Louise Mensch

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Louise Mensch
Member of Parliament
for Corby
In office
6 May 2010 – 29 August 2012
Preceded by Phil Hope
Succeeded by Andy Sawford
Majority 1,951 (3.6%)
Personal details
Born Louise Daphne Bagshawe
(1971-06-28) 28 June 1971 (age 41)
London, England, UK
Nationality British
Political party Conservative (before 1996 and since 1997)
Other political
affiliations		 Labour (1996 to 1997)
Spouse(s) Anthony LoCicero (2000 to 2009)
Peter Mensch (since 2011)
Children 3
Alma mater Christ Church, Oxford
Profession Writer
Religion Roman Catholicism[1]
Website www.louisebagshawebooks.com/

Louise Daphne Mensch (née Bagshawe; born 28 June 1971) is an English author, who writes under her maiden name of Bagshawe. She was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Corby from 2010 to 2012.[2]

Contents

Biography [edit]

She was born on 28 June 1971 in London, England, the daughter of Nicholas Wilfrid and Daphne Margaret Bagshawe (née Triggs).[3] Her father comes from a family of Roman Catholic gentry;[4] his grandfather was the marine artist Joseph Richard Bagshawe, who was himself grandson of one of the 19th century's most renowned marine artists Clarkson Stanfield,[5] and a nephew of Edward Gilpin Bagshawe, Roman Catholic Bishop of Nottingham. Her paternal grandmother Mary Frideswide Bagshawe was the daughter of Charles Robertson, a stockbroker and benefactor of St Philip's Priory, Begbroke and one of the co-founders of Westminster Cathedral.[6] She is the sister of Tilly Bagshawe, a freelance journalist and author, and also has a younger sister Alice and a brother, James.[7]

Her family moved to the countryside when she was seven. She was educated at Beechwood Sacred Heart School in Tunbridge Wells,[8] and Woldingham School, a Roman Catholic girls' boarding school in Surrey, and was named "Young Poet of the Year" in 1989 at the age of 18.[9] After reading English Language and Literature at Christ Church, Oxford,[10] and following a six month internship at MTV Europe she worked as a press officer with EMI Records (a position from which she was formally dismissed),[11] and then as a marketing official for Sony.

With parents who were active in the Party, Mensch had joined the Conservative Party when she was 14.[12] Consequently in 1996 she switched to the Labour Party, saying that she believed Tony Blair to be "socially liberal but an economic Tory" .[13] By 1997 she had returned to the Conservatives, helped her mother, Daphne, win a seat in East Sussex County Council from the Liberal Democrats.[12] and campaigned in the 1997, 2001 and 2005 general elections.[14] In 2001, Mensch co-founded the Oxonian Society with Joseph Pascal and Princess Badiya bint El Hassan of Jordan.[15]

Louise Bagshawe married Anthony LoCicero, an Anglo-Italian Catholic property speculator. Louise and Anthony had three children, but after nine years the marriage ended in divorce.[16] In June 2011, she married Peter Mensch, the manager of Metallica, Jimmy Page and Red Hot Chili Peppers.[17]

She has criticised media outlets for repeated questions about her plastic surgery.[18][19][20]

Writing career [edit]

Her first novel, Career Girls, was published in 1995 and has been followed by 13 subsequent works in the chick lit genre aimed at young women. She has defended chick-lit against allegations, specifically by psychologist Susan Quilliam, that the books cause irrationally high expectations which "ruin readers' lives" by saying that such books merely make readers raise their standards.[21]

Political career [edit]

Mensch was placed on the A-List of Conservative candidates in 2006. This move was criticised by David Burrowes, from the socially conservative Cornerstone Group of Tory MPs, as favouring "minor celebrities", such as Mensch, over local candidates when selecting prospective parliamentary candidates.[22] In October 2006 she was selected to stand in Corby.[23] As part of her campaigning for the 2010 election, she appeared on Question Time[9] and BBC One's The Big Questions.[24] She believes the fox hunting ban should be repealed on civil liberties grounds, and that its debate and implementation was a waste of Parliamentary time.[25]

In the 2010 general election Mensch won the seat of Corby with a majority of 1,951, defeating Labour incumbent Phil Hope, and in June 2010 she was elected by other Conservative MPs to serve on the Select Committee for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.[26]

Phone hacking scandal [edit]

On 19 July 2011, in the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, Mensch took part in the questioning of James and Rupert Murdoch over the News of the World phone hacking scandal.

