following adverse publicity in The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
over the expenses scandal, and subsequently won the seat in the 2010 general election beating the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
candidate, Jeff Clarke, by 531 votes.
Parliamentary career
She made her maiden speech in the House of Commons on 3 June 2010 in a debate on European Affairs. In accordance with Parliamentary tradition, she spoke in glowing terms of her constituency and praised her predecessor Ben ChapmanBen Chapman (politician)
James Keith Chapman, known as Ben Chapman, is a British Labour Party politician and former civil servant who was the Member of Parliament for Wirral South from 1997 to 2010.-Early life:...
, whom she described as "very amiable".
She became former Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
's parliamentary private secretary in July 2010. On 14th September 2010 she held her first adjournment debate regarding employment prospects for young people in Wirral. In November 2010 she was selected by the PLP
Parliamentary Labour Party
In UK politics, the Parliamentary Labour Party is the parliamentary party of the Labour Party in Parliament: Labour MPs as a collective body....
to become a member of the International Development Select Committee.
In December 2010 she introduced a private member's bill
Private Member's Bill
A member of parliament’s legislative motion, called a private member's bill or a member's bill in some parliaments, is a proposed law introduced by a member of a legislature. In most countries with a parliamentary system, most bills are proposed by the government, not by individual members of the...
before Parliament that would amend the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 to broaden the scope of the general duty of library authorities so as to include a duty to provide related cultural facilities alongside the library service. It will receive its second reading on 17 June 2011.
Personal life
She is married to economics consultant Ashwin Kumar, formerly the Passenger Director at Passenger Focus. She is expected to have a child in late 2011.External links
- Alison McGovern MP official site
- They Work For You - Alison McGovern MP