Emily Benn
Encyclopedia
Emily Sophia Wedgwood Benn (born 4 October 1989) is the eldest child and only daughter of Stephen Benn and Nita Clarke (née Bowes). Four generations of her family have served as Members of Parliament (MP) — her uncle Hilary Benn
, grandfather Tony Benn
, great-grandfather William Wedgwood Benn, and great-great-grandfathers John Williams Benn and Daniel Holmes. She was an unsuccessful Parliamentary candidate in the United Kingdom general election, 2010.
n on her mother's side. She lives in South Norwood
, and attended Wallington High School for Girls
from 2001 to 2006, where she achieved 11 A* grades in her GCSEs. She studied music, history and Latin for A level (gaining three 'A's) at St Olave's Grammar School
. She studied history and politics at New College
, Oxford
.
in the 1992 general election
, aged two, and she joined the Labour Party
aged 14.
She supported the Iraq war, and claims, like her uncle Hilary, to be a "Benn, not a Bennite".
The sitting MP, Conservative Tim Loughton
, was defending a majority of 8,183 from the 2005 general election
in what is considered a safe Tory seat. In the 2010 election, Emily Benn came third, 4,276 votes behind the second-placed Liberal Democrats, while Loughton increased his majority to 11,105.
Hilary Benn
Hilary James Wedgwood Benn is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Leeds Central since 1999. He served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for International Development from 2003 to 2007 and as the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs...
, grandfather Tony Benn
Tony Benn
Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC is a British Labour Party politician and a former MP and Cabinet Minister.His successful campaign to renounce his hereditary peerage was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963...
, great-grandfather William Wedgwood Benn, and great-great-grandfathers John Williams Benn and Daniel Holmes. She was an unsuccessful Parliamentary candidate in the United Kingdom general election, 2010.
Early life
Benn was born during the Labour Party Conference in 1989.. Benn is a quarter IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n on her mother's side. She lives in South Norwood
South Norwood
South Norwood is an urban town and in south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is a suburban development 7.8 miles south-east of Charing Cross. South Norwood is an electoral with a resident population in 2001 of just over 14,000...
, and attended Wallington High School for Girls
Wallington High School for Girls
Wallington High School for Girls is an all girls educational institution located just south of Wallington, in the London Borough of Sutton, England.-Admissions:...
from 2001 to 2006, where she achieved 11 A* grades in her GCSEs. She studied music, history and Latin for A level (gaining three 'A's) at St Olave's Grammar School
St Olave's Grammar School
St Olave's and St Saviour's Grammar School is a super-selective boys' secondary school in Orpington, Greater London, England. The school is consistently one of the top achieving state schools in the UK and it was The Sunday Times State School of the Year in 2008...
. She studied history and politics at New College
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
, Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
.
Campaigning
She claims that her first political experience were campaigning for her grandfather in his Chesterfield constituencyChesterfield (UK Parliament constituency)
Chesterfield is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is a marginal seat between Labour and the Liberal Democrats. The best-known MP was Tony Benn from 1984 to 2001...
in the 1992 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
, aged two, and she joined 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...
aged 14.
She supported the Iraq war, and claims, like her uncle Hilary, to be a "Benn, not a Bennite".
Candidacy for Parliament
On 12 September 2007, three weeks before her 18th birthday, Benn was selected by the local Labour Party to contest East Worthing and Shoreham in the 2010 general election.. Benn was the youngest Labour Parliamentary Candidate at the 2010 General Election.The sitting MP, Conservative Tim Loughton
Tim Loughton
Timothy Paul Loughton is a British Conservative Party politician, and has been Member of Parliament for East Worthing and Shoreham since the 1997 general election...
, was defending a majority of 8,183 from the 2005 general election
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....
in what is considered a safe Tory seat. In the 2010 election, Emily Benn came third, 4,276 votes behind the second-placed Liberal Democrats, while Loughton increased his majority to 11,105.