Helen Goodman
| Helen Goodman MP |
|
|---|---|
| Shadow Minister of State for Media Reform | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office October 2011 |
|
| Leader | Ed Miliband |
| Shadow Minister for Justice | |
| In office 11 October 2010 – October 2011 |
|
| Leader | Ed Miliband |
| Preceded by | Helen Jones |
| Succeeded by | Jenny Chapman |
| Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Work and Pensions | |
| In office 9 June 2009 – 11 May 2010 |
|
| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown |
| Preceded by | Kitty Ussher |
| Succeeded by | Maria Miller |
| Member of Parliament for Bishop Auckland |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 5 May 2005 |
|
| Preceded by | Derek Foster |
| Majority | 5,218 (12.7%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 January 1958 Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse(s) | Charles Seaford |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Somerville College, Oxford |
| Religion | Christianity |
Helen Catherine Goodman (born 2 January 1958) is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bishop Auckland since 2005, and was the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for in the Department for Work and Pensions until 2010 with responsibility for Child Poverty and childcare.[1]
Contents |
Early life[edit]
Goodman grew up in Derbyshire and was educated at the comprehensive Lady Manners School, in Bakewell, Derbyshire. She studied PPE at Somerville College, Oxford.[1]
On leaving Oxford she worked as a researcher for the Labour MP Phillip Whitehead and from 1995 she worked as the head of strategy at HM Treasury until she stood down in 1997. She was a director at the Commission on the Future for Multi Ethnic Britain before she was appointed the head of strategy at The Children's Society in 1998. From 2002 until her election she was the chief executive of the National Association of Toy and Leisure Libraries. She is a member of the GMB Union and the Christian Socialist Movement.[2]
Parliamentary career[edit]
Following the retirement of Tony Benn at the 2001 general election she tried unsuccessfully to be selected for Chesterfield losing out for Labour's nomination to the former MP for Wood Green Reg Race. Race in turn lost the seat to the Liberal Democrats. She was selected as the Labour candidate for to the County Durham seat of Bishop Auckland at the 2005 General Election through an All-Women Shortlist[3] following the retirement of the veteran Labour MP Derek Foster. Goodman held the seat with a majority of 10,047 and remains the MP there. She made her maiden speech on 25 May 2005.[4]
She was a member of the Public Accounts Committee from May 2005 to April 2007 before becoming a Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Ministry of Justice. In June 2007 she was appointed Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, before being made a whip in October 2008. She left this role in June 2009 to become a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions.[2]
Parliamentary expenses[edit]
On 19th May 2009 the Daily Telegraph revealed that Goodman had claimed £519.31 for use of a cottage on her expenses, and had submitted hotel bills dated two months prior to her becoming an MP. Goodman argued that she was carrying out Parliamentary business when using the cottage and thus her claim was accepted. The claim for the hotel stay was rejected due to the fact she wasn't an MP at the time thus not entitled to claim expenses for that period.[5] She was subsequently given a clean bill of health by the independent Legg Inquiry into MPs expenses and was not required to pay any money back.[6]
Goodman was critical of attempts to reform MP's expenses stating if second homes were lost and travel allowances cut then "stress, mental ill-health, divorce, etc would explode". She went on the claim that "women members cannot be expected to walk around alone in London after 11pm". Critics such as Sue Carrol pointed out that women in the real world often have to travel at night and given the risk of mugging and assault is such a problem then perhaps MPs "might care to do something about it."[7]
Personal life[edit]
Goodman is married to Charles Seaford who works for the Sustainable Development Commission.[8] The couple have two children.
References[edit]
- ^ a b Biography » Helen Goodman MP - Working hard for all in Bishop Auckland
- ^ a b Biography » Helen Goodman MP - Working hard for all in Bishop Auckland
- ^ http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/briefings/snpc-05057.pdf
- ^ maiden speech, accessed February 2009
- ^ MPs' expenses: Helen Goodman claimed £500 for stay in holiday cottage in her constituency - Telegraph
- ^ Expenses » Helen Goodman MP - Working hard for all in Bishop Auckland
- ^ Women MPs claim expenses clampdown puts them at risk of 'sexual assault' - mirror.co.uk
- ^ MPs' expenses: Helen Goodman claimed £600 for husband's office advice - Telegraph
External links[edit]
- Helen Goodman.co.uk - Official web site
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Helen Goodman MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Helen Goodman MP
- Public Whip
- BBC Politics page
- Articles written for The Guardian by Helen Goodman
News items[edit]
- Eating a £21 a week diet
- 'MP says parents sometimes to blame for children having no shoes' - Northern Echo
- 'Women MPs claim expenses clampdown puts them at risk of "sexual assault"' - The Mirror
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Derek Foster |
Member of Parliament for Bishop Auckland 2005–present |
Incumbent |
