Barbara Roche
Encyclopedia
Barbara Maureen Roche is a British
Labour Party
politician, who was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Hornsey and Wood Green from 1992
until 2005
, when she lost the seat, despite having previously enjoyed a majority of over 10,500.
During her time in Government, she held several ministerial offices; Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
, Department of Trade and Industry, 1997–1998; Financial Secretary to the Treasury
, 1999; Minister of State
, Home Office
, 1999–2001; Cabinet Office
, 2001–2002; Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2002-2003.
She was educated at the Jews Free School, Camden Town
and Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
where she achieved a Bachelor of Arts. She trained to be a barrister and was called to the bar at the Middle Temple
, 1977.
She first stood for Parliament in the 1984 Surrey South-West by-election
, before standing in Hornsey and Wood Green in 1987. First elected to Parliament in 1992, she saw her majority soar to 20,500 in 1997 (including polling 26,000 votes more than the Lib Dem candidate
who eventually unseated her). However, by 2001 her majority had almost halved to 10,500, and in 2005 she unexpectedly lost her seat on a large 14.6% swing. Factors in her defeat include her association with many of the government's more unpopular policies, such as the crucial 26 March 2003 vote on the war on Iraq, with The Times describing her in 2005 as "a fiercely loyal Labour MP, who has only rebelled against the Government in four out of 1570 votes."
She is an avid theatre-goer and reader of detective fiction
. Since her defeat in 2005, she has recently been attempting to re-enter the Commons, seeking the Labour Party nomination and being shortlisted in the 'safe' Labour seats of Stockton North, Houghton & Sunderland South
, Wigan
, and Stalybridge & Hyde but has not been selected for any of them, despite the support of the Labour-affiliated Unite
union.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
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 Hornsey and Wood Green from 1992
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...
until 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....
, when she lost the seat, despite having previously enjoyed a majority of over 10,500.
During her time in Government, she held several ministerial offices; Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
A Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State is the lowest of three tiers of government minister in the government of the United Kingdom, junior to both a Minister of State and a Secretary of State....
, Department of Trade and Industry, 1997–1998; Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury is a junior Ministerial post in the British Treasury. It is the 4th most significant Ministerial role within the Treasury after the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and the Paymaster General...
, 1999; Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
, Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
, 1999–2001; 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....
, 2001–2002; Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2002-2003.
She was educated at the Jews Free School, Camden Town
Camden Town
-Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...
and Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
Lady Margaret Hall is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located at the end of Norham Gardens in north Oxford. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £34m....
where she achieved a Bachelor of Arts. She trained to be a barrister and was called to the bar at the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
, 1977.
She first stood for Parliament in the 1984 Surrey South-West by-election
South West Surrey by-election, 1984
The South West Surrey by-election, 1984 was a parliamentary by-election held on 3 May 1984 for the British House of Commons constituency of South West Surrey.- Previous MP :...
, before standing in Hornsey and Wood Green in 1987. First elected to Parliament in 1992, she saw her majority soar to 20,500 in 1997 (including polling 26,000 votes more than the Lib Dem candidate
Lynne Featherstone
Lynne Choona Featherstone , is a British Liberal Democrat politician, and the Member of Parliament for Hornsey and Wood Green....
who eventually unseated her). However, by 2001 her majority had almost halved to 10,500, and in 2005 she unexpectedly lost her seat on a large 14.6% swing. Factors in her defeat include her association with many of the government's more unpopular policies, such as the crucial 26 March 2003 vote on the war on Iraq, with The Times describing her in 2005 as "a fiercely loyal Labour MP, who has only rebelled against the Government in four out of 1570 votes."
She is an avid theatre-goer and reader of detective fiction
Detective fiction
Detective fiction is a sub-genre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator , either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder.-In ancient literature:...
. Since her defeat in 2005, she has recently been attempting to re-enter the Commons, seeking the Labour Party nomination and being shortlisted in the 'safe' Labour seats of Stockton North, Houghton & Sunderland South
Houghton and Sunderland South (UK Parliament constituency)
Houghton and Sunderland South is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From 2010, it has elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
, Wigan
Wigan (UK Parliament constituency)
Wigan 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...
, and Stalybridge & Hyde but has not been selected for any of them, despite the support of the Labour-affiliated Unite
Unite the Union
Unite – the Union, known as Unite, is a British and Irish trade union, formed on 1 May 2007, by the merger of Amicus and the Transport and General Workers' Union...
union.