Political blogger Bagehot in the The Economist named Mensch as the "surprise star" of the hearing saying her "sharp, precise, coolly scornful questions" contrasted with her "waffling, pompous" fellow committee members.[27] Mensch later faced criticism for incorrectly claiming during the committee that Piers Morgan had written in his autobiography about conducting phone hacking while he was the editor of the Daily Mirror.[28] When challenged on CNN by Morgan, Mensch cited the protection of parliamentary privilege and refused to withdraw the allegation; however, she also refused to openly repeat it. She later apologised to Morgan, claiming that she had misread a newspaper report about the book.[29]

Three days later Mensch received an email alleging that she had taken a controlled substance with Nigel Kennedy at Ronnie Scott's club in Birmingham in the 1990s while working as a press officer for EMI Records.[30] Mensch publicly released the email and admitted the allegations were "highly probable", but said she would not be deterred from asking further questions about phone hacking. She subsequently admitted using class A drugs in The Sunday Times.[11][31][32]

The Culture, Media and Sport select committee finalised its report in April 2012. Mensch disagreed publicly with Tom Watson and Paul Farrelly, two Labour members of the committee, over whether the conclusion[which?] applied to Rupert Murdoch, that he was unfit to run an international company, had been discussed before Watson tabled a Commons amendment on 30 April. Mensch and the other three Conservative members of the committee had opposed it,[33] and could not support the report with the MP herself saying the report had become "partisan" as a result of the statement's inclusion.[34] Mensch insisted on Newsnight on 2 May that it had not been discussed and was not part of its remit.[35] Watson later accused Mensch of tabling pro-Murdoch amendments which would have "exonerated" James Murdoch in the report[36] and, in Twitter exchanges with her, alleged private committee conversations had been leaked to News Corp.[37]

Control of social networking [edit]

Following the 2011 England riots Mensch called for social media services Twitter and Facebook to be shut down or to "take an hour off" during disturbances to stop the spread of false rumours wasting police resources.[38] She compared the action with brief interruptions to road and rail networks during emergencies.[38] However, other Twitter users compared such action to the online censorship of regimes such as Iran and China, whilst Sussex police said they had used Twitter to stop rumours.[38]

In June 2012, a man was given a 26-week prison sentence suspended for two years for sending Mensch an offensive and threatening email including threats against her children.[39] Following his conviction, Mensch called for networking sites to identify anonymous bullies saying it was impossible for the victim to ascertain the seriousness of the threat posed, while the bullies felt they could do as they pleased without fear of retribution.[40]

Resignation [edit]

On 6 August 2012, Mensch announced her decision to resign as the MP for Corby in order to spend more time with her family in New York City.[2] Mensch had appeared likely to be promoted in the expected September government reshuffle.[41] She told her local newspaper that she had intended to stand down at the next election, but brought the date forward as she was concerned her children would be too settled in the UK by then.[41] She was appointed to the nominal position of Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead on 29 August 2012, vacating her seat. The subsequent by-election was won by Andy Sawford for the Labour party.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Norman Tebbit criticised Conservative Central Office for removing the right of constituencies to choose local candidates, a move which he says has both caused the collapse of grassroot party membership and weakened the bond between members and constituents.[42] He said it appeared that Mensch had "put her newly acquired husband above the constituents that her website still says she was honoured to have been elected to represent" two years ago and that her attitude to her obligations appeared casual.[42]

menshn.com and unfashionistas.com [edit]

In June 2012, Mensch joined forces with former Labour digital adviser Luke Bozier to set up a social networking website - a topic-based rival to Twitter focusing on politics.[43][44][45] The site named Menshn[46] - a reference to "mention" - allows users to select their topic of interest. Mensch hopes to raise venture capital finance.[45] The site was slated by IT industry experts for its lack of security.[47][48] Menshn closed in February 2013.[49]

After the closure of menshn, Mensch announced she was setting up a style and fashion blog called unfashionista. The website, http://unfashionistas.com, was covered widely in the British press. The Guardian, Independent, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail and others all ran articles - giving it mixed reviews [50] - and Mumsnet.com made her a featured blogger on their bloggers' network.

