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Julie Morgan

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Julie Morgan MP (born 2 November 1944) is a Labour politician in Wales. She is the Member of Parliament for Cardiff North, first elected at the 1997 election and returned in 2001 and 2005.

She is married to the First Minister of Wales, Rhodri Morgan.

Early life, education and career

Julie Morgan was born Julie Edwards in Cardiff on 2 November 1944. She was educated at Dinas Powys Primary School and Howell's School, Llandaff. She attended King's College London, where she later took her BA in English in 1965. Just as her first term at university was about to begin, a general election was called, and she returned to Cardiff to campaign for Jim Callaghan in the seat which was then Cardiff, South East. Despite Callaghan's protestations that she should go back to university, she campaigned for his victory alongside Neil Kinnock, the future Glenys Kinnock and Rhodri Morgan, whom she would marry in 1967.

Following her undergraduate degree, Morgan studied at the University of Manchester. She also holds a postgraduate diploma in Social Administration from University College, Cardiff.

Before becoming a Member of Parliament, Morgan was a social worker with Barry Social Services, and served as an assistant director of Barnardo's. She was elected as a local councillor to South Glamorgan Council between 1985 and 1997, and was a Cardiff City Councillor from 1995.

Member of Parliament

Morgan was selected by Cardiff North Labour Party as their candidate for the 1992 general election. She stood against Gwilym Jones in the constituency, historically a Conservative stronghold. She achieved a 38.9% share of the vote to Jones' 45.1%, cutting his majority to 2,969.

Reselected in 1995, Morgan stood for the seat once again in the 1997 election and took the seat with 24,460 votes — a 50.4% share and a majority of 8,126 on a marginally lower turnout than in 1992. She became the first woman to represent a Cardiff constituency and, at the time of her election, was one of only four women MPs from Wales.

Morgan made her maiden speech in Parliament on 22 May 1997 in the debate on the Referendums (Scotland and Wales) Bill, designed to pave the way for devolution. She subsequently joined the Welsh Affairs Select Committee, on which she served until 2005.

Morgan was re-elected at the 2001 general election with a reduced majority of 6,165 and on a substantially reduced turnout (in common with the rest of the country). At the 2005 election, her seat became the most marginal in Wales as her Conservative challenger reduced her majority to 1,146. Commentators ascribed her victory to a strong personal vote, decisive in a campaign dominated by issues such as the Iraq war, criticism of Tony Blair and a leap in council tax caused by periodic revaluation of property values. Upon her re-election, she was appointed to the Constitutional Affairs and Public Administration Select Committees.

Politics

Morgan comes from the left of the Labour Party and this has showed in her voting record during her time in Parliament. During her first term, she rebelled against controversial cuts in benefit for disabled people, early in the life of the Labour Government. During her second term, she opposed variable tuition fees for university students, citing fears that it would open up a market in higher education. She also opposed the war in Iraq and led a demonstration of "Labour Women Against War" in Cardiff city centre. Nevertheless, her voting record is supportive of the Labour Government, until it proposes a measure she cannot reconcile with her fundamental beliefs — such as the equal treatment of children, for instance in the asylum system, or in respect of protection from violence.

Morgan's political interests include a distinct egalitarian focus. She is heavily involved in the field of women's rights (having heavily promoted the introduction of all-women shortlists for political parties), as well as the welfare of children, black and minority ethnic and disabled people. She is the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Children in Wales and is a member of numerous other APPGs, including those on Sex Equality and Compassion in Dying. Within the Parliamentary Labour Party, she is an active member of the Women's Group.

Julie Morgan is a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association.

Internet presence

Morgan became one of a small number of Members of Parliament to maintain a weblog which she began at Blogdrive shortly after the 2005 election. She moved the blog to Typepad in January 2006. In addition to the blog, she has maintained a website which is frequently updated with news, newspaper columns written by the MP and details of constituency surgeries via GeoCities since 2004.

Parliament of the United Kingdom

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