Laura Moffatt
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Laura Moffatt MP
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 Laura Moffatt, 06 March 2006, launching the 2006 local election campaign in Crawley. |
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Member of Parliament
for Crawley |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1 May 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Nicholas Soames |
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| Majority | 37 (0.1%) |
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| Born | 9 April 1954 Battersea, London |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse | Colin Moffatt |
Laura Jean Moffatt (born 9 April 1954) is a politician in the United Kingdom. She is Labour Party member of Parliament for Crawley, and was first elected in 1997, after boundary changes led to most of the rural parts of the constituency being removed to neighbouring constituencies.
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[edit] Early life
Born Laura Jean Field in London in 1954, she was educated at Hazelwick School in Crawley, West Sussex before attending the Crawley College of Technology (now renamed Central Sussex College).
From 1975 until her election to the House of Commons in 1997, she worked as a state registered nurse at Crawley Hospital. She joined the Labour Party in 1979 and was elected to Crawley Borough Council 1984-97 and served as the town's mayor in 1990.
[edit] Parliamentary career
She stood in Crawley at the 1992 general election, but lost out to the sitting Conservative MP Nicholas Soames. For the following election she was again selected as the Labour candidate, though this time through an all-women shortlist [1]. This method of selection was subsequently declared illegal in January 1996 as it breached sex discrimination laws.[2] Despite the ruling she remained in place as the candidate for the following year's election.
At the 2005 general election she was elected to the Commons on the smallest majority in the country with 37 votes, with her share of the vote falling by over 10 percent from the 2001 general election result. After an epic count, and numerous re-counts, Moffatt broke down in tears after being returned to Parliament.
In the Commons she has served variously as a Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Lord Chancellor Derry Irvine (2001-03); the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs Charles Falconer (2003-05); the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions David Blunkett (2005); the Minister of State at the Department for Education and Skills Jacqui Smith (2005-06), and since 2006 has served as the PPS to Alan Johnson initially as Secretary of State for Education and Skills and since 2007 as Secretary of State for Health. From 1997-2001 she served as a member of the Defence Select Committee.
[edit] Personal life
She married Colin Moffatt in 1975 in Crawley and they have three grown up sons, Russell, Alistair and Edward. She lives in the Broadfield area of the town.
She has a tattoo on her left foot of a Labour rose with the number '37' in order to remind her of her slim majority.[3]
In May 2009 Laura Moffat made the news during the MPs' expenses row as one of the most responsible members of parliament even after taking into consideration the small size of her constituency. Once giving up her flat in London because she said that the "annual cost did not sit comfortably with me", in her blog she writes: "I never travel first class when commuting and since getting rid of my flat I more often sleep on a camp bed in my office when the house sits late … and have only made one claim for personal goods in 2007/08, under £20, I think, to replace some towels."[4]
Laura Moffat may have been induced into giving up the flat by a report in the Daily Mail in Nov 2007 ridiculing her need for London accommodation because she felt unsafe having been flashed on two occasions on a late night train. "[5]
[edit] References
- ^ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19960109/ai_n9634358?tag=content;col1
- ^ "Labour blow as all-women lists outlawed". The Independent. Bnet.com. 9 January 1996. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19960109/ai_n9634289.
- ^ Parkinson, Justin (14 November 2008). "MP with... the smallest majority". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7693834.stm. Retrieved on 2008-11-14.
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/may/21/mps-expenses-anthony-steen
- ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-492433/MP-claims-20-000-expenses--flashers-travelling-train.html
[edit] External links
- Laura Moffatt official site
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Laura Moffatt MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Laura Moffatt MP
- BBC Politics page
[edit] News items
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
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| Preceded by Nicholas Soames |
Member of Parliament for Crawley 1997 – present |
Incumbent |
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