Sun Columnist [edit]

After quitting Parliament Mensch wrote articles for a number of newspapers, including the Murdoch-owned times and Sun. In January, 2013 she became a columnist for the Sunday Sun.

Other Media [edit]

Mensch made regular appearances in the media after the death of Margaret Thatcher, calling those who celebrated her death a "vocal minority," "idiots," and "pygmies" as well as swearing during an interview on This Morning. She was criticised for her conduct by some in the UK press.[51][52][53]

Publications (as Louise Bagshawe) [edit]

Single novels [edit]

  • Career Girls (1995)
  • The Movie (1996) aka Triple Feature
  • Tall Poppies (1997)
  • Venus Envy (1998)
  • A Kept Woman (2000) aka For All the Wrong Reasons
  • When She Was Bad... (2001)
  • The Devil You Know (2003)
  • Monday's Child (2004) aka The Go-To Girl
  • Tuesday's Child (2005)
  • Sparkles (2006)
  • Glamour (2007)
  • Glitz (2008)
  • Passion (2009)
  • Desire (2010)
  • Destiny (2011)

Anthology [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ "I cant believe Im a Tory". The Times (London). 14 May 2006. 
  2. ^ a b "Louise Mensch to quit as an MP, triggering Corby by-election". BBC. 6 August 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2012. 
  3. ^ "Marriages". The Times. 23 September 1969. p. 12. 
  4. ^ "The Landed Gentry of Britain". Wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved 8 November 2011. 
  5. ^ David Cordingly (1996), "Stanfield, Clarkson", in Jane Turner, Grove Dictionary of Art (Macmillan Publishers) 
  6. ^ The Catholic Who's Who and Yearbook 33, 1940, p. 432 
  7. ^ Scott, Caroline (6 March 2005). "Relative Values: Tilly and Louise Bagshawe". The Sunday Times (London). 
  8. ^ Who's Who 2011, A & C Black, 2011 
  9. ^ a b "Question Time:This week's panel". BBC News. 10 January 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2010. 
  10. ^ http://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/ccm-09.pdf.  Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. ^ a b Victoria King (29 July 2011). "Tory MP Louise Mensch 'probably took drugs in club'". BBC News. Retrieved 29 July 2011. 
  12. ^ a b Jon Bernstein (4 October 2011). "The Politics Interview — Louise Mensch". New Statesman. 
  13. ^ "'He sees women as equals'". London: BBC News. 5 June 2006. Retrieved 28 April 2008. 
  14. ^ "Louise Mensch - Profile". Conservatives.com. Retrieved 12 June 2012. 
  15. ^ "Today's Leaders, Tomorrow's Ideas. HUDSON UNION SOCIETY™". Oxoniansociety.com. Retrieved 8 November 2011. 
  16. ^ Walker, Tim (27 May 2007). "Chick lit Tory candidate Louise Bagshawe splits from husband". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 27 July 2009. 
  17. ^ Walker, Tim (3 June 2011). "Tory MP Louise Bagshawe secretly marries Metallica manager Peter Mensch". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 2 June 2011. 
  18. ^ "Newsnight – Coogan and Mensch clash over press regulation". BBC News. 13 October 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2011. 
  19. ^ Aitkenhead, Decca (30 September 2011). "Louise Mensch: 'We're not all ogres'". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 November 2011. 
  20. ^ "Has Louise Mensch had a facelift? Tory MP 'Cameron cutie' refuses to answer". Daily Mail. 2 October 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2011. 
  21. ^ Louise Mensch (8 July 2011). "Chick-lit doesn't damage its readers, it just makes them raise their standards". Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 8 July 2011. 
  22. ^ "'Beautiful' Tory list under fire". BBC News. 19 April 2006. Retrieved 28 April 2008. 
  23. ^ "'Chick-lit' author to stand at next general election". Northampton Chronicle & Echo. 13 October 2006. Retrieved 12 June 2012. 
  24. ^ "BBC One Programmes – The Big Questions, Series 2, Episode 21". BBC. 14 June 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2010. 
  25. ^ "Louise Mensch - Interview". ConservativeHome. 14 June 2006. Retrieved 12 June 2012. 
