Helen Clark (UK politician)
Encyclopedia
Helen Rosemary Clark, previously known as Helen Brinton, (née Helen Rosemary Dyche, 23 December 1954 in Derby) is a politician in the United Kingdom
. She was a Labour
Member of Parliament
for Peterborough
from 1997
until the 2005 general election
, when she lost her seat to Conservative
Stewart Jackson
.
, Derby
. Clark was educated at the University of Bristol
gaining a Hons 2/1
in English Literature, then an MA
in Medieval Literature and a PGCE
. She worked as a teacher for several years as an assistant English teacher at Katherine Lady Berkeley Comprehensive
in Wotton-under-Edge
from 1979–82, then Deputy Head of English at Harrogate Ladies' College
from 1983–88. She was a lecturer at North Thanet FIE College from 1992–93, then an English teacher and Head of Year 8 at the Rochester Grammar School for Girls
from 1993 until her election 1997. From 1985-87 she worked as an Examiner, Assessor, Moderator and Team Leader in English Literature for the Northern, Southern, London and Cambridge Examination Boards.
constituency during the 1992 general election
. For the following election she was again selected to stand for election for Labour, this time in Peterborough and through an all-women shortlist
. Whilst in Parliament Clark had an interest in wildlife issues and was a leading Labour voice in opposition to violent animal rights protests. She was a member of the Environmental Audit and Broadcasting Select Committees; completed the NCVO parliamentary scheme with secondments to ASBAH and MIND and founded the All Party Wildlife Group. The Bill committees she sat on included Finance Bill, Water Bill and Countryside & Rights of Way Bill.
Early on in her parliamentary career, Clark was considered loyal to her party leaders, but later opposed the Iraq War.
Three days after her defeat in 2005, she left the Labour Party, blaming her defeat on Labour leader Tony Blair
and policies such as top-up fees and the Iraq War. After she left the Labour party she said that if Kenneth Clarke
were to win the Tory
leadership she would be tempted to switch sides, by the beginning of June it was reported she had not joined the party, and did not intend to. She re-joined the Labour Party in 2010 and is a member of UNISON.
newspaper for an article about the progress of the Blair's Babes, female Labour MP's selected in the 1997 General Election. She criticised the personnel management of newly-elected MPs by the Parliamentary Labour Party.
Since 2005 she has worked as Head of Policy & Campaigns for the Multiple Sclerosis Society; Interim Climate Change Advisor for the Association of British Insurers
; Associate Consultant for the National Youth Agency and Assessor for the OCR examination board in addition to writing. Clark campaigns of availability of Alzheimers Drugs on the NHS after her mother suffered with the disease. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Assessors.
Clark was involved in an incident in 2008 when video footage of her complaining to bar staff about their refusal to serve her was posted on YouTube
. After Clark threatened legal action over the availability of the video, she was charged with public order offences. Clark was at first found guilty of using threatening words and behaviour, but the conviction was overturned on appeal.
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...
. She was a Labour
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...
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 Peterborough
Peterborough (UK Parliament constituency)
Peterborough is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, formally styled The Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past...
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...
until 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....
, when she lost her seat to Conservative
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...
Stewart Jackson
Stewart Jackson
Stewart James Jackson is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he is the Member of Parliament for Peterborough.-Early life:...
.
Early life
Clark was born in Derby to Phyllis and George Dyche, and her mother was a head teacher. She went to Spondon Park Grammar School (became Spondon School in 1974 when merged with Spondon House School, and became West Park Community School in 1989) in SpondonSpondon
Spondon is a ward within the city of Derby. Prior to this, Spondon was a separate village which dated from before the Domesday Book of 1086.-Description:The name Spondon is Anglo-Saxon and describes a gravelly hill....
, Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
. Clark was educated at the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
gaining a Hons 2/1
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in English Literature, then an MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Medieval Literature and a PGCE
Postgraduate Certificate in Education
The Postgraduate Certificate in Education is a one-year course in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for undergraduate degree holders that allows them to train to be a teacher....
