Caroline Flint
Caroline Louise Flint (born 20 September 1961) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Don Valley since 1997. She served as the Minister of State for Housing and Planning in 2008, and later as the Minister for Europe until her resignation in 2009, citing the leadership of Gordon Brown as a reason. In October 2010, she was elected to the Shadow Cabinet, and Ed Miliband appointed her Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. In October 2011 Miliband appointed her Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
Early life
Flint was educated at Twickenham Girls School[1] (the school transferred to Waldegrave School for Girls in 1977) in Clifden Road, Twickenham and Richmond Tertiary College[1] before earning her BA (Hons) in American Literature and History combined with Film Studies from the University of East Anglia.[2] She joined the Labour Party when she was 17. She was the Women's Officer of the National Organisation of Labour Students from 1982 to 1984.[3]
She began her career with the Inner London Education Authority, as a management trainee from 1984 to 1985 and a Policy Officer from 1985 to 1987.[4] She was head of the Women's Unit at the NUS from 1988–89, before joining Lambeth Council as an Equal Opportunities Officer from 1989 to 1991, and then Welfare and Staff Development Officer from 1991-93.[4] From 1994 to 1997, she was the Senior Researcher and Political Officer for the GMB Union.[4]
Member of Parliament
Flint is a member of the Fabian Society and has been an MP since 1997.[3] Along with several other Labour women MPs, she is a member of a tap dancing troupe known as the Division Belles.[5]
In Government
In 1999, she became Parliamentary Private Secretary to Peter Hain while he was Minister of State at the Department of Trade and Industry and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office before in 2002 becoming Parliamentary Private Secretary to Dr John Reid, in his capacity as Leader of the House of Commons and Minister without portfolio.[3]
Whilst working as Hain's PPS she was criticised by the Government of Gibraltar for allegedly having falsely accused the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar on Sky News of being engaged in "smuggling on a massive scale".[6]
She joined the Government in June 2003 as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office, before moving in May 2005 to the Department of Health, with responsibility for Public Health first as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and from May 2006 as Minister of State in the same role.[3]
As Public Health minister she was responsible for managing government programmes concerning radiation exposure, the potential bird flu epidemic, sex education, and the prevention of communicable diseases such as TB and HIV, and oversaw campaigns to tackle obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. She was also due to take charge of the enforcement of the Labour government's ban on smoking in all public places, but was moved just a couple of days before it came into force.
In February 2007, it was announced that she would be Hazel Blears' campaign manager in Blears' campaign for the Deputy Leadership election of the Labour Party following John Prescott's resignation. Blears did not win, finishing sixth in the Deputy Leadership election, but her conduct during the campaign was rewarded with the Cabinet Post of Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
In the Cabinet reshuffle of 29 June 2007 Caroline Flint moved to the Department for Work and Pensions where she served as the Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform.[3] Flint was also appointed to the new position of Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber.[3] On 24 January 2008, Flint was promoted to Minister of State for Housing and Planning, and as a result would now attend Cabinet meetings.[3] She was also appointed a member of the Privy Council and she relinquished her role as regional minister.[3]
In February 2008, she suggested unemployed council tenants should 'actively seek work', as a condition of their occupancy.[7] In May 2008 she inadvertently revealed grim forecasts for the future of house prices when she was photographed walking into Downing Street with her briefing papers visible. Close inspection revealed that her document read: "We can't tell how bad it will get."[8]
She was moved to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the October 2008 reshuffle, to become Minister for Europe.[1] On 31 March 2009 she admitted that she had not read the Lisbon Treaty, the controversial document which codifies the rules of the European Union. Critics described her admission as "extraordinary" and "unbelievable," particularly given that the minister's responsibilities include overseeing the introduction of the Treaty.[9]
Resignation
Flint resigned after the Cabinet reshuffle of 5 June 2009. She resigned claiming Gordon Brown was running a "two-tier government", and that she felt that she had been treated as "female window dressing". An article published by the Daily Mail characterised this position as in conflict with Flint's decision to pose for Observer Woman Magazine. After the photoshoot Flint commented that her looks were a double edged sword and that male colleagues would not be judged in the same way.[10] Only the day before her resignation she had professed her loyalty to the Prime Minister.[11] Flint renewed her attack on Gordon Brown in a newspaper article on 7 June 2009, she told The Observer that she was not ashamed of the glamorous photoshoot which had upset Downing Street. She launched a broadside against the Prime Minister, complaining of "this constant pressure, this negative bullying".[12]
Expenses
In 2005, Flint claimed her constituency home in Sprotbrough as her second home, and a house in outer London as her main home. She sold her outer London home to buy a flat in Victoria, London in 2006. To buy the flat, Flint claimed £1,000 solicitors fees and £12,750 in stamp duty on allowances; the Fees Office paid £7,700 of the claim. The Victoria flat became her second home and her constituency property her main residence.[13][14] Flint was one of 98 MPs who voted in favour of legislation which would have kept MPs expense details secret.[15] In an investigation in MPs claims she was ordered to repay £572 in over-claimed expenses by Sir Thomas Legg.[16]
Personal life
In July 2001 she married her longtime boyfriend, Phil Cole, a former Labour Party regional officer and public relations professional. They live in Flint's Don Valley constituency[citation needed]. Between them they have three children - a son from Cole's former relationship and a son and daughter from Flint's first marriage to Saief Zammel, a Tunisian stockbroker.[17] Flint obtained a divorce in 1990 after Zammel was arrested on charges of violent disorder and was subsequently deported.[18]
References
- ^ a b c "Caroline Flint: Electoral history and profile". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
- ^ Clark, Tom (16 May 2008). "Only Tony Blair himself has purer Blairite credentials ... ambition is the word that crops up most about her work". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Democracy Live - Caroline Flint MP". BBC News. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
- ^ a b c "Debrett's: The Rt Hon Caroline Flint MP". Retrieved 4 January 2011.
- ^ Crompton, Simon (18 November 2006). "The nation's top nanny". The Times. London. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
- ^ "Gibraltar Government reacts to remarks made by Mr Peter Hain, Minister for Europe". Government of Gibraltar Press Office. 17 April 2002.
- ^ Patrick Wintour "Labour: if you want a council house, find a job", The Guardian, 5 February 2009
- ^ . Patrick Wintour (14 May 2008). "Minister reveals housing fears in briefing gaffe". The Guardian. London.
- ^ Rosa Prince (31 March 2009). "Caroline Flint, Europe minister, hasn't read Lisbon Treaty". Daily Telegraph. London.
- ^ "'Brown cannot win next election', Mandelson 'told Labour aide in leaked emails'". London: Mail Online. 6 June 2009. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
- ^ "'Just female window dressing' - Full text of Caroline Flint's resignation letter". The Scotsman. 5 June 2009. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
- ^ Hinsliff, Gaby (7 June 2009). ""Angry Flint in fresh attack on Brown" The Observer". London: Guardian. Retrieved 7 June 2009.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Prince, Rosa (8 May 2009). "Caroline Flint claimed £14,000 for fees for new flat: MPs' expenses". London: Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
- ^ "Caroline Flint's response over MPs' expenses". London: Telegraph. 8 May 2009. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
- ^ "How your MP voted on the FOI Bill". The Times. London. 20 May 2007.
- ^ "Full list of MPs' expenses repayments". BBC News. 4 February 2010.
- ^ "Sexism, motherhood, ambition – and looking good". Guardian interview
- ^ MPs' scandals covered up on Wikipedia, Daily Telegraph, 10 July 2010
External links
- Caroline Flint MP Official constituency website
- Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005
- Voting record at Public Whip
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
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