Anna Turley

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Anna Turley
Official portrait, 2017
Chair of the Co-operative Party
In office
8 June 2019 – 13 December 2019
Preceded byGareth Thomas
Succeeded byChris Herries
Shadow Minister for Civil Society
In office
14 September 2015 – 27 June 2016
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byLisa Nandy
Succeeded bySteve Reed
Member of Parliament
for Redcar
In office
7 May 2015 – 6 November 2019
Preceded byIan Swales
Succeeded byJacob Young
Personal details
Born (1978-10-09) 9 October 1978 (age 45)
Dartford, England
Political partyLabour and Co-operative

Anna Catherine Turley (born 9 October 1978) is a British former politician and gambling lobbyist.[1] She was the Labour and Co-operative Member of Parliament (MP) for Redcar from 2015[2][3] until 2019. Turley was chair of the Co-operative Party from 8 June 2019 until December 2019.[4] She served as chair of the North East Child Poverty Commission (NECPC) from May 2022 to July 2023.[5][6][7] She was selected in 2023 to contest the Redcar constituency for Labour.[8]

Early life and career[edit]

Turley was born in Dartford,[9] and received an academic scholarship to attend the independent Ashford School.[10] She went on to read History at Greyfriars, Oxford.

From 2001 to 2005, Turley was a fast-stream civil servant at the Home Office, initially working on youth crime issues, and later moved to the Department for Work and Pensions, specialising in child poverty issues.[11] In 2005, Turley became a special adviser in the Department for Work and Pensions under David Blunkett, then in 2006 for the Cabinet Office under Hilary Armstrong.[11][12]

Early political career[edit]

Turley in 2015

In the 2006 Wandsworth London Borough Council election, Turley stood unsuccessfully as a Labour candidate for Wandsworth Common ward.[13][14]

In 2007, Turley worked for public relations agency The Ledbury Group.[15] In April 2008, she became deputy director of the local government research organisation the New Local Government Network,[15] and in 2010 co-founded the Co-operative Councils Innovation Network designed to enable local authorities to work in partnership with local communities.[11][16]

Turley was shortlisted for the North West Durham seat for the 2010 general election but lost out to Pat Glass.[17] In 2011, Turley founded a consultancy and online forum ProgLoc (Progressive Localism) for progressive debate of key issues affecting local government,[18][19][20] and became an associate researcher for the NGO Future of London.[21][22] In 2012 Turley was listed as a speaker for the New Labour pressure group Progress.[23] In 2013, Turley became a senior research fellow at IPPR North.[24]

In 2013, Turley was selected to stand in the Redcar constituency from an all-women shortlist,[12] in a contentious selection process that was ultimately associated with the resignation of ten Labour councillors.[25][26]

Parliamentary career[edit]

Turley became the member of parliament for Redcar at the May 2015 general election, winning the seat from the Liberal Democrats. She was appointed as a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee in July 2015,[27] and later the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee.[28]

Soon after becoming an MP, Turley had to respond to major local employer SSI UK, which operated Teesside Steelworks, going into liquidation,[29][30] leading to about 3,000 local job losses. The steelworks had once employed about 40,000.[31] Turley set up a local SSI Taskforce, and secured £50 million from the government to help support retraining and new jobs.[32]

She supported Andy Burnham in the 2015 leadership election.[33] In September 2015, the newly elected Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn appointed Turley as shadow civil society minister in his first shadow cabinet.[11] Turley was a critic of Corbyn, and resigned as a Shadow Minister in June 2016.[34] In the 2016 leadership election campaign soon afterwards, Turley stated that Corbyn was "completely out of touch with reality", and supported Owen Smith for leader.[35] She would later argue that Labour had "moved too far to the left"[36] and had "issues around national security as well as with antisemitism".[37]

In 2016, Turley introduced a private member's bill to increase the maximum sentences available to the courts for specified offences related to animal cruelty to five years.[38] She queued from 2am until 10am to table the bill.[39] The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act was passed in April 2021, and came into force on 29 June 2021.[40][41][42]

In the 2017 general election, Turley was re-elected with 23,623 votes, a share of 55.5%.[43] She became chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Groups ("APPGs") on Hydrogen[44] and Bingo,[45] Secretary of the APPG on Steel and Metal Related Industry[46] and a member of the APPGs on Endometriosis, Speedway, Loan Charge, Carbon Capture and Storage, Performers Alliance, Music, Equitable Life, Fair Business Banking and the All-Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group.[47] She is also a member of various Labour Party groups, including the Labour Movement for Europe, LGBT Labour, Jewish Labour Movement, Labour Campaign for International Development, Labour Friends of Israel, Labour Friends of Palestine & the Middle East and Labour Party Irish Society.[47][48]

