Christine McCafferty
Encyclopedia
Christine McCafferty is a British
Labour Party
politician, who was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Calder Valley
from 1997
to 2010, when the seat was won by the Conservative Party
candidate, Craig Whittaker
, at that year's general election.
in Melbourne
, Australia
. She worked as welfare worker for disabled people for the CHS Manchester from 1963–70. From 1970–2, she was an education welfare officer for the Manchester Education Committee. From 1978–80, she was Registrar of Marriages for Bury Registration District
. From 1989–96, she was a project worker for Calderdale Well Woman Centre.
Before her election to parliament, McCafferty was a member of Hebden Royd
Town Council 1991–95. She was also a councillor on Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council
1991–7, where she was chair of the Adoption
Panel 1992–6. She served as member of the West Yorkshire Police
Authority 1994–7.
. This method of selection was subsequently declared illegal in January 1996 as it breached sex discrimination laws, Despite the ruling she remained in place as the candidate for the following year's election. She was elected in the 1997
Labour landslide, replacing the Conservative Sir Donald Thompson
who had held the seat since 1979
. She held the seat in the 2001
and 2005
general elections despite Tory resurgence.
In Parliament, she was a member of the Procedure Committee
1997-9, and of the International Development Committee
2001-5. Since 1999, she has also been a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
, chairing the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Population, Development and Reproductive Health. She has won some notoriety for the so-called cCafferty Report[], in which it was proposed to legally restrict the free exercise of conscientious objection against participating in controversial medical practices (such as abortion, euthanasia, and IVF) by doctors and nurses. The initiative was finally defeated when, on 7 October 2010, a narrow majority of Members adopted a number of amendments that turned it into its opposite: it now re-affirms the free exercise of conscientious objection, instead of restricting it.
In 2007, McCafferty announced that she would retire at the next general election.http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleID=2104494&SectionID=700
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, who was 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,...
(MP) for Calder Valley
Calder Valley (UK Parliament constituency)
- Elections in the 2000s :- Elections in the 1990s :- Elections in the 1980s :-Sources:*...
from 1997
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
to 2010, when the seat was won by 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, Craig Whittaker
Craig Whittaker
Craig Whittaker is a British Conservative Party politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for Calder Valley since he won the seat at the general election on 6 May 2010....
, at that year's general election.
Early life
She attended Whalley Range Grammar School for Girls (now Whalley Range High School) on Wilbraham Road in Whalley Range, Manchester, then the Footscray High SchoolFootscray City College
Footscray City College is a Year 7-12 and TAFE co-educational school in Melbourne, Australia. It is adjacent to Victoria University's Footscray Park campus, and Footscray Park itself. Approximately 1000 students attend, primarily from the local area. The college is on a spectacular site with views...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. She worked as welfare worker for disabled people for the CHS Manchester from 1963–70. From 1970–2, she was an education welfare officer for the Manchester Education Committee. From 1978–80, she was Registrar of Marriages for Bury Registration District
Registration district
A registration district in the United Kingdom is a type of administrative region which exists for the purpose of civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths and civil partnerships...
. From 1989–96, she was a project worker for Calderdale Well Woman Centre.
Before her election to parliament, McCafferty was a member of Hebden Royd
Hebden Royd
Hebden Royd is a civil parish with a town council in the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 9,092...
Town Council 1991–95. She was also a councillor on Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council
Calderdale
The Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale is a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England, through which the upper part of the River Calder flows, and from which it takes its name...
1991–7, where she was chair of the Adoption
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
Panel 1992–6. She served as member of the West Yorkshire Police
West Yorkshire Police
West Yorkshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing West Yorkshire in England. It is the fourth largest force in England and Wales by number of officers, with 5671 officers....
Authority 1994–7.
Parliamentary career
McCafferty was selected to stand for election for Labour through an all-women shortlistAll-women shortlists
The use of all-women shortlists is the political practice intended to increase the proportion of female Members of Parliament in the United Kingdom by allowing only women to stand in particular constituencies for a particular political party. Though the practice is available to all parties, only...
. This method of selection was subsequently declared illegal in January 1996 as it breached sex discrimination laws, Despite the ruling she remained in place as the candidate for the following year's election. She was elected in the 1997
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
Labour landslide, replacing the Conservative Sir Donald Thompson
Donald Thompson
Sir Donald Thompson was a British Conservative Party politician. He was a Member of Parliament from 1979 until 1997.Thompson attended Holy Trinity School, Halifax, and Hipperholme Grammar School...
who had held the seat since 1979
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
. She held the seat in the 2001
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
and 2005
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
general elections despite Tory resurgence.
In Parliament, she was a member of the Procedure Committee
Procedure Committee
The Procedure Committee is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The remit of the committee is to consider the practice and procedure of the House in the conduct of public business.-Membership:...
1997-9, and of the International Development Committee
International Development Committee
The International Development Select Committee is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The remit of the Committee is to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for International Development and its associated public...
2001-5. Since 1999, she has also been a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe , which held its first session in Strasbourg on 10 August 1949, can be considered the oldest international parliamentary assembly with a pluralistic composition of democratically elected members of parliament established on the basis of an...
, chairing the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Population, Development and Reproductive Health. She has won some notoriety for the so-called cCafferty Report[], in which it was proposed to legally restrict the free exercise of conscientious objection against participating in controversial medical practices (such as abortion, euthanasia, and IVF) by doctors and nurses. The initiative was finally defeated when, on 7 October 2010, a narrow majority of Members adopted a number of amendments that turned it into its opposite: it now re-affirms the free exercise of conscientious objection, instead of restricting it.
In 2007, McCafferty announced that she would retire at the next general election.http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleID=2104494&SectionID=700