Gillian Merron
Encyclopedia
Gillian Joanna Merron was a British
Labour Party
politician, who was also the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Lincoln
from 1997
to 2010. From 2009 to 2010 she was Minister of State
with responsibility for Public Health at the Department of Health
.
, Essex
, and educated at Wanstead High School
in Wanstead
in east London. She went on to attend Lancaster University Management School
, gaining a BSc
(Hons) in Management Sciences. She worked as a local government officer, and a UNISON
and NUPE
union official.
Merron joined the Labour party in 1984. Before becoming an MP, Merron was the vice 'chair' for the regional Labour Party executive.
She co-ordinated the shadow cabinet central region campaign in the 1992 General Election and the 1994 European Parliamentary Election.
(PPC) through an all-women shortlist
, a method of selection subsequently declared illegal in January 1996, as it breached sex discrimination laws. Despite the ruling, she retained her PPC status, and was elected to the House of Commons in May 1997 with a majority of 11,130. From 1997 until 2007, when Quentin Davies
defected to the Labour Party, she was Lincolnshire's only Labour MP - and the first since Margaret Beckett
had the seat in 1979. In the 2005 general election, her majority was 4,613. She lost her seat to the Conservative candidate Karl McCartney
in the 2010 General Election.
From October 2002 until May 2006, she was a government whip
and Lord Commissioner of the Treasury. She then moved to the Department for Transport
, where she worked until the reshuffle on 29 June 2007, when she became a minister at the Cabinet Office
and the first ever minister
of the East Midlands
.
Following Peter Hain
's resignation on 24 January 2008, Merron was reshuffled again, becoming a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for International Development
, leaving both of her previous roles. Following Gordon Brown
's next reshuffle on 5 October 2008, Merron was moved to the Foreign Office in the same post, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
. A promotion to Minister of State
soon followed, with Merron moving to the Department of Health
to take on responsibility for Public Health.
Merron has followed the party line in votes on equal gay rights, the hunting ban, foundation hospitals, a ban on smoking in public places, the Iraq war,'laws to stop climate change' and The Digital Economy Bill.
She has held the following positions:
's bill to keep their expenses and correspondence secret.
On 19 June 2009, MP's expenses were revealed (heavily edited) on the Internet. Merron received criticism for purchasing a television, television stand, home theatre kit, and numerous other goods. She claimed "The majority of claims I make directly pay for professional staff, office costs, communication with constituents, and travel. I do not have a second job, do not employ any family members or friends, nor have I taken the annual increase in ministerial salary."
In the aftermath of the United Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal
, Sir Thomas Legg
recommended that Gillian Merron repay £6,305.17.
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 also 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 Lincoln
Lincoln (UK Parliament constituency)
Lincoln is a borough 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....
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...
to 2010. From 2009 to 2010 she 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...
with responsibility for Public Health at 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,...
.
Personal life
Merron was born in IlfordIlford
Ilford is a large cosmopolitan town in East London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Redbridge. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It forms a significant commercial and retail...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, and educated at Wanstead High School
Wanstead High School
Wanstead High School , formerly Wanstead County High School, is a co-educational, non-denominational, comprehensive high school in Wanstead, London, United Kingdom.-Admissions:...
in Wanstead
Wanstead
Wanstead is a suburban area in the London Borough of Redbridge, North-East London. The main road going through Wanstead is the A12. The name is from the Anglo-Saxon words wænn and stede, meaning "settlement on a small hill"....
in east London. She went on to attend Lancaster University Management School
Lancaster University Management School
Lancaster University Management School in Lancaster, England, is the business school of Lancaster University. The School was established in 1964. A full range of subjects are taught, ranging from undergraduate degrees to postgraduate degrees including MBAs, PhDs and post-experience executive...
, gaining a BSc
BSC
BSC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:Science and technology* Bachelor of Science , an undergraduate degree* Base Station Controller, part of a mobile phone network; see: Base Station subsystem...
(Hons) in Management Sciences. She worked as a local government officer, and a 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 NUPE
Nupe
The Nupe, traditionally called the Tapa by the neighbouring Yoruba, are an ethnic group located primarily in the Middle Belt and northern Nigeria, and are the dominant group in Niger and an important minority in Kwara State.-History:...
union official.
Merron joined the Labour party in 1984. Before becoming an MP, Merron was the vice 'chair' for the regional Labour Party executive.
She co-ordinated the shadow cabinet central region campaign in the 1992 General Election and the 1994 European Parliamentary Election.
Parliament
Merron was made a prospective parliamentary candidateProspective parliamentary candidate
Prospective parliamentary candidate is a term used in British politics to refer to candidates selected by political parties to fight individual constituencies in advance of a general election. This terminology was motivated by the strict limits on the amount of expenses incurred by an actual...
(PPC) 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...