In 2018, Turley worked with the charity, Family Rights Group, to establish the cross party Parliamentary Taskforce on Kinship Care, to campaign for improvements to support for children raised by relatives and friends when they cannot remain with their parents.[49] Turley later completed the 2023 Great North Run for Family Rights Group.[50]

In the 2019 general election, Turley lost her seat to the Conservative candidate.[51] She blamed party leader Jeremy Corbyn for the loss.[52][53] Turley was re-elected at the 2017 general election under Jeremy Corbyn.[54] In December 2019, the Conservative party defeated Turley's 9,485 majority, taking the seat for the first time.[55]

On 19 December 2019, following a six-day trial at the Royal Courts of Justice, Turley won a libel claim against Unite the Union and Stephen Walker (editor of The Skwawkbox); the court upheld that her reputation had been damaged by Walker and Unite during the election.[56][57][58]

Post-political career[edit]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Turley helped run the local foodbank, and set up a charity to distribute books to disadvantaged children.[6] She is a School Governor for Whale Hill Primary School in Eston.[59]

From May 2022 to July 2023, she served as chair of the North East Child Poverty Commission (NECPC), an organisation campaigning to end child poverty in the North East.[7][5]

Since leaving parliament, Turley has also worked as a sports consultant for the Betting and Gaming Council, an organisation which represents the gambling industry, and in April 2021 wrote a paid advertorial in the New Statesman for the organisation opposing limits on betting, suggesting that they would alienate red wall voters.[1]

In July 2023, she won an open contest to be selected as the Labour candidate for Redcar at the next general election.[8]

Personal life[edit]

Turley has lived in Redcar since 2012.[12] Previously she lived in Islington, London.[11]

