Laura Pidcock
Laura Pidcock | |
---|---|
![]() Official portrait, 2017 | |
Shadow Secretary of State for Employment Rights | |
In office 10 September 2019 – 12 December 2019 | |
Leader | Jeremy Corbyn |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Rachael Maskell |
Shadow Minister for Labour | |
In office 12 January 2018 – 12 December 2019 | |
Leader | Jeremy Corbyn |
Preceded by | Jack Dromey |
Succeeded by | Office abolished |
Member of Parliament for North West Durham | |
In office 8 June 2017 – 6 November 2019 | |
Preceded by | Pat Glass |
Succeeded by | Richard Holden |
Personal details | |
Born | North Shields, England, UK | 19 August 1987
Nationality | British |
Political party | Labour |
Domestic partner | Daniel Kebede |
Children | 1 |
Residence | Lanchester, England, UK |
Alma mater | Manchester Metropolitan University |
Profession | Politician |
Laura Pidcock (born 19 August 1987) is a British Labour Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for North West Durham from 2017 until 2019.[1] when she lost her seat. She was the Shadow Secretary of State for Employment Rights in Jeremy Corbyn's Shadow Cabinet.[2] In the 2019 parliamentary election, she lost her seat to the Conservative Richard Holden, who won the constituency with a majority of 1,144.
Pidcock was elected to the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party in November 2020.[3]
Early life and career[]
Pidcock was born in North Shields, North Tyneside and raised in New Hartley and Seaton Delaval, Northumberland.[4] Her parents were both active in politics. Her mother Mary was a social worker while her father Bernard was an office manager[5] who sat on Northumberland County Council from 2008 until his death in February 2019.[6] Aged just 3, Pidcock recollects attending demonstrations with her parents against then-Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, and against the apartheid system in South Africa.[7] Pidcock has stated, "From a very, very young age I was taught to see everything through a political lens and through a class lens", and that at school she was known as "the political one" and a "swot".[8]
She studied politics at Manchester Metropolitan University,[9] and was a mental health support worker before working within, then managing, the education team at anti-racism charity Show Racism the Red Card.[9] She completed an MSc in Disaster Management and Sustainable Development at Northumbria University in 2012, with research focusing on children's institutions in Bulgaria.[10]
Pidcock was a Councillor for Cramlington Eastfield ward on Northumberland County Council until she lost her seat to the Conservative Party candidate in the 2017 UK local elections.[9]
Parliamentary career[]
Only weeks prior to the 2017 United Kingdom general election, Pidcock was selected to stand for Labour in North West Durham, when the previous MP, Pat Glass stood down.[11]
A feminist,[12] she said in her maiden speech that the Palace of Westminster dated from "a time when my class and my sex would have been denied a place in it, because we are deemed unworthy".[13] Her speech was shared over 200,000 times on social media in 48 hours.[14]
On 12 January 2018, she was appointed Shadow Minister for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.[15] Pidcock was later appointed to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Employment Rights. Pidcock announced at the 2019 TUC that the next Labour Government would create a Ministry for Employment Rights to "bring about the biggest extension of rights for workers that our country has ever seen" to deliver better wages, greater security and give workers more of a say over how their workplaces are run.[16]
Tipped as a future party leader,[7] Pidcock lost her seat at the 2019 general election. The winning candidate, Richard Holden, stated in his acceptance speech that "she represented a branch of the Labour Party that wasn't mainstream, which wasn't what people thought of as traditional Labour and that's what happened tonight".[17] It was the first time the seat had not returned a Labour MP since its creation in 1950.[18]
In July 2020, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards ordered Pidcock to repay more than £3,800 after she used Commons stationery to accuse the government of a "betrayal" over the BBC licence fee for over-75s. Pidcock had sent out more than 5,000 letters in September 2019 accusing the Conservatives of a "welfare cut". She said she used a template from a House of Commons department, but had made some changes. The Commissioner said these changes meant the letter "was no longer neutral and objective". Pidcock said it had been an "honest mistake".[19]
Views[]
