Mary Honeyball
Encyclopedia
Mary Hilda Rosamund Honeyball (born 12 November 1952 in Weymouth, Dorset) is a Member of the European Parliament
for the Labour Party
representing London
. She has been a member of the European Parliament
since 2000. Seventh on Labour's 1999 list, she had not been elected in the European Parliament Election, 1999
, but replaced Pauline Green
who resigned as an MEP in November 1999.
, the charity for single parent families. She was also a councillor in the London Borough of Barnet
from 1978 to 1986. Honeyball unsuccessfully contested Norwich North for Labour in 1987.
Honeyball was Chair of the Greater London Labour Party Women's Committee during the 1980s and spent three years as Treasurer of Emily's List
, an organisation that helps pro-choice
Labour women campaign for seats in Parliament.
Honeyball is the UK Labour representative in the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee in the European Parliament. and Socialist & Democrat group co-ordinator on the Parliament's Culture and Education committee. She is also a regular blogger on women's rights, religion and politics.
When commenting on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill in May 2008, Honeyball asked whether ministers should be allowed to sit on the front bench of government if they are committed Roman Catholics. In the same article, Honeyball also said that Catholicism exercised a "vice-like grip" on the legislative processes over large parts of Continental Europe, blocking women in Ireland and Portugal's right to abortion. A number of Labour figures objected to these comments, and they were cited as a contributory reason for the resignation of Conor McGinn, the vice chairman of Young Labour
, who described it as a "sectarian diatribe".
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
for the 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...
representing London
London (European Parliament constituency)
London is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 8 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :The constituency corresponds to Greater London, in the south east of the United Kingdom....
. She has been a member of 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...
since 2000. Seventh on Labour's 1999 list, she had not been elected in the European Parliament Election, 1999
European Parliament election, 1999 (UK)
The European Parliament Election, 1999 was the UK part of the European Parliament election 1999. It was held on 10 June. It was the first European election to be held in the United Kingdom using a system of proportional representation. The European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999 introduced the...
, but replaced Pauline Green
Pauline Green
Dame Pauline Green DBE is a former Labour and Co-operative Member of the European Parliament and former Leader of the Parliamentary Group of the Party of European Socialists...
who resigned as an MEP in November 1999.
Biography
Before her election to the European Parliament, Honeyball's career was in the charitable and non-governmental sector. During the 1980s she ran the Council for Voluntary Service in the London Borough of Newham, before going on to work as a Senior Manager for SCOPE, the cerebral palsy charity. She was later the General Secretary of the Association of Chief Officers of Probation from 1994 to 1998, and prior to that Chief Executive of GingerbreadGingerbread
Gingerbread is a term used to describe a variety of sweet food products, which can range from a soft, moist loaf cake to something close to a ginger biscuit. What they have in common are the predominant flavors of ginger and a tendency to use honey or molasses rather than just sugar...
, the charity for single parent families. She was also a councillor in the London Borough of Barnet
London Borough of Barnet
The London Borough of Barnet is a London borough in North London and forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 331,500 and covers . It borders Hertfordshire to the north and five other London boroughs: Harrow and Brent to the west, Camden and Haringey to the south-east and Enfield to the...
from 1978 to 1986. Honeyball unsuccessfully contested Norwich North for Labour in 1987.
Honeyball was Chair of the Greater London Labour Party Women's Committee during the 1980s and spent three years as Treasurer of Emily's List
EMILY's List
EMILY's List is a political action committee in the United States that aims to help elect female candidates to office. It was founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1984....
, an organisation that helps pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
Labour women campaign for seats in Parliament.
Honeyball is the UK Labour representative in the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee in the European Parliament. and Socialist & Democrat group co-ordinator on the Parliament's Culture and Education committee. She is also a regular blogger on women's rights, religion and politics.
When commenting on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill in May 2008, Honeyball asked whether ministers should be allowed to sit on the front bench of government if they are committed Roman Catholics. In the same article, Honeyball also said that Catholicism exercised a "vice-like grip" on the legislative processes over large parts of Continental Europe, blocking women in Ireland and Portugal's right to abortion. A number of Labour figures objected to these comments, and they were cited as a contributory reason for the resignation of Conor McGinn, the vice chairman of Young Labour
Young Labour
Young Labour can refer to three youth organizations of Labour Parties.*Young Labour , youth wing of the Labour Party*Young Labour , youth wing of the New Zealand Labour Party...
, who described it as a "sectarian diatribe".