In the second half of 2017, Turley required five operations to alleviate problems with infected cysts;[60] the emergency surgery caused her to suspend parliamentary work for over a month.[61] She became a vocal campaigner on endometriosis, and launched an inquiry into women's experiences through the APPG on Endometriosis.[62][63]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Turley, Anna (1 April 2021). "On gambling, Labour and the Tories must listen to Red Wall voters". The New Statesman. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  2. ^ "No. 61230". The London Gazette. 18 May 2015. p. 9124.
  3. ^ "2015 General Election results". BBC News. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  4. ^ "Chris Herries". Co-operative Party. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Anna Turley steps back as NECPC Chair".
  6. ^ a b "Where Are They Now? Former Labour MP Anna Turley on abuse and life post-Parliament". politicshome.com. The House. 24 September 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Former Teesside Labour MP is named in top role – and here's what she'll be doing". The Northern Echo.
  8. ^ a b Arnold, Stuart. "Ex-Labour MP Anna Turley selected again to contest General Election". Darlington & Stockton Times.
  9. ^ "Biography Anna Turley MP". MyParliament. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  10. ^ Hope, Christopher (6 January 2016). "Jeremy Corbyn tries to force public schools to open up music, arts, sport facilities to state school children". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 28 June 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  11. ^ a b c d e Hillier, Andy (22 October 2015). "Anna Turley MP – the new shadow minister for charities". Third Sector. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  12. ^ a b c "Former Blunkett adviser named Redcar Parliamentary candidate". Teesside Gazette. 13 May 2013. Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  13. ^ Teale, Andrew. "Local Election Results 2006 – Wandsworth". Local Elections Archive Project. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  14. ^ "Wandsworth Common". Wandsworth Council. Retrieved 16 September 2009.
  15. ^ a b "Ex-Blunkett aide joins think-tank". PR Week. 3 April 2008. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  16. ^ "Anna Turley given shadow responsibility for charity sector". Third Sector. 24 September 2015. Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  17. ^ Moss, Richard (18 December 2009). "Durham North West Labour shortlist revealed". BBC News. Archived from the original on 10 October 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  18. ^ Asato, Jessica (27 May 2011). "Who's hue in tankworld". Progress Online. Archived from the original on 1 October 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  19. ^ Turley, Anna (27 July 2011). "Progressive localism". Progress Online. Archived from the original on 1 October 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  20. ^ "Companies House – PROGLOC LIMITED". Companies House. Company No. 07605429. Archived from the original on 4 February 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  21. ^ Turley, Anna (13 December 2011). "London and the Localism Act". Future of London. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  22. ^ Turley, Anna; Wilson, Joanna (March 2012). "Localism in London" (PDF). Future of London. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 January 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  23. ^ "Speaker List for CLPs". Progress. Archived from the original on 20 August 2012.
  24. ^ Davies, Bill; Turley, Anna (January 2014). "Back to Rising Damp? Addressing housing quality in the private rented sector" (PDF). IPPR North. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 February 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  25. ^ Byrne, Prof. David (27 April 2015). "Can a Green union man beat Labour's London parachuter in the north east?". Durham University. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  26. ^ Brown, Mike (4 February 2015). "Council leader tears up Labour Party membership card as bitter internal dispute continues". GazetteLive. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  27. ^ "Home Affairs Committee: Committee membership announced". Parliament of the United Kingdom. 8 July 2015. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  28. ^ "Anna Turley MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  29. ^ Blackburn, Mike; Glover, Andrew (30 September 2015). "SSI: Labour MPs will present 'rescue plan' to steel minister tomorrow". GazetteLive. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  30. ^ Hugill, Steven (17 September 2016). "Future of SSI UK Redcar plant 'must not be held to ransom by Thai banks'". The Northern Echo. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  31. ^ Turley, Anna (19 January 2016). "What's the future for industrial towns?". Fabian Society. Archived from the original on 29 August 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  32. ^ Robson, Dave (19 January 2017). "Redcar to benefit from final £5m of SSI Task Force cash". TeessideLive.
  33. ^ McGinn, Conor; Turley, Anna (26 May 2015). "Why we are backing Andy Burnham's bid to be Labour leader". New Statesman. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  34. ^ "Jeremy Corbyn unveils new top team after resignations". BBC News. 27 June 2016. Archived from the original on 26 June 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  35. ^ Johnson, Ian (24 October 2016). "Teesside MP who called Corbyn 'Wizard of Oz' congratulates him on victory". GazetteLive. Archived from the original on 1 October 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  36. ^ "Labour candidate suing union says Labour has moved too far to left". The Guardian.
  37. ^ "Working-class voters hated Labour antisemitism, says former MP".
  38. ^ "Animal Cruelty (Sentencing) Bill 2016–17 — UK Parliament". services.parliament.uk. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  39. ^ "Tougher sentencing plea from outraged MP in wake of animal cruelty case". The Northern Echo. 4 July 2016.
  40. ^ "Maximum prison sentence for animal cruelty raised to five years". GOV.UK. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  41. ^ "Gove delivers new bill to punish animal abusers". GOV.UK. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  42. ^ "Tougher animal cruelty sentence becomes law". The Northern Echo. 29 April 2021.
  43. ^ "Redcar general election results 2017". BBC News. 9 June 2017. Archived from the original on 10 June 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  44. ^ "House of Commons – Register Of All-Party Parliamentary Groups as at 27 March 2019: Hydrogen". publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  45. ^ "House of Commons – Register Of All-Party Parliamentary Groups as at 14 March 2018: Bingo". publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  46. ^ "House of Commons – Register Of All-Party Parliamentary Groups as at 28 September 2017: Steel and Metal Related Industries". publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  47. ^ a b "Bio". Anna Turley MP. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  48. ^ "LFI Supporters in Parliament". ”Labour Friends of Israel”. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  49. ^ "The cross-party Parliamentary Taskforce on Kinship Care". Family Rights Group. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  50. ^ "Anna's Great North Run". frg.enthuse.com. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  51. ^ "Redcar Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  52. ^ "I lost my Redcar seat thanks to Jeremy Corbyn and I'm furious". The Independent. 13 December 2019. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022.
  53. ^ "Anna Turley, former MP, Redcar". TheyWorkForYou. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  54. ^ "Redcar (Constituency) 2017 results – General election results – UK Parliament". Archived from the original on 11 February 2018.
  55. ^ "Redcar (Constituency) 2019 results – General election results – UK Parliament". Archived from the original on 29 November 2020.
  56. ^ "Anna Turley libel trial: Former Labour MP wins £75,000 damages". BBC News. 19 December 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  57. ^ "Turley-v-Unite 2019 EWHC 3547 QB Final for handdown" (PDF). Judiciary.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  58. ^ "Court-ordered Statement". Skwawkbox.org. The Skwawkbox. 20 December 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  59. ^ "Whale Hill School". Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  60. ^ Robson, Dave (19 December 2017). "Anna Turley: Health all-clear for Redcar MP after five operations". GazetteLive. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  61. ^ "Redcar MP Anna Turley recovering after emergency surgery". BBC News. 7 November 2017. Archived from the original on 8 November 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  62. ^ "50% of endometriosis sufferers have suicidal thoughts, new study finds".
  63. ^ "Endometriosis patients enduring crippling pain 'finally feel believed'". uk.movies.yahoo.com.

External links[edit]

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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Redcar
2015–2019 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Chair of the Co-operative Party
2019–present 		Incumbent
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