Marie Rimmer

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Marie Rimmer
CBE MP
Official portrait of Ms Marie Rimmer MP crop 2.jpg
Official portrait, 2020
Opposition Whip
Assumed office
14 April 2020
LeaderKeir Starmer
Shadow Minister for Disabled People
In office
1 February 2017 – 9 October 2017
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byDebbie Abrahams
Succeeded byMarsha de Cordova
Member of Parliament
for St Helens South and Whiston
Assumed office
7 May 2015
Preceded byShaun Woodward
Majority19,122 (38.0%)
Personal details
Born (1947-04-27) 27 April 1947 (age 74)
Political partyLabour
WebsiteOfficial website

Marie Elizabeth Rimmer, CBE (born 27 April 1947) is a British Labour Party politician. She has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for St Helens South and Whiston since 2015.[1]

Career[]

Before entering Parliament, Rimmer had served as a local councillor for over 30 years, including periods as leader of St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council.[2] She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2005 Birthday Honours for services to local government.[3]

In 2014, Rimmer was picked from an all-women shortlist as Labour's candidate in the 2015 general election to succeed Shaun Woodward as MP for St Helens South and Whiston.[2] Thirteen years prior, she was blocked from being shortlisted for the same seat ahead of the 2001 general election by Labour's national executive committee, amidst accusations of a "stitch-up" to parachute Woodward into the seat, as he was unlikely to win his Witney seat which he won in 1997 as a Conservative.[4]

On the day of the Scottish independence referendum in 2014, an incident at a polling station in Shettleston, Glasgow, led to her arrest and being charged with assault.[5][6] Rimmer's case was later found not proven at Glasgow Sheriff Court in November 2016.[7]

She supported Owen Smith in the 2016 Labour leadership election.[8]

She was elected as MP for St Helens South and Whiston in the 2015 general election with a majority of 21,243,[9] and subsequently increased to 24,343 in the 2017 general election.

Rimmer was appointed Shadow Minister for Disabled People on 1 February 2017[10] but decided to step down from the role in October the same year.[11] On 14 April 2020, she was appointed as an opposition whip.

Rimmer endorsed Keir Starmer in the 2020 Labour Party leadership election.[12]

References[]

  1. ^ "St Helens South & Whiston". BBC News.
  2. ^ a b "Marie Rimmer: Former St Helens council leader to stand as MP". BBC News. 7 April 2014.
  3. ^ "No. 57665". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 June 2005. p. 8.
  4. ^ "Safe seat 'stitch-up'". 13 May 2001. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  5. ^ Morris, Nigel; Cusick, James (18 September 2014). "Scottish independence: Historic day marred by isolated reports of intimidation, abuse and violence". The Independent. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
  6. ^ Staff writer (17 September 2015). "Labour MP Marie Rimmer charged with attacking a woman at a polling station on day of indyref". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  7. ^ Staff writer (2 November 2016). "Labour MP Marie Rimmer on not proven verdict". BBC News. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  8. ^ Smith, Mikey; Bloom, Dan (20 July 2016). "Which MPs are nominating Owen Smith in the Labour leadership contest?". Mirror. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  9. ^ Belger, Tom (8 May 2015). "St Helens General Election results 2015: Veteran councillor and new kid on the block town's two new MPs". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  10. ^ Mulligan, Simon (1 February 2017). "Marie Rimmer MP named shadow minister for disabled people". St Helens Star. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  11. ^ Staff writer (9 October 2017). "Marsha de Cordova appointed shadow disabilities minister". LabourList. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  12. ^ Marie Rimmer CBE MP [@MarieRimmer] (4 January 2020). "Count me in Keir. Marie Rimmer MP. St Helens South and Whiston" (Tweet) – via Twitter.

External links[]

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for St Helens South and Whiston
2015–present 		Incumbent
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