Linda Gilroy
Encyclopedia
Linda Gilroy is a British
Labour Co-operative
politician who was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Plymouth Sutton from 1997
until her defeat at the 2010 general election by the Conservative Party
candidate, Oliver Colvile
.
in Exeter
, Devon
and then Stirling High School
, before attending the University of Edinburgh
where she was awarded a master's degree
in history
in 1971. She finished her education at the University of Strathclyde
where she received a postgraduate
diploma in secretarial studies
in 1972.
She joined Age Concern
Scotland (now Age UK), in 1972, leaving in 1979 as a deputy director to join the Gas Consumer Council
as a regional manager for the South West of England
, in which capacity she founded the Devon and Cornwall
energy efficiency
centre, before she left in 1996.
in 1987-8, and was elected chairwoman of the Cornwall Labour Party for four years from 1990. She unsuccessfully contested Cornwall South East at the 1992 General Election
where she finished in third place some 25,029 votes behind the sitting Conservative
MP Robert Hicks. She also contested the European Parliament
elections in 1994 when she was defeated at Devon East and Plymouth.
Gilroy was selected to stand for Labour in the 1997 election through an all-women shortlist
. This method of selection was subsequently declared illegal in January 1996 as it breached sex discrimination laws. Despite the ruling she remained in place as the candidate for the following year's election.
She was elected to the House of Commons at the 1997 General Election
for Plymouth Sutton with a majority of 9,440 and made her maiden speech
on 27 October 1997.http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmhansrd/vo971027/debtext/71027-27.htm#71027-27_spnew1
She was re-elected at the 2001
and the 2005 General Elections
. Linda Gilroy contested the 2010 General Election in the newly created seat of Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, however lost she the seat to Oliver Colvile
, who won the seat with a majority of just 1,149 votes.
In parliament
she was a member of the European legislation select committee from 1997 until after the 2001 General Election
when she was appointed as the Parliamentary Private Secretary
to the Minister of State
at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Raynsford
. She has been a member of the defence
select committee since the 2005 General Election
. She was a loyal MP: as at August 2006 she had rebelled in just seven of 2,300 votes made. Her attendance record was 80%.
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 Co-operative
Labour Co-operative
Labour and Co-operative describes those candidates in British elections standing on behalf of both the Labour Party and the Co-operative Party, based on a national agreement between the two parties....
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 Plymouth Sutton 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 her defeat at the 2010 general election by 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...
candidate, Oliver Colvile
Oliver Colvile
Oliver Newton Colvile is the ConservativeMember of Parliament for Plymouth Sutton & Devonport. He won the seat from the Labour candidate Linda Gilroy at the May 2010 general election.-Background:...
.
Early life
Born Linda Wade Jarvie and educated privately at the Maynard SchoolThe Maynard School
The Maynard School is an independent and selective day school for girls aged 7–18 in the city of Exeter in Devon. It is one of the leading girls day schools in the UK, with an excellent academic reputation in both public exams and university entrance. Currently, there are approximately 420 day...
in Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
and then Stirling High School
Stirling High School
Stirling High School is a state high school for 11-18 year olds run by Stirling Council in Stirling, Scotland. It is one of seven high schools in the Stirling district, and currently has approximately 972 pupils attending...
, before attending the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
where she was awarded a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
in 1971. She finished her education at the University of Strathclyde
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde , Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university...
where she received a postgraduate
Postgraduate education
Postgraduate education involves learning and studying for degrees or other qualifications for which a first or Bachelor's degree generally is required, and is normally considered to be part of higher education...
diploma in secretarial studies
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
in 1972.
She joined Age Concern
Age Concern
Age Concern was the banner title used by a number of charitable organisations specifically concerned with the needs and interests of all older people based chiefly in the four countries of the United Kingdom....
Scotland (now Age UK), in 1972, leaving in 1979 as a deputy director to join the Gas Consumer Council
British Gas plc
British Gas plc was formerly the monopoly gas supplier and is a private sector in the United Kingdom.- History :In the early 1900s the gas market in the United Kingdom was mainly run by county councils and small private firms...
as a regional manager for the South West of England
South West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
, in which capacity she founded the Devon and Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
energy efficiency
Efficient energy use
Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature...
centre, before she left in 1996.
Politics
She was elected as the secretary to the Plymouth Drake Constituency Labour PartyConstituency Labour Party
A Constituency Labour Party is an organisation of members of the British Labour Party who live in a particular UK parliamentary constituency in England, Scotland and Wales. The Labour Party in Northern Ireland has, since February 2009, been organised as a province-wide Constituency Labour Party...
in 1987-8, and was elected chairwoman of the Cornwall Labour Party for four years from 1990. She unsuccessfully contested Cornwall South East at the 1992 General Election
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...
where she finished in third place some 25,029 votes behind the sitting 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 Robert Hicks. She also contested the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
elections in 1994 when she was defeated at Devon East and Plymouth.
Gilroy was selected to stand for Labour in the 1997 election 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...
. This method of selection was subsequently declared illegal in January 1996 as it breached sex discrimination laws. Despite the ruling she remained in place as the candidate for the following year's election.
She was elected to 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...
for Plymouth Sutton with a majority of 9,440 and made her maiden speech
Maiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
on 27 October 1997.http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmhansrd/vo971027/debtext/71027-27.htm#71027-27_spnew1
She was re-elected at the 2001
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...
and the 2005 General Elections
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....
. Linda Gilroy contested the 2010 General Election in the newly created seat of Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, however lost she the seat to Oliver Colvile
Oliver Colvile
Oliver Newton Colvile is the ConservativeMember of Parliament for Plymouth Sutton & Devonport. He won the seat from the Labour candidate Linda Gilroy at the May 2010 general election.-Background:...
, who won the seat with a majority of just 1,149 votes.
In parliament
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
she was a member of the European legislation select committee from 1997 until 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...
when she was appointed as the 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 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 Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Raynsford
Nick Raynsford
Wyvill Richard Nicolls Raynsford , known as Nick Raynsford, is a British Labour Party politician. A government minister from 1997 to 2005, he has been the Member of Parliament for Greenwich & Woolwich since 1997, having previously been MP for Greenwich from 1992 to 1997, and for Fulham from 1986...
. She has been a member of the defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
select committee since 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....
. She was a loyal MP: as at August 2006 she had rebelled in just seven of 2,300 votes made. Her attendance record was 80%.
Personal life
She lives in Plymouth beside Sutton Harbour and has been married to Bernard Gilroy since 1987, they have no children.External links
- Linda Gilroy MP official site
- Labour Party - Linda Gilroy MP official biography
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Linda Gilroy MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Linda Gilroy MP
- The Public Whip - Linda Gilroy MP voting record
- BBC News - Linda Gilroy profile 10 February 2005