Caroline Flint
Encyclopedia
Caroline Louise Flint is a British Labour Party
politician who has been the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Don Valley
since 1997
. She served as the Minister of State for Housing and Planning in 2008, and later as the Minister for Europe until her resignation in 2009, citing the leadership of Gordon Brown
as a reason. In October 2010, she was elected to the Shadow Cabinet
, and Ed Miliband
appointed her Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. In October 2011 Miliband appointed her Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
in 1977) in Clifden Road, Twickenham
and Richmond Tertiary College
before earning her BA (Hons) in American Literature and History combined with Film Studies from the University of East Anglia
. She joined the Labour Party when she was 17. She was the Women's Officer of the National Organisation of Labour Students from 1982 to 1984.
She began her career with the Inner London Education Authority
, as a management trainee from 1984 to 1985 and a Policy Officer from 1985 to 1987. She was head of the Women's Unit at the NUS from 1988–89, before joining Lambeth Council as an Equal Opportunities Officer from 1989 to 1991, and then Welfare and Staff Development Officer from 1991-93. From 1994 to 1997, she was the Senior Researcher and Political Officer for the GMB Union
.
and has been an MP since 1997. Along with several other Labour women MPs, she is a member of a tap dancing troupe known as the Division Belles.
to Peter Hain
while he was Minister of State
at the Department of Trade and Industry and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
before in 2002 becoming Parliamentary Private Secretary to Dr John Reid, in his capacity as Leader of the House of Commons
and Minister without portfolio
.
Whilst working as Hain's PPS she was criticised by the Government of Gibraltar for allegedly having falsely accused the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar on Sky News of being engaged in "smuggling on a massive scale".
She joined the Government in June 2003 as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office
, before moving in May 2005 to the Department of Health
, with responsibility for Public Health
first as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
and from May 2006 as Minister of State
in the same role.
As Public Health minister she was responsible for managing government programmes concerning radiation exposure, the potential bird flu epidemic, sex education, and the prevention of communicable diseases such as TB
and HIV
, and oversaw campaigns to tackle obesity
, type 2 diabetes, heart disease
, and cancer. She was also due to take charge of the enforcement of the Labour government's ban on smoking
in all public places, but was moved just a couple of days before it came into force.
In February 2007, it was announced that she would be Hazel Blears
' campaign manager in Blears' campaign for the Deputy Leadership election of the Labour Party
following John Prescott
's resignation. Blears did not win, finishing sixth in the Deputy Leadership election, but her conduct during the campaign was rewarded with the Cabinet Post of Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
In the Cabinet reshuffle of 29 June 2007 Caroline Flint moved to the Department for Work and Pensions
where she served as the Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform. Flint was also appointed to the new position of Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber. On 24 January 2008, Flint was promoted to Minister of State for Housing and Planning, and as a result would now attend Cabinet meetings. She was also appointed a member of the Privy Council and she relinquished her role as regional minister.
In February 2008, she suggested unemployed council tenants should 'actively seek work', as a condition of their occupancy. In May 2008 she inadvertently revealed grim forecasts for the future of house prices when she was photographed walking into Downing Street with her briefing papers visible. Close inspection revealed that her document read: "We can't tell how bad it will get."
She was moved to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
in the October 2008 reshuffle, to become Minister for Europe.
On 31 March 2009 she admitted that she had not read the Lisbon Treaty, the controversial document which codifies the rules of the European Union
. Critics described her admission as "extraordinary" and "unbelievable," particularly given that the minister's responsibilities include overseeing the introduction of the Treaty.
was running a "two-tier government", and that she felt that she had been treated as "female window dressing". An article published by the Daily Mail characterised this position as in conflict with Flint's decision to pose for Observer Woman Magazine. After the photoshoot Flint commented that her looks were a double edged sword and that male colleagues would not be judged in the same way. Only the day before her resignation she had professed her loyalty to the Prime Minister
. Flint renewed her attack on Gordon Brown in a newspaper article on 7 June 2009, she told The Observer that she was not ashamed of the glamorous photoshoot which had upset Downing Street. She launched a broadside against the Prime Minister, complaining of "this constant pressure, this negative bullying".
professional. They live in Flint's Don Valley constituency. Between them they have three children - a son from Cole's former relationship and a son and daughter from Flint's first marriage to Saief Zammel, a Tunisian stockbroker. Flint obtained a divorce in 1990 after Zammel was arrested on charges of violent disorder and was subsequently deported.
