Hilary Armstrong
Encyclopedia
Hilary Jane Armstrong, Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (born 30 November 1945) is a British
Labour Party
politician who was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for North West Durham from 1987
to 2010.
) (BSc) and the University of Birmingham
(Diploma in Social Work). A former social worker and university lecturer, Armstrong worked for VSO
in Kenya
before entering politics. She was first elected as Durham County
Councillor for Crook
North Division in 1985.
The daughter of Labour MP Ernest Armstrong
, she was shortlisted for the vacant Sedgefield
constituency in 1983, only to lose out to Tony Blair
. Four years later, at the 1987 general election
, she was elected to her father's North West Durham seat on his retirement, increasing his majority by 3,806 to 10,162.
to John Smith
during his time as Labour leader, and played a large part in his successful fight to institute one member one vote at Labour's party conference
.
Armstrong was seen as a politician on the centre-right of the Labour Party, and was close politically to her near neighbour Tony Blair and the New Labour agenda. However, she is also a member of the Amicus
trades union (formerly MSF
), and her trades union links were useful when she helped to shore up support for the rewriting of Clause IV
.
as Chief Whip
after the 2001 election
. This was the high point of a political career which was low-key but generally successful; though she endured controversies over select committee membership and over allegations of strong arm tactics with Labour dissenters over military action
in Afghanistan
.
Armstrong also faced criticism after government defeats in the Commons over the length of time suspected terrorists could be detained without charge, and incitement to religious hatred provisions in the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005
. Press commentators speculated that in losing these votes through miscalculating government support, and in one instance letting the Prime Minister
off the "Whip" because she believed the vote was won, Armstrong's position had become vulnerable. However the rumours that she would resign the post proved unfounded.
Afterwards Conservative
leader David Cameron
mocked Armstrong during an exchange with Tony Blair
, saying “She must be the first Chief Whip in history to put the Prime Minister in the frame for losing a key vote — which is an interesting career move, to say the least.” This was the second time David Cameron had attacked her during Prime Ministers Questions; on his debut as Leader of the Opposition on 7 December 2005 she was singled out by Cameron when he said "That's the problem with these exchanges - the chief whip on the Labour side shouting like a child. Is she finished? Are you finished?"
On 5 May 2006 Armstrong was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
, minister for the Cabinet Office
and Minister for Social Exclusion
.
In 2006 Armstrong launched a petition on behalf of the Bethnal Green and Bow Labour Party against Respect MP George Galloway
's participation in Channel 4
's Celebrity Big Brother. She criticised Galloway for being paid as an MP during the time he was in the Big Brother house. Galloway responded by saying he planned to refund the taxpayer after his exit from the show as he would not know how much to refund until then.
Armstrong formally resigned from the government on 27 June 2007 when Tony Blair resigned as Prime Minister. On becoming Prime Minister, Gordon Brown
announced Armstrong's appointment as Chair of a Parliamentary Labour Party
Manifesto Committee drawing up policy ideas covering children.
On 18 June 2010, she was created a life peer
as Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top, of Crook in the County of Durham, and was introduced
in the House of Lords
on 6 July 2010.
. Prof Corrigan's enthusiastic championing of the role of the private sector in public service provision has long been a source of concern for some of Armstrong's trades union colleagues.
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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 North West Durham from 1987
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
to 2010.
Early life
Armstrong was educated at Monkwearmouth Grammar School, the West Ham Technical Institute (now the University of East LondonUniversity of East London
The University of East London is a university located in the London Borough of Newham, East London, England, based at two campuses in Stratford and Docklands areas...
) (BSc) and the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
(Diploma in Social Work). A former social worker and university lecturer, Armstrong worked for VSO
Voluntary Service Overseas
Voluntary Service Overseas is an international development charity that works through experienced volunteers living and working as equals alongside local partners. It is the largest independent volunteer-sending organization in the world...
in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
before entering politics. She was first elected as Durham County
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
Councillor for Crook
Crook, County Durham
Crook is a market town in County Durham, England. It is situated about 10 miles south-west of Durham.Crook lies a couple of miles north of the River Wear, on the A690 from Durham...
North Division in 1985.
The daughter of Labour MP Ernest Armstrong
Ernest Armstrong
Ernest Armstrong was a British Labour Party politician.Armstrong was educated at Wolsingham Grammar School and City of Leeds Teacher Training College, and ultimately became a headmaster...
, she was shortlisted for the vacant Sedgefield
Sedgefield (UK Parliament constituency)
Sedgefield is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
constituency in 1983, only to lose out to 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...
. Four years later, at the 1987 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
, she was elected to her father's North West Durham seat on his retirement, increasing his majority by 3,806 to 10,162.
Parliamentary career
Armstrong was parliamentary private secretaryParliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to John Smith
John Smith (UK politician)
John Smith was a British Labour Party politician who served as Leader of the Labour Party from July 1992 until his sudden death from a heart attack in May 1994...
during his time as Labour leader, and played a large part in his successful fight to institute one member one vote at Labour's party conference
Labour Party (UK) Conference
The Labour Party Conference, or annual national conference of the Labour Party, is formally the supreme decision-making body of the Party.-Conference decisions:...
