Barbara Follett (politician)
Daphne Barbara Follett (née Hubbard; born 25 December 1942) is a British Labour Party politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Stevenage from 1997 to 2010. During this time she held several parliamentary and ministerial positions.
Barbara Follett | |
|---|---|
Follett in 2009 | |
| Minister for the East of England | |
| In office 28 June 2007 – 11 May 2010 | |
| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government | |
| In office 22 September 2009 – 11 May 2010 | |
| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown |
| Preceded by | Sarah McCarthy-Fry |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Stunell |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture and Tourism | |
| In office 4 October 2008 – 22 September 2009 | |
| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown |
| Preceded by | Margaret Hodge |
| Succeeded by | Margaret Hodge |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Equality | |
| In office 24 November 2007 – 4 October 2008 | |
| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Maria Eagle |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions | |
| In office 28 June 2007 – 24 November 2007 | |
| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown |
| Preceded by | James Plaskitt |
| Succeeded by | James Plaskitt |
| Member of Parliament for Stevenage | |
| In office 1 May 1997 – 12 April 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Tim Wood |
| Succeeded by | Stephen McPartland |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Daphne Barbara Hubbard 25 December 1942 Kingston, Jamaica |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouses | Richard Turner (m. 1963–1970)Gerald Stonestreet
(m. 1970–1974)Les Broer (m. 1974–1985) |
| Children | 3, including Jann Turner |
| Residence(s) | Old Knebworth; Hertfordshire |
| Alma mater | Sandford School, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Ellerslie Girls' High School, Sea Point, Cape Town University of Cape Town London School of Economics Open University |
| Website | http://www.barbara-follett.org.uk/ |
In the decade before entering Parliament she played a major part in transformation of the Labour Party, firstly by making members more aware of their visual impact on voters and secondly by co-founding and running two organisations, Labour Women's Network and Emily's List UK, which spearheaded reforms that helped Labour to return a record 101 women to Parliament in 1997.
Following the United Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal, she repaid more than £42,000 which she had claimed in expenses - which enabled her to top the list of repayments made by MPs. She stood down in 2010 in order to take over running the business of her husband, author Ken Follett.