Ann Keen
Encyclopedia
Ann Lloyd Keen is a British
Labour Party
politician, who was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Brentford and Isleworth from 1997
, until she was defeated by Conservative
candidate Mary Macleod
in 2010.
in Buckley, Clwyd
, then gained a PGCEA (Postgraduate Certificate in the Education of Adults) from the University of Surrey
. She worked in the National Health Service
(NHS) before training as a registered nurse
at Ashford General Hospital in Ashford, Middlesex, and won prizes as Nurse of the Year and Children's Nurse of the Year. She later became a district nurse
. From 1989–1993, she was Head of the Faculty of Advanced Nursing at Queen Charlotte's College in Hammersmith
(now part of Thames Valley University
) and she also served as General Secretary of the Community and District Nursing Association.
Keen stood for the Brentford & Isleworth seat in 1987
and 1992
though was unsuccessful on both occasions. For the 1997 election
she was again selected, on this occasion through an all-women shortlist
. This method of selection was declared unlawful in January 1996 as it breached sex discrimination laws. Despite the ruling she remained in place as the candidate for the 1997 general election, when she became an MP defeating Conservative
MP Nirj Deva
.
Keen's first role in Parliament came in 1999 when she was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary
to Frank Dobson
, Secretary of State for Health
, though this appointment lasted less than a month. She then moved to the Treasury, later becoming Parliamentary Private Secretary to the then Chancellor of the Exchequer
, Gordon Brown
. In 2000 Keen became well known for campaigning on gay rights, her interest in the issue sparked when she was reunited with her gay son who she had given up for adoption. In the same year she also successfully ran a campaign to elect Michael Martin as Speaker to the House of Commons
.
She was defeated at the 2010 general election by Conservative candidate Mary Macleod
on a swing of 6%.
, and served on the health select committee. In 1998, Keen proposed an Early Day Motion
calling for equitable care for women with ovarian cancer, which was supported by over 100 other MPs.
On 29 June 2007, in Brown's first reshuffle as Prime Minister
she was promoted to become a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department of Health
, where her brief included NHS dentistry.
In 2009-2010, Keen led the Prime Minister's independent commission on the future of nursing and midwifery in England, which resulted in the report "Front Line Care".
. Keen had claimed to be opposed to expansion at Heathrow for many years; her website stated in 2007 that "one of her most successful campaigns was against the Third Runway at Heathrow." Friends of the Earth
said she had "betrayed her constituents."
used their combined second homes allowances to buy an apartment in an up-market development at Waterloo
on the South Bank of the River Thames
, claiming £175,000 over five years. The Waterloo apartment is nine miles from their constituency home in Brentford, a 30-minute drive from Westminster. MPs who reside near the Keens in Brentford, such as Home Office Minister Phil Woolas
who lives in the next street, are able to commute from there to Westminster. The couple claimed for both the interest payments on the Waterloo flat and the cost of re-mortgaging their Brentford home. The Fees Office agreed with the couple's argument that this was claimable because it was used to raise equity for the flat. The mortgage also included the cost of "compulsory" life insurance attached to the mortgages, a practice which is now banned. Their claims caused some newspapers to nickname the couple "Mr and Mrs Expenses".
In 2009, their Brentford home was occupied by squatters after it was unoccupied for 9–12 months following a dispute with a building firm undertaking renovation work. The squatters' declared aim was to turn the house into a centre for war refugees, in response to Mrs Keen's support for the British invasion of Iraq.
In 2007-2008 Keen had previously hit the headlines having the highest expenses claim of any MP excluding transport costs (which disproportionately affect MPs from remote constituencies), claiming a total of £167,306 for the financial year. In total the Keens have claimed almost £1.7million in expenses over seven years.
In defending their part in the expenses scandal the Keens stated "we have advocated, strongly supported, and voted for the introduction of Freedom of Information legislation. We are pleased that the point has been reached when full details of MPs' expenses are being published on a regular basis for everyone to see". However, in November 2009, arsonists repeatedly attacked the offices of a nurses' organisation based at a property owned by the Brentford & Isleworth Constituency Labour Party, allegedly in reaction to the revelations over the MP's expense claims.