.
Armstrong was seen as a politician on the centre-right of the Labour Party, and was close politically to her near neighbour Tony Blair and the New Labour agenda. However, she is also a member of the Amicus
Amicus
Amicus was the United Kingdom's second-largest trade union, and the largest private sector union, formed by the merger of Manufacturing Science and Finance, the AEEU agreed in 2001, and two smaller unions, UNIFI and the GPMU...
trades union (formerly MSF
Manufacturing, Science and Finance
Manufacturing, Science and Finance was a trade union in Britain...
), and her trades union links were useful when she helped to shore up support for the rewriting of Clause IV
Clause IV
Clause IV historically refers to part of the 1918 text of the British Labour Party constitution which set out the aims and values of the party. Before its revision in 1995, its application was the subject of considerable dispute.-Text:...
.
In government
Armstrong spent four years as Minister for Local Government in the DETR and then the DTLR, before being promoted into the Cabinet of the United KingdomCabinet of the United Kingdom
The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers....
as Chief Whip
Chief Whip
The Chief Whip is a political office in some legislatures assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system that ensures that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires.-The Whips Office:...
after the 2001 election
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...
. This was the high point of a political career which was low-key but generally successful; though she endured controversies over select committee membership and over allegations of strong arm tactics with Labour dissenters over military action
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
Armstrong also faced criticism after government defeats in the Commons over the length of time suspected terrorists could be detained without charge, and incitement to religious hatred provisions in the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005
Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005
The Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, intended to deal with the Law Lords' ruling of 16 December 2004 that the detention without trial of eight foreigners at HM Prison Belmarsh under Part 4 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001...
. Press commentators speculated that in losing these votes through miscalculating government support, and in one instance letting the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
off the "Whip" because she believed the vote was won, Armstrong's position had become vulnerable. However the rumours that she would resign the post proved unfounded.
Afterwards 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...
leader David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
mocked Armstrong during an exchange with 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...
, saying “She must be the first Chief Whip in history to put the Prime Minister in the frame for losing a key vote — which is an interesting career move, to say the least.” This was the second time David Cameron had attacked her during Prime Ministers Questions; on his debut as Leader of the Opposition on 7 December 2005 she was singled out by Cameron when he said "That's the problem with these exchanges - the chief whip on the Labour side shouting like a child. Is she finished? Are you finished?"
On 5 May 2006 Armstrong was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a ministerial office in the government of the United Kingdom that includes as part of its duties, the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster...
, minister for the Cabinet Office
Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom....
and Minister for Social Exclusion
Minister for Social Exclusion
The Minister for Social Exclusion was a ministerial position within the cabinet of the British government. It was first created as a position outside the cabinet by Tony Blair in 1999 and charged with "tackling social exclusion". From May 2006 until June 2007 it was a full cabinet position in...
.
In 2006 Armstrong launched a petition on behalf of the Bethnal Green and Bow Labour Party against Respect MP George Galloway
George Galloway
George Galloway is a British politician, author, journalist and broadcaster who was a Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2010. He was formerly an MP for the Labour Party, first for Glasgow Hillhead and later for Glasgow Kelvin, before his expulsion from the party in October 2003, the same year...
's participation in Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's Celebrity Big Brother. She criticised Galloway for being paid as an MP during the time he was in the Big Brother house. Galloway responded by saying he planned to refund the taxpayer after his exit from the show as he would not know how much to refund until then.
Armstrong formally resigned from the government on 27 June 2007 when Tony Blair resigned as Prime Minister. On becoming 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...
announced Armstrong's appointment as Chair of a Parliamentary Labour Party
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....
Manifesto Committee drawing up policy ideas covering children.
Post-Government
On 4 July 2009, Armstrong announced her intention to stand down at the 2010 general election.On 18 June 2010, she was created a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top, of Crook in the County of Durham, and was introduced
Introduction (House of Lords)
Introduction is a ceremony in the House of Lords whereby new members are "introduced" to the existing membership. Introductions in the Lords are more elaborate than those in the House of Commons.-Origins:...
in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
on 6 July 2010.
Personal life
Armstrong is married to Paul CorriganPaul Corrigan
Paul David Corrigan CBE is a Labour politician, and was health adviser to Tony Blair. He is married to Hilary Armstrong.Born in Woolwich, London on 11 April 1948, Corrigan gained his BSc in sociology, London School of Economics in 1969; PhD in juvenile delinquency and secondary education,...
. Prof Corrigan's enthusiastic championing of the role of the private sector in public service provision has long been a source of concern for some of Armstrong's trades union colleagues.
External links
- Hilary Armstrong MP official site
- 10 Downing Street - Hilary Armstrong official biography
- North West Durham Labour Party - Hilary Armstrong MP official site
- East London Futures
- UEL Alumni Event - Hilary Armstrong
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