Pidcock identifies as a socialist, and supported the policies of party leader Jeremy Corbyn.[20] A strong critic of the Conservative Party, she said that "I go to parliament to be a mouthpiece for my constituents and class".[21] She stated in mid-2017 that Tories were "the enemy" and said she was "disgusted at the way they're running this country".[22] Pidcock did not socialise with Conservative MPs[23] and said that she had "absolutely no intention of being friends with any Tories."[24]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/Laura_Pidcock_MP_speaking_at_the_Britain_is_Broken_rally_%282019%29.jpg/220px-Laura_Pidcock_MP_speaking_at_the_Britain_is_Broken_rally_%282019%29.jpg)
In June 2017, Pidcock raised the issue of social housing, as it affected her personally: she said she would accept a council house, but there were none available. She also said that she was unable to afford the deposit for her first home, despite her MP's salary, because of university debt, so she was renting in the private sector.[25] However, she managed to purchase a house jointly with her partner at a cost of £230,000 three months later.[26]
She criticised the Conservative government for doing far too little for working-class people, and said that her then constituency had suffered long-term de-industrialisation and lack of investment, leading to significant financial difficulties for many residents. She highlighted the rise in volunteer organisations to help support people who have been left behind by the state.[27] In December 2017, in a Parliamentary question to the Prime Minister, Theresa May, Pidcock condemned delays to payments under the Universal Credit system in the period just before Christmas, "the toughest financial time" for her constituents. She asked, "Is the roll-out a matter of gross incompetence or calculated cruelty?"[28]
She criticised the lack of proxy voting for pregnant women in Parliament, attending a vote in 2018 whilst in the late stages of pregnancy.[29]
Pidcock described climate change as the "biggest issue facing humanity",[30] and spoke at School Strike for Climate demonstrations.[31]
After Parliament[]
In early 2020, she led Richard Burgon's unsuccessful campaign to be deputy leader of the Labour Party.[32] That same year Pidcock was appointed as the National Secretary of the People's Assembly Against Austerity.[33][34]
In November 2020, Pidcock was elected onto the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party.[35]
In a Labour meeting in March 2021, former Deputy Leader Margaret Beckett, who was unaware her microphone was on, referred to Pidcock as a "silly cow". She subsequently apologised multiple times to Pidcock and expressed her deep regret of making the remark.[36]
Personal life[]
Pidcock's partner since 2015 is Daniel Kebede, a National Education Union official[37] and socialist who has left the Labour Party.[38] They have one son, born in July 2018.[39]
References[]
- ^ "Election 2017: Durham North West". BBC News. Archived from the original on 7 June 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ^ "Labour market abuse widespread – Laura Pidcock responds to the Resolution Foundation's report". The Labour Party. Archived from the original on 18 October 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- ^ Rodgers, Sienna (13 November 2020). "Labour national executive committee election results released". LabourList. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- ^ Wearmouth, Rachel (30 August 2017). "17 from '17: Labour Firebrand Laura Pidcock Admires Mhairi Black But Says Mum Is Her True Hero". Huffington Post UK. Archived from the original on 16 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ Bernard Pidock Archived 8 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Companies House. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
- ^ Councillor Bernard Pidcock Archived 8 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Northumberland County Council. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Chakelian, Anoosh (13 February 2018). "The rapid rise of Laura Pidcock – the Labour MP tipped as a possible successor to Corbyn". New Statesman. Archived from the original on 17 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
- ^ "Befriending Laura Pidcock: an interview with a Labour firebrand". The Spectator. 23 September 2017. Archived from the original on 4 October 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Kelly, Mike (8 June 2017). "Who is Laura Pidcock the new Labour MP for the North West Durham constituency?". The Chronicle Live.
- ^ "Indicative List of Dissertations for the MSc Disaster Management and Sustainable Development Taught Programme" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
- ^ Mason, Rowena; Elgot, Jessica (19 April 2017). "Labour party to hold emergency selections for constituencies". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 April 2017.
- ^ Edwards, Peter (27 April 2017). "Unite activist wins key north east selection". LabourList. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017.