A formal investigation into the Keens' expenses by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards
ruled in March 2010 that the Keens had breached the expenses rules and that he regarded the breach of the rules as "serious", and involving "significant public funds". He suggested that the Keens should pay back four months worth of their claims - some £5,678. However, The Commons Standards and Privileges Committee of MPs took the unusual step of disagreeing with his findings and slashing the repayment ordering them to repay £1,500.
In April 2005 Keen also attracted criticism for using schools to distribute party political material to children's parents.
John Taylor alleged Keen had breached her 'duty of care
' to a constituent in failing to assist his attempts in achieving compensation for wrongful imprisonment. Keen was initially ordered to pay £15,000 in damages
, the ruling was overturned on appeal, with the judge stating there was no entitlement in law for him to bring such a claim. Keen said, "As an MP I deal with huge numbers of cases each year for my constituents, many of which have successful outcomes. "Unfortunately, some cases for a variety of reasons do not have successful outcomes. Despite trying my hardest for Mr Taylor for more than 10 years since 1997, this was one such case." The case was believed to be the first of its kind.
, who sat as a Labour
MP
from 1992 until his death in 2011, in 1980. Her sister, Sylvia Heal
, also a former Labour MP, was one of three Deputy Speakers of the House of Commons under Speaker
John Bercow
. Keen has two sons and one daughter. She had one of her sons adopted and was reunited with him in 1997.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician, who was the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Brentford and Isleworth from 1997
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
, until she was defeated by Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
candidate Mary Macleod
Mary Macleod
Mary Macleod is a British Conservative Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Brentford and Isleworth since the 2010 general election....
in 2010.
Early life
Keen is the daughter of steelworker John Lloyd Fox and Ruby Hughes. She went to Elfed Secondary Modern SchoolElfed High School
Elfed High School is a high school on Mill Lane in Buckley, Flintshire, in northeast Wales.-Admissions:The student population is 750. It is a predominantly English speaking school, but the Welsh language and ethos is integrated throughout the broad ranging curriculum offered to students...
in Buckley, Clwyd
Buckley
Buckley is a town and community in Flintshire, located in north-east Wales. It is situated 2 miles from the county town of Mold and is contiguous with the nearby villages of Ewloe, Alltami and Mynydd Isa...
, then gained a PGCEA (Postgraduate Certificate in the Education of Adults) from the University of Surrey
University of Surrey
The University of Surrey is a university located within the county town of Guildford, Surrey in the South East of England. It received its charter on 9 September 1966, and was previously situated near Battersea Park in south-west London. The institution was known as Battersea College of Technology...
. She worked in the National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
(NHS) before training as a registered nurse
Registered nurse
A registered nurse is a nurse who has graduated from a nursing program at a university or college and has passed a national licensing exam. A registered nurse helps individuals, families, and groups to achieve health and prevent disease...
at Ashford General Hospital in Ashford, Middlesex, and won prizes as Nurse of the Year and Children's Nurse of the Year. She later became a district nurse
District nurse
District Nurses are senior nurses who manage care within the community, leading teams of community nurses and support workers. Typically much of their work involves visiting house-bound patients to provide advice and care, for example, palliative care, wound management, catheter and continence...
. From 1989–1993, she was Head of the Faculty of Advanced Nursing at Queen Charlotte's College in Hammersmith
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
(now part of Thames Valley University
Thames Valley University
The University of West London is a public university based in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in Ealing and Brentford, London, and Reading, Berkshire....
) and she also served as General Secretary of the Community and District Nursing Association.
Parliamentary career
Keen stood for the Brentford & Isleworth seat in 1987
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
and 1992
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
though was unsuccessful on both occasions. For the 1997 election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
she was again selected, on this occasion through an all-women shortlist
All-women shortlists
The use of all-women shortlists is the political practice intended to increase the proportion of female Members of Parliament in the United Kingdom by allowing only women to stand in particular constituencies for a particular political party. Though the practice is available to all parties, only...