, a method of selection subsequently declared illegal in January 1996, as it breached sex discrimination laws. Despite the ruling, she retained her PPC status, and was elected to the House of Commons in May 1997 with a majority of 11,130. From 1997 until 2007, when Quentin Davies
Quentin Davies
John Quentin Davies, Baron Davies of Stamford is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Grantham and Stamford from 1987 to 2010. Originally elected as a Conservative, he defected to Labour on 26 June 2007. Davies announced in 2010 that he would not stand for...
defected to the Labour Party, she was Lincolnshire's only Labour MP - and the first since Margaret Beckett
Margaret Beckett
Margaret Mary Beckett is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Derby South since 1983, rising to become the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party under John Smith, from 18 July 1992 to 12 May 1994, and briefly serving as Leader of the Party following Smith's death...
had the seat in 1979. In the 2005 general election, her majority was 4,613. She lost her seat to the Conservative candidate Karl McCartney
Karl McCartney
Karl Ian McCartney is a politician in the United Kingdom. He is Conservative Party member of Parliament for Lincoln, and was first elected in 2010.-Biography:...
in the 2010 General Election.
From October 2002 until May 2006, she was a government whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
and Lord Commissioner of the Treasury. She then moved to 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...
, where she worked until the reshuffle on 29 June 2007, when she became a minister at 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 the first ever minister
Regional minister
In England, regional ministers were appointed from 2007 on a part-time basis as part of the Government of the United Kingdom. Each minister had other departmental responsibilities, as well as specific responsibilities for one of the English regions...
of the East Midlands
East Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
.
Following 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...
's resignation on 24 January 2008, Merron was reshuffled again, becoming a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for International Development
Department for International Development
The Department For International Development is a United Kingdom government department with a Cabinet Minister in charge. It was separated from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1997. The goal of the department is "to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty". The current...
, leaving both of her previous roles. Following 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...
's next reshuffle on 5 October 2008, Merron was moved to the Foreign Office in the same post, 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....
. A promotion to 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...
soon followed, with Merron moving 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,...
to take on responsibility for Public Health.
Merron has followed the party line in votes on equal gay rights, the hunting ban, foundation hospitals, a ban on smoking in public places, the Iraq war,'laws to stop climate change' and The Digital Economy Bill.
She has held the following positions:
- July 1998-July 1999 - Parliamentary Private Secretary to Doug HendersonDoug HendersonDouglas John "Doug" Henderson is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Newcastle North from 1987 until 2010.-Early life:...
as Minister of State for the Armed Forces - July 1999-June 2001 - Parliamentary Private Secretary to Baroness Symons as Minister of State for Defence Procurement
- June 2001-October 2002 - Parliamentary Private Secretary to John Reid as Secretary of State for Northern IrelandSecretary of State for Northern IrelandThe Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, informally the Northern Ireland Secretary, is the principal secretary of state in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State is a Minister of the Crown who is accountable to the Parliament of...
- October 2002-December 2004 - Assistant Government Whip
- December 2004-May 2006 - Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury & Government Whip
- May 2006-June 2007 - Parliamentary under Secretary of State at the Department for TransportDepartment for TransportIn 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...
- June 2007-January 2008 - Parliamentary under Secretary of State at the Cabinet OfficeCabinet OfficeThe Cabinet Office is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom....
- January 2008-October 2008 - Parliamentary under Secretary of State at the Department for International DevelopmentDepartment for International DevelopmentThe Department For International Development is a United Kingdom government department with a Cabinet Minister in charge. It was separated from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1997. The goal of the department is "to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty". The current...
- October 2008-June 2009 - Parliamentary under Secretary of State at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office
- June 2009– May 2010 - Minister of State for Public Health
Expenses
Merron MP's expense claims have always been higher than average. She is one of 98 MPs who voted to support Conservative MP David MacleanDavid Maclean
David John Maclean, Baron Blencathra is a Conservative Party life peer. He was the Member of Parliament for Penrith and The Border from 1983 to 2010.-Biography:...
's bill to keep their expenses and correspondence secret.
On 19 June 2009, MP's expenses were revealed (heavily edited) on the Internet. Merron received criticism for purchasing a television, television stand, home theatre kit, and numerous other goods. She claimed "The majority of claims I make directly pay for professional staff, office costs, communication with constituents, and travel. I do not have a second job, do not employ any family members or friends, nor have I taken the annual increase in ministerial salary."
In the aftermath of the United Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal
United Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal
The United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal was a major political scandal triggered by the leak and subsequent publication by the Telegraph Group in 2009 of expense claims made by members of the United Kingdom Parliament over several years...
, Sir Thomas Legg
Thomas Legg
Sir Thomas Stuart Legg, KCB, QC , is a senior former British civil servant, who was Permanent Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department and Clerk of the Crown in Chancery, United Kingdom, 1989-1998.-Biography:...
recommended that Gillian Merron repay £6,305.17.