- ^ "New North East MP says Parliament is 'archaic' and 'reeks of the establishment'". ITV News. 27 June 2017. Archived from the original on 28 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
- ^ Khan, Shehab (29 June 2017). "Labour MP's maiden speech goes viral after she calls on the Commons to fight "the indignity of poverty"". The Independent. Archived from the original on 17 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
- ^ "Laura Pidcock – House of Commons". Archived from the original on 26 March 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
- ^ "Corbyn and Pidcock announce Ministry for Employment Rights and Workers' Protection Agency". The Labour Party. Archived from the original on 18 October 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- ^ Walker, Jonathan (13 December 2019). "North West Durham 2019 election results – full standings, MP and reaction". nechronicle. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- ^ Graham, Hannah (13 December 2019). "See shock moment Laura Pidcock lost North West Durham to the Tories". nechronicle. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
- ^ "Laura Pidcock: Former MP to repay £3k over misused stationery". BBC News. 7 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
- ^ Segalov, Michael (27 September 2017). "'There's no appetite for the political centre anymore'". Huck. Archived from the original on 5 July 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
- ^ "I don't want to be friends with any Tories, says Labour MP Laura Pidcock". TotalPolitics.com. 23 August 2017. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- ^ "Labour MP says she could never be friends with a Tory". The Independent. 24 August 2017. Archived from the original on 9 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
- ^ "'I don't know if other MPs are all off having a good time': Labour MP who 'won't be friends with Tories' speaks of why she finds it hard to socialise in Parliament". The Daily Telegraph. 21 September 2017. Archived from the original on 17 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
- ^ "Befriending Laura Pidcock: an interview with a Labour firebrand". The Spectator. 23 September 2017. Archived from the original on 4 October 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
- ^ Wearmouth, Rachel (23 June 2017). "Labour MP Laura Pidcock 'Would Love A Council House' But Says There Are None". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ "My mum bought her council house. Can Laura Pidcock explain why that's wrong?". Spectator. 10 March 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
- ^ "Laura Pidcock: don't ruin Christmas – pause the rollout of Universal Credit". New Statesman. 10 August 2017. Archived from the original on 21 October 2017.
- ^ "PM rejects Universal Credit roll-out halt despite 'calculated and cruel' delays". 18 October 2017. Archived from the original on 23 November 2017.
- ^ "MPs on maternity leave will be allowed to cast 'proxy votes'". Chronicle Live. 13 September 2018. Archived from the original on 28 January 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
- ^ MP, Laura Pidcock (15 February 2019). "Love & #solidarity to all of the young people striking from school today to demand action from the corporate & political class on the biggest issue facing humanity: climate change. All power to you #ClimateStrike Here's the Durham protest pic.twitter.com/PncBGg8sIB". @LauraPidcockMP. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- ^ MP, Laura Pidcock (12 July 2019). "In between the union events I attended today, I managed to drop in on the Climate Emergency #SchoolStrike in the Market Square in Durham. So pleased that these young people are continuing to protest, organise and educate. Keep on building!pic.twitter.com/w3e1ixL4gC". @LauraPidcockMP. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- ^ "Richard Burgon denies Laura Pidcock is transphobic". DIVA. 21 February 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
- ^ "Laura Pidcock teams up with People's Assembly to defy Johnson's Tories". Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ "Left-wing activists plan national Day of Action against Tories' handling of the Covid crisis". Left Foot Forward. 22 September 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ Rodgers, Sienna. "Labour NEC election results boost support for Starmer on ruling body". LabourList. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ "Labour MP Margaret Beckett apologises over 'silly cow' remark". BBC News. 12 March 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
- ^ Roy, Amit (15 February 2018). "Baby test for House". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
- ^ "https://twitter.com/danielkebedeneu/status/1379820276893024261". Twitter. Retrieved 8 April 2021. External link in
|title=
(help) - ^ Pidcock, Laura [@laurapidcockmp] (22 September 2018). "Baby update and thank you" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 October 2019 – via Twitter.
External links[]
- 1987 births
- Living people
- Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
- UK MPs 2017–2019
- 21st-century British women politicians
- Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies
- Councillors in Northumberland
- Labour Party (UK) councillors
- Alumni of Manchester Metropolitan University
- People from Cramlington
- English feminists
- English socialists
- Socialist feminists
- People from Lanchester, County Durham
- People from North Shields
- People from Seaton Delaval