. She worked as a teacher for several years as an assistant English teacher at Katherine Lady Berkeley Comprehensive
Katharine Lady Berkeley's School
Katharine Lady Berkeley's School is a state comprehensive school near Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, England, for ages 11 to 18. It was founded by Lady Berkeley for the use of six scholars in 1384 which makes it one of the oldest surviving schools in England, and the oldest state school in the...
in Wotton-under-Edge
Wotton-under-Edge
Wotton-under-Edge is a market town within the Stroud district of Gloucestershire, England. Located near the southern end of the Cotswolds, the Cotswold Way long-distance footpath passes through the town. Standing on the B4058 Wotton is about from the M5 motorway. The nearest railway station is...
from 1979–82, then Deputy Head of English at Harrogate Ladies' College
Harrogate Ladies' College
Harrogate Ladies' College is an independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18 years located in North Yorkshire, England. Harrogate Ladies' College is a Church of England foundation. All the facilities are campus-based. They include an indoor swimming pool, tennis courts, and...
from 1983–88. She was a lecturer at North Thanet FIE College from 1992–93, then an English teacher and Head of Year 8 at the Rochester Grammar School for Girls
Rochester Grammar School
The Rochester Grammar School is a school for the education of girls between the ages of 11 and 18. It is a specialist college in music, maths and ICT. Students are expected to perform highly throughout the school...
from 1993 until her election 1997. From 1985-87 she worked as an Examiner, Assessor, Moderator and Team Leader in English Literature for the Northern, Southern, London and Cambridge Examination Boards.
Parliamentary career
Clark had previously stood unsuccessfully as the Labour parliamentary candidate for the FavershamFaversham (UK Parliament constituency)
Faversham was a parliamentary constituency centered on the town of Faversham in Kent which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
constituency during 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...
. For the following election she was again selected to stand for election for Labour, this time in Peterborough and through an all-women shortlist
All-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...
. Whilst in Parliament Clark had an interest in wildlife issues and was a leading Labour voice in opposition to violent animal rights protests. She was a member of the Environmental Audit and Broadcasting Select Committees; completed the NCVO parliamentary scheme with secondments to ASBAH and MIND and founded the All Party Wildlife Group. The Bill committees she sat on included Finance Bill, Water Bill and Countryside & Rights of Way Bill.
Early on in her parliamentary career, Clark was considered loyal to her party leaders, but later opposed the Iraq War.
Three days after her defeat in 2005, she left the Labour Party, blaming her defeat on Labour leader Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
and policies such as top-up fees and the Iraq War. After she left the Labour party she said that if Kenneth Clarke
Kenneth Clarke
Kenneth Harry "Ken" Clarke, QC, MP is a British Conservative politician, currently Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. He was first elected to Parliament in 1970; and appointed a minister in Edward Heath's government, in 1972, and is one of...
were to win the Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
leadership she would be tempted to switch sides, by the beginning of June it was reported she had not joined the party, and did not intend to. She re-joined the Labour Party in 2010 and is a member of UNISON.
After parliament
In April 2007, Clark was interviewed by The ObserverThe Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
newspaper for an article about the progress of the Blair's Babes, female Labour MP's selected in the 1997 General Election. She criticised the personnel management of newly-elected MPs by the Parliamentary Labour Party.
Since 2005 she has worked as Head of Policy & Campaigns for the Multiple Sclerosis Society; Interim Climate Change Advisor for the Association of British Insurers
Association of British Insurers
The Association of British Insurers or ABI is a trade association made up of insurance companies in the United Kingdom.-History:The ABI began in 1985 after several specialised insurance industry trade associations, including the British Insurance Association, the Life Offices’ Association, the Fire...
; Associate Consultant for the National Youth Agency and Assessor for the OCR examination board in addition to writing. Clark campaigns of availability of Alzheimers Drugs on the NHS after her mother suffered with the disease. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Assessors.
Clark was involved in an incident in 2008 when video footage of her complaining to bar staff about their refusal to serve her was posted on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. After Clark threatened legal action over the availability of the video, she was charged with public order offences. Clark was at first found guilty of using threatening words and behaviour, but the conviction was overturned on appeal.