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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 has been 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 Don Valley
Don Valley (UK Parliament constituency)
Don Valley is a parliamentary constituency which returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.Created in 1918, Don Valley is a former coal mining area which has elected only Labour MPs since 1922...
since 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...
. She served as the Minister of State for Housing and Planning in 2008, and later as the Minister for Europe until her resignation in 2009, citing the leadership of 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...
as a reason. In October 2010, she was elected to the Shadow Cabinet
Labour Party (UK) Shadow Cabinet election, 2010
The Commons members of the Parliamentary Labour Party elected 19 members of the Shadow Cabinet from among their number in 2010. This follows the Labour Party's defeat in the 2010 general election, after which the party formed the Official Opposition in the United Kingdom.A separate election for...
, and Ed Miliband
Ed Miliband
Edward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition...
appointed her Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. In October 2011 Miliband appointed her Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
Early life
Flint was educated at Twickenham Girls School (the school transferred to Waldegrave School for GirlsWaldegrave School for Girls
Waldegrave School for Girls is a girls comprehensive secondary school Science College in Twickenham, London, England.-Description:Waldegrave School for Girls is part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames LEA...
in 1977) in Clifden Road, Twickenham
Twickenham
Twickenham is a large suburban town southwest of central London. It is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan...
and Richmond Tertiary College
Richmond upon Thames College
Richmond upon Thames College is a further education college in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, which provides education primarily to 16-19 year olds...
before earning her BA (Hons) in American Literature and History combined with Film Studies from the University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
. She joined the Labour Party when she was 17. She was the Women's Officer of the National Organisation of Labour Students from 1982 to 1984.
She began her career with the Inner London Education Authority
Inner London Education Authority
The Inner London Education Authority was the education authority for the 12 inner London boroughs from 1965 until its abolition in 1990.-History:...
, as a management trainee from 1984 to 1985 and a Policy Officer from 1985 to 1987. She was head of the Women's Unit at the NUS from 1988–89, before joining Lambeth Council as an Equal Opportunities Officer from 1989 to 1991, and then Welfare and Staff Development Officer from 1991-93. From 1994 to 1997, she was the Senior Researcher and Political Officer for the GMB Union
GMB Union
The GMB is a general trade union in the United Kingdom, and has more than 600,000 members. Its members are drawn from many sectors, with particular strength amongst manual workers in local government and the health service...
.
Member of Parliament
Flint is a member of the Fabian SocietyFabian Society
The Fabian Society is a British socialist movement, whose purpose is to advance the principles of democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist, rather than revolutionary, means. It is best known for its initial ground-breaking work beginning late in the 19th century and continuing up to World...
and has been an MP since 1997. Along with several other Labour women MPs, she is a member of a tap dancing troupe known as the Division Belles.
In Government
In 1999, she became 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 Peter Hain
Peter Hain
Peter Gerald Hain is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for the Welsh constituency of Neath since 1991, and has served in the Cabinets of both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, firstly as Leader of the House of Commons under Blair and both Secretary of State for...
while he was 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...
at the Department of Trade and Industry and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
before in 2002 becoming Parliamentary Private Secretary to Dr John Reid, in his capacity as Leader of the House of Commons
Leader of the House of Commons
The Leader of the House of Commons is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Commons...
and Minister without portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
.
Whilst working as Hain's PPS she was criticised by the Government of Gibraltar for allegedly having falsely accused the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar on Sky News of being engaged in "smuggling on a massive scale".
She joined the Government in June 2003 as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the 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,...
, before moving in May 2005 to the Department of Health
Department of Health (United Kingdom)
The Department of Health is a department of the United Kingdom government with responsibility for government policy for health and social care matters and for the National Health Service in England along with a few elements of the same matters which are not otherwise devolved to the Scottish,...
, with responsibility for Public Health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
first as 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....
and from May 2006 as 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...
in the same role.
