Charlotte Atkins
Encyclopedia
Charlotte Jean Scott Atkins (born 24 September 1950) is a British
Labour Party
politician who was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Staffordshire Moorlands
from 1997
until 2010.
, the former left wing Labour MP for Preston North
, Atkins was educated at the Colchester County High School
, and is a graduate of the London School of Economics
, gaining a BSc
in Economics. From the University of London, she also gained an MA
in Area Studies She worked as a community relations officer with the Luton
Community Research Council from 1974-6, before joining the Trade Union
Movement. For four years she was a researcher with the UCATT union
from 1976–80, then a researcher from 1980-4 for the TASS and AUEW
, before becoming a press officer for UNISON
and COHSE
from 1984-7.
She joined the Labour Party in 1965. In 1982 she was elected as a councillor in the London Borough of Wandsworth
, and was the Deputy Leader of the Labour Group from 1983-6. In 1981 she wrote a book with Chris Mullin
entitled How to Select or Reselect Your MP.
caused by the assassination of the Conservative
MP Ian Gow
by the Provisional IRA
. She entered the House of Commons at the 1997 general election
in the Labour landslide as the Member of Parliament for Staffordshire Moorlands, a seat held previously by David Knox
and which had been Conservative for 27 years.
After the 2001 general election
Atkins was appointed a Parliamentary Private Secretary
to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
. She was promoted to Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport
in 2004, but was dropped after the 2005 general election
. In July 2005 she became a member of the Health Select Committee
.
Atkins was largely loyal to the Labour government during her time in Parliament and rarely rebelled.
Atkins was Vice-Chair of the All-Party Hill Farmers Group, and took part in a series of adjournment debate
s on government funding for inland waterways
. She is a volunteer for the Manchester-based British Fluoridisation Society.
Atkins lost her seat at the 2010 general election to Karen Bradley
of the Conservative Party
.
and has one daughter, Emma (born October 1986).
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 Staffordshire Moorlands
Staffordshire Moorlands (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 2000s:Source:-Elections in the 1990s:-Notes and references:...
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 2010.
Early life
The daughter of Ron AtkinsRonald Atkins
Ronald Henry Atkins is a British Labour Party politician. At 93 years of age, Ronald Atkins was the eldest member of Preston City Council, until he stepped down in 2010....
, the former left wing Labour MP for Preston North
Preston North (UK Parliament constituency)
Preston North was a parliamentary constituency in Lancashire, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
, Atkins was educated at the Colchester County High School
Colchester County High School
Colchester County High School for Girls is a selective girls' grammar school with academy status in Colchester. The school consistently scores highly in the league tables for the UK. Entrance to year 7 is by an academic selection test, the eleven plus...
, and is a graduate of the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, gaining a BSc
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Economics. From the University of London, she also gained 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 Area Studies She worked as a community relations officer with the Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
Community Research Council from 1974-6, before joining the Trade Union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
Movement. For four years she was a researcher with the UCATT union
Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians
The Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians is a British and Irish trade union which represents, as of December 2009, 127,433 workers in construction and allied trades, an increase of nearly 17,000 since 2003....
from 1976–80, then a researcher from 1980-4 for the TASS and AUEW
Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union
The Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union was a British trade union. It merged with the MSF to form Amicus in 2001.The history of the union can be traced back to the formation of the "Old Mechanics" of 1826, which grew into the Amalgamated Society of Engineers in 1851...
, before becoming a press officer for UNISON
UNISON
UNISON is the largest trade union in the United Kingdom with over 1.3 million members.The union was formed in 1993 when three public sector trade unions, the National and Local Government Officers Association , the National Union of Public Employees and the Confederation of Health Service...
and COHSE
Confederation of Health Service Employees
The Confederation of Health Service Employees was a United Kingdom trade union representing workers primarily in the National Health Service...
from 1984-7.
She joined the Labour Party in 1965. In 1982 she was elected as a councillor in the London Borough of Wandsworth
London Borough of Wandsworth
The London Borough of Wandsworth is a London borough in southwest London, England, and forms part of Inner London.-History:The borough was formed in 1965 from the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea and much of the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth, but...
, and was the Deputy Leader of the Labour Group from 1983-6. In 1981 she wrote a book with Chris Mullin
Chris Mullin (politician)
Christopher John Mullin is a British Labour Party politician and diarist who was the Member of Parliament for Sunderland South from 1987 to 2010...
entitled How to Select or Reselect Your MP.
Parliamentary career
In 1990 Atkins unsuccessfully contested the Eastbourne by-electionEastbourne by-election, 1990
The Eastbourne by-election, 1990 was a by-election held on 18 October 1990 for the British House of Commons constituency of Eastbourne in East Sussex....
caused by the assassination of the 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...
MP Ian Gow
Ian Gow
Ian Reginald Edward Gow TD was a British Conservative politician and solicitor. While serving as Member of Parliament for Eastbourne, he was assassinated by the Provisional Irish Republican Army who exploded a bomb under his car outside his home in East Sussex.-Life:Ian Gow was born at 3 Upper...
by the Provisional IRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
. She entered the House of Commons at the 1997 general election
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...
in the Labour landslide as the Member of Parliament for Staffordshire Moorlands, a seat held previously by David Knox
David Knox (UK politician)
Sir David Laidlaw Knox is a British Conservative Party politician. He was the Conservative MP for Leek, Staffordshire from 1970 to 1983, and for Staffordshire Moorlands from 1983 to 1997, when he retired....
and which had been Conservative for 27 years.
After the 2001 general 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...
Atkins was appointed a Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary 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 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...
. She was promoted to Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
in 2004, but was dropped after 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 July 2005 she became a member of the Health Select Committee
Health Select Committee
The Health Select Committee is one of the Select Committees of the British House of Commons. It oversees the operations of the Department of Health and its associated bodies.-Membership:...
.
Atkins was largely loyal to the Labour government during her time in Parliament and rarely rebelled.
Atkins was Vice-Chair of the All-Party Hill Farmers Group, and took part in a series of adjournment debate
Adjournment debate
In the Westminster system, an adjournment debate is a debate on the motion, "That this House do now adjourn." In practice, this is a way of enabling the House to have a debate on a subject without considering a substantive motion.- Types of debate :...
s on government funding for inland waterways
British Waterways
British Waterways is a statutory corporation wholly owned by the government of the United Kingdom, serving as the navigation authority in England, Scotland and Wales for the vast majority of the canals as well as a number of rivers and docks...
. She is a volunteer for the Manchester-based British Fluoridisation Society.
Atkins lost her seat at the 2010 general election to Karen Bradley
Karen Bradley
Karen Anne Bradley is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Staffordshire Moorlands, elected at the 2010 general election....
of the Conservative Party
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...
.
Personal life
She married Gus Brain in June 1990 in BromleyBromley
Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
and has one daughter, Emma (born October 1986).
Publications
- How to Select or Reselect Your Member of Parliament by Chris Mullin and Charlotte Atkins, 1981, Institute of Workers' Control ISBN 0-901740-74-8
External links
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Charlotte Atkins MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Charlotte Atkins MP
- Official Website
- IWA Parliamentarian of the Year
- BBC Politics