. This method of selection was declared unlawful in January 1996 as it breached sex discrimination laws. Despite the ruling she remained in place as the candidate for the 1997 general election, when she became an MP defeating Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP Nirj Deva
Nirj Deva
Niranjan Joseph "Nirj" De Silva Deva-Aditya FRSA DL is a politician from the United Kingdom. A member of the Conservative Party, he has been a Member of the European Parliament representing South East England since 1999...
.
Keen's first role in Parliament came in 1999 when she was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to Frank Dobson
Frank Dobson
Frank Gordon Dobson, is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Holborn and St. Pancras since 1979...
, Secretary of State for Health
Secretary of State for Health
Secretary of State for Health is a UK cabinet position responsible for the Department of Health.The first Boards of Health were created by Orders in Council dated 21 June, 14 November, and 21 November 1831. In 1848 a General Board of Health was created with the First Commissioner of Woods and...
, though this appointment lasted less than a month. She then moved to the Treasury, later becoming Parliamentary Private Secretary to the then Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
, Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
. In 2000 Keen became well known for campaigning on gay rights, her interest in the issue sparked when she was reunited with her gay son who she had given up for adoption. In the same year she also successfully ran a campaign to elect Michael Martin as Speaker to the House of Commons
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
.
She was defeated at the 2010 general election by Conservative candidate Mary Macleod
Mary Macleod
Mary Macleod is a British Conservative Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Brentford and Isleworth since the 2010 general election....
on a swing of 6%.
Health minister
Keen campaigned in parliament on health issues as a backbencherBackbencher
In Westminster parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislator who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition...
, and served on the health select committee. In 1998, Keen proposed an Early Day Motion
Early day motion
An Early Day Motion , in the Westminster system, is a motion, expressed as a single sentence, tabled by Members of Parliament for debate "on an early day" . Controversial EDMs are not signed by Government Ministers, PPS or the Speaker of the House of Commons and very few are debated on the floor...
calling for equitable care for women with ovarian cancer, which was supported by over 100 other MPs.
On 29 June 2007, in Brown's first reshuffle as Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
she was promoted to become a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department of Health
Department of Health (United Kingdom)
The Department of Health is a department of the United Kingdom government with responsibility for government policy for health and social care matters and for the National Health Service in England along with a few elements of the same matters which are not otherwise devolved to the Scottish,...
, where her brief included NHS dentistry.
In 2009-2010, Keen led the Prime Minister's independent commission on the future of nursing and midwifery in England, which resulted in the report "Front Line Care".
Heathrow Airport expansion
On 28 January 2009, Keen voted against a motion in Parliament calling for a review of the decision to add a third runway at Heathrow AirportExpansion of London Heathrow Airport
The expansion of London Heathrow Airport involved the proposal by BAA Limited to build a third runway and a sixth terminal at Heathrow. The plan was supported by businesses, the aviation industry, the British Chambers of Commerce, the Confederation of British Industry, the Trades Union Congress and...
. Keen had claimed to be opposed to expansion at Heathrow for many years; her website stated in 2007 that "one of her most successful campaigns was against the Third Runway at Heathrow." Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth International is an international network of environmental organizations in 76 countries.FOEI is assisted by a small secretariat which provides support for the network and its agreed major campaigns...
said she had "betrayed her constituents."
Expenses
Keen and her MP husband Alan KeenAlan Keen
David Alan Keen was a British Labour Co-operative politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Feltham and Heston from 1992 until his death.-Early life:...
used their combined second homes allowances to buy an apartment in an up-market development at Waterloo
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
on the South Bank of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
, claiming £175,000 over five years. The Waterloo apartment is nine miles from their constituency home in Brentford, a 30-minute drive from Westminster. MPs who reside near the Keens in Brentford, such as Home Office Minister Phil Woolas
Phil Woolas
Philip James Woolas was a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Oldham East and Saddleworth from his election in 1997 to 2010. He was the Minister of State for Borders and Immigration in the Home Office, as well as being the Minister of State for the Treasury...
who lives in the next street, are able to commute from there to Westminster. The couple claimed for both the interest payments on the Waterloo flat and the cost of re-mortgaging their Brentford home. The Fees Office agreed with the couple's argument that this was claimable because it was used to raise equity for the flat. The mortgage also included the cost of "compulsory" life insurance attached to the mortgages, a practice which is now banned. Their claims caused some newspapers to nickname the couple "Mr and Mrs Expenses".