As Public Health minister she was responsible for managing government programmes concerning radiation exposure, the potential bird flu epidemic, sex education, and the prevention of communicable diseases such as TB
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
and HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
, and oversaw campaigns to tackle obesity
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
, type 2 diabetes, heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
, and cancer. She was also due to take charge of the enforcement of the Labour government's ban on smoking
Smoking ban in England
A smoking ban in England and Wales, making it illegal to smoke in all enclosed public places and enclosed work places in England, came into force on 1 July 2007 as a consequence of the Health Act 2006...
in all public places, but was moved just a couple of days before it came into force.
In February 2007, it was announced that she would be Hazel Blears
Hazel Blears
Hazel Anne Blears is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Salford and Eccles since 2010 and was previously the MP for Salford since 1997...
' campaign manager in Blears' campaign for the Deputy Leadership election of the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK) deputy leadership election, 2007
The 2007 Labour Party deputy leadership election was a British political party election for the position of deputy leader of the Labour Party. John Prescott, the previous deputy leader, announced on 10 May 2007 that he was standing down from that position and that he would be leaving as deputy...
following John Prescott
John Prescott
John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
's resignation. Blears did not win, finishing sixth in the Deputy Leadership election, but her conduct during the campaign was rewarded with the Cabinet Post of Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
In the Cabinet reshuffle of 29 June 2007 Caroline Flint moved to the Department for Work and Pensions
Department for Work and Pensions
The Department for Work and Pensions is the largest government department in the United Kingdom, created on June 8, 2001 from the merger of the employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security and headed by the Secretary of State for Work and...
where she served as the Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform. Flint was also appointed to the new position of Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber. On 24 January 2008, Flint was promoted to Minister of State for Housing and Planning, and as a result would now attend Cabinet meetings. She was also appointed a member of the Privy Council and she relinquished her role as regional minister.
In February 2008, she suggested unemployed council tenants should 'actively seek work', as a condition of their occupancy. In May 2008 she inadvertently revealed grim forecasts for the future of house prices when she was photographed walking into Downing Street with her briefing papers visible. Close inspection revealed that her document read: "We can't tell how bad it will get."
She was moved to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
in the October 2008 reshuffle, to become Minister for Europe.
On 31 March 2009 she admitted that she had not read the Lisbon Treaty, the controversial document which codifies the rules of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. Critics described her admission as "extraordinary" and "unbelievable," particularly given that the minister's responsibilities include overseeing the introduction of the Treaty.
Resignation
Flint resigned after the Cabinet reshuffle of 5 June 2009. She resigned claiming Gordon BrownGordon 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...
was running a "two-tier government", and that she felt that she had been treated as "female window dressing". An article published by the Daily Mail characterised this position as in conflict with Flint's decision to pose for Observer Woman Magazine. After the photoshoot Flint commented that her looks were a double edged sword and that male colleagues would not be judged in the same way. Only the day before her resignation she had professed her loyalty to the Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
. Flint renewed her attack on Gordon Brown in a newspaper article on 7 June 2009, she told The Observer that she was not ashamed of the glamorous photoshoot which had upset Downing Street. She launched a broadside against the Prime Minister, complaining of "this constant pressure, this negative bullying".
Expenses
In 2005, Flint claimed her constituency home in Sprotbrough as her second home, and a house in outer London as her main home. She sold her outer London home to buy a flat in Victoria, London in 2006. To buy the flat, Flint claimed £1,000 solicitors fees and £12,750 in stamp duty on allowances; the Fees Office paid £7,700 of the claim. The Victoria flat became her second home and her constituency property her main residence. Flint was one of 98 MPs who voted in favour of legislation which would have kept MPs expense details secret. In an investigation in MPs claims she was ordered to repay £572 in over-claimed expenses by Sir Thomas Legg.Personal life
In July 2001 she married her longtime boyfriend, Phil Cole, a former Labour Party regional officer and public relationsPublic relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
professional. They live in Flint's Don Valley constituency. Between them they have three children - a son from Cole's former relationship and a son and daughter from Flint's first marriage to Saief Zammel, a Tunisian stockbroker. Flint obtained a divorce in 1990 after Zammel was arrested on charges of violent disorder and was subsequently deported.
External links
- Caroline Flint MP Official constituency website
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