  26. ^ "Westminster select committees: Labour & Tory membership". Financial Times. 24 June 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2010. 
  27. ^ "Rupert and James Murdoch before Parliament". The Economist. 19 July 2011. 
  28. ^ Swaine, Jon (20 July 2011). "Phone hacking: Piers Morgan in on-air hacking row with Louise Mensch". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 20 July 2011. 
  29. ^ "MP Mensch apologises to Piers Morgan for hacking slur". BBC News. 29 July 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2011. 
  30. ^ Sanchez, Raf (29 July 2011). "Louise Mensch releases email allegations made by journalist". The Independent (London). Retrieved 29 July 2011. 
  31. ^ "Louise Mensch comes clean on Morgan, drugs and bad dancing". Channel 4 News. 29 July 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2011. 
  32. ^ (Iron Maiden: http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/comment/articles/2012-02/02/louise-mensch-mp-interview).
  33. ^ Patrick Wintour, et al "Phone-hacking: MPs clash over when Murdoch criticisms were discussed", The Guardian, 2 May 2012
  34. ^ "Phone-hacking report 'partisan' - Tory MP Louise Mensch", BBC News, 1 May 2012
  35. ^ "Was Rupert Murdoch's 'fitness' to run News Corp discussed?" BBC News, 2 May 2012
  36. ^ Lisa O'Carroll "Tom Watson accuses Louise Mensch of tabling pro-Murdoch amendments", The Guardian, 3 May 2012
  37. ^ O'Carroll, Lisa (3 May 2012). "News Corp was given private committee details, suggests Tom Watson". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2012. 
  38. ^ a b c Martin Beckford (12 August 2011). "Louise Mensch MP calls for Twitter and Facebook blackout during riots". Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 14 August 2011. 
  39. ^ "Louise Mensch internet troll banned from contacting General Petraeus and Lord Sugar". The Daily Telegraph. 11 June 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012. 
  40. ^ "Louise Mensch: social networks must identify internet bullies who cower behind anonymity". The Daily Telegraph. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2012. 
  41. ^ a b Rosa Prince (6 August 2012). "Louise Mensch MP quits to care for young family". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 7 August 2012. 
  42. ^ a b Norman Tebbit (7 August 2012). "The case of Louise Mensch is a good example of why the Tory grassroots have lost confidence in the national Party". Retrieved 7 August 2012. 
  43. ^ Kameir, Rawiya (20 June 2012). "Tory MP Louise Mensch launches social network". IT Pro Portal. 
  44. ^ "MP Louise Mensch has launched a microblogging site". 21 June 2012. 
  45. ^ a b "Tory MP Louise Mensch launches rival to Twitter". BBC News. 20 June 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2012. 
  46. ^ https://menshn.com/
  47. ^ Leyden, John (25 June 2012). "Mensch pal Bozier defends Menshn security, dubs critics 'snippy geeks'". The Register. 
  48. ^ Davenport, Tom (25 June 2012). "New social network Menshn launches in UK with security holes". Cnet. 
  49. ^ Arthur, Charles (6 February 2013). "Menshn closes as founders fall out". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 February 2013. 
  50. ^ Template:Url=http://cached.newslookup.com/cached.php?siteid=2111&id=1425097&t=1360791380
  51. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/james-silcocks/margaret-thatcher-dies_b_3043671.html
  52. ^ http://www.tntmagazine.com/news/opinion/opinion-thatcher---respect-her-funeral-and-respect-our-right-to-protest
  53. ^ http://shows.stv.tv/this-morning/lifestyle/220755-margaret-thatcher-david-mellor-and-ken-livingstone-discuss-the-late-pm/

External links [edit]

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Phil Hope		 Member of Parliament for Corby
2010–2012		 Succeeded by
Andy Sawford
Authority control
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Louise_Mensch&oldid=554431640"