In 2009, their Brentford home was occupied by squatters after it was unoccupied for 9–12 months following a dispute with a building firm undertaking renovation work. The squatters' declared aim was to turn the house into a centre for war refugees, in response to Mrs Keen's support for the British invasion of Iraq.
In 2007-2008 Keen had previously hit the headlines having the highest expenses claim of any MP excluding transport costs (which disproportionately affect MPs from remote constituencies), claiming a total of £167,306 for the financial year. In total the Keens have claimed almost £1.7million in expenses over seven years.
In defending their part in the expenses scandal the Keens stated "we have advocated, strongly supported, and voted for the introduction of Freedom of Information legislation. We are pleased that the point has been reached when full details of MPs' expenses are being published on a regular basis for everyone to see". However, in November 2009, arsonists repeatedly attacked the offices of a nurses' organisation based at a property owned by the Brentford & Isleworth Constituency Labour Party, allegedly in reaction to the revelations over the MP's expense claims.
A formal investigation into the Keens' expenses by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards
Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is an officer of the British House of Commons.He or she is appointed by a Resolution of the House of Commons and works a four-day week.- Tasks :...
ruled in March 2010 that the Keens had breached the expenses rules and that he regarded the breach of the rules as "serious", and involving "significant public funds". He suggested that the Keens should pay back four months worth of their claims - some £5,678. However, The Commons Standards and Privileges Committee of MPs took the unusual step of disagreeing with his findings and slashing the repayment ordering them to repay £1,500.
Misuse of stationery
In May 2009 the Parliamentary ombudsman instructed Keen to repay £4,583 for sending unsolicited letters to her constituents. Keen invited them to coffee mornings using prepaid envelopes and on House of Commons headed stationery, a breach of Parliamentary rules as they are only permitted to be used for replies. Keen said the correspondence was sent by "a new member of staff ... on House of Commons instead of constituency stationery. When it was brought to my attention I immediately refunded the cost."In April 2005 Keen also attracted criticism for using schools to distribute party political material to children's parents.
John Taylor's failed legal claim
In February 2009 constituentElectoral district
An electoral district is a distinct territorial subdivision for holding a separate election for one or more seats in a legislative body...
John Taylor alleged Keen had breached her 'duty of care
Duty of care
In tort law, a duty of care is a legal obligation imposed on an individual requiring that they adhere to a standard of reasonable care while performing any acts that could foreseeably harm others. It is the first element that must be established to proceed with an action in negligence. The claimant...
' to a constituent in failing to assist his attempts in achieving compensation for wrongful imprisonment. Keen was initially ordered to pay £15,000 in damages
Damages
In law, damages is an award, typically of money, to be paid to a person as compensation for loss or injury; grammatically, it is a singular noun, not plural.- Compensatory damages :...
, the ruling was overturned on appeal, with the judge stating there was no entitlement in law for him to bring such a claim. Keen said, "As an MP I deal with huge numbers of cases each year for my constituents, many of which have successful outcomes. "Unfortunately, some cases for a variety of reasons do not have successful outcomes. Despite trying my hardest for Mr Taylor for more than 10 years since 1997, this was one such case." The case was believed to be the first of its kind.
Personal life
She married Alan KeenAlan Keen
David Alan Keen was a British Labour Co-operative politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Feltham and Heston from 1992 until his death.-Early life:...
, who sat as a Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
from 1992 until his death in 2011, in 1980. Her sister, Sylvia Heal
Sylvia Heal
Sylvia Lloyd Heal is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Halesowen and Rowley Regis from 1997 to 2010, having previously been the MP for Mid Staffordshire from 1990 to 1992...
, also a former Labour MP, was one of three Deputy Speakers of the House of Commons under Speaker
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
John Bercow
John Bercow
John Simon Bercow is a British politician who has been the Speaker of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom since June 2009. Prior to his election to Speaker he was a member of the Conservative party....
. Keen has two sons and one daughter. She had one of her sons adopted and was reunited with him in 1997.