Dawn Butler
Encyclopedia
Dawn Petula Butler is a British
Labour Party
politician who was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Brent South from 2005
to 2010, and was Minister for Young Citizens and Youth Engagement
in the Cabinet Office
. After her seat was abolished in boundary changes she went on to fight the new Brent Central
constituency which she lost to Liberal Democrat Sarah Teather
polling 18,681 votes to Teather's 20,026.
to Jamaica
n immigrant
parents into a large family with a sister and four brothers. She worked as an officer of the GMB Union
, including time as a national race and equality officer. She was also an adviser to the Mayor of London
Ken Livingstone
on employment and social issues.
but was unsuccessful Butler put herself forward for selection for West-Ham
but was not selected. Following the retirement of Paul Boateng
to become British High Commissioner
to South Africa
she was selected as the Labour candidate in Brent South and won the subsequent election with a majority of 11,326. She is the third black
woman to become a British MP, the others being Diane Abbott
and Oona King
.
Butler made her maiden speech
on 24 May 2005 in which she described her constituency as a “shining example of integration at its best”, highlighted the importance of the Warwick Agreement
with the Trade Unions, paid tribute to other sitting and former black MPs and said she would be a voice for youth.
Interest in youth services has continued as one of her main interests in Parliament. On 24 October 2006 she was appointed Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Youth Affairs, and she is an Honorary Vice President of the British Youth Council
. After Gordon Brown
became Prime Minister, on 27 June 2007, Butler was made one of the Labour Party's six Vice Chairs, with particular responsibility for Youth issues.
She was appointed to the Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons
shortly after her election, and has also served on standing committees (notably on the Violent Crime Reduction Bill 2006). In November 2007 she was appointed to the Children & Families Select Committee
. Earlier (in November 2005), she had been promoted to Parliamentary Private Secretary
to the health minister Jane Kennedy
, but decided to stand down from this post in early 2006.
On 6 November 2007, Butler was chosen to second the Queen’s Speech
. Her voting record shows she has largely been loyal to the government. She was promoted to Assistant Whip on 12 September 2008.
Butler was named female MP of the year at the 2009 Women in Public Life awards, beating fellow Labour MPs Margaret Moran
and Sharon Hodgson
. Following her appointment as Minister for Young Citizens and Youth Engagement
, Butler became the first black woman to speak from the Despatch Box in the House of Commons during question time on 9 December 2009.
being the same distance from Parliament as her Brent South home.
. Its territory was mostly divided between two new constituencies: Brent Central
and Brent North. Butler was selected as the Labour candidate in Brent Central but lost to Sarah Teather
(Liberal Democrats
) who was the MP for Brent East which was also abolished at the general election.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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 Brent South from 2005
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
to 2010, and was Minister for Young Citizens and Youth Engagement
Minister for Young Citizens and Youth Engagement
The post of Minister for Young Citizens and Youth Engagement is a ministerial position in the United Kingdom, created on 30 October 2009 by prime minister Gordon Brown. It was created following a recommendation that came from the Youth Citizenship Commission that there should be a Minister for...
in the Cabinet Office
Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom....
. After her seat was abolished in boundary changes she went on to fight the new Brent Central
Brent Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Brent Central is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
constituency which she lost to Liberal Democrat Sarah Teather
Sarah Teather
Sarah Louise Teather is a British Liberal Democrat politician, Member of Parliament for Brent Central, Minister of State at the Department for Education, and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Guantanamo Bay....
polling 18,681 votes to Teather's 20,026.
Early life
Butler was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n immigrant
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
parents into a large family with a sister and four brothers. She worked as an officer of the GMB Union
GMB Union
The GMB is a general trade union in the United Kingdom, and has more than 600,000 members. Its members are drawn from many sectors, with particular strength amongst manual workers in local government and the health service...
, including time as a national race and equality officer. She was also an adviser to the Mayor of London
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
on employment and social issues.
Parliamentary career
Butler's first attempt at entering Parliament was in Hackney South where she featured on a Labour All Women ShortlistAll-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...
but was unsuccessful Butler put herself forward for selection for West-Ham
West Ham (UK Parliament constituency)
West Ham is a parliamentary constituency in the London Borough of Newham, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
but was not selected. Following the retirement of Paul Boateng
Paul Boateng
Paul Yaw Boateng, Baron Boateng is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Brent South from 1987 to 2005, becoming the UK's first black Cabinet Minister in May 2002, when he was appointed as Chief Secretary to the Treasury...
to become British High Commissioner
High Commissioner (Commonwealth)
In the Commonwealth of Nations, a High Commissioner is the senior diplomat in charge of the diplomatic mission of one Commonwealth government to another.-History:...
to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
she was selected as the Labour candidate in Brent South and won the subsequent election with a majority of 11,326. She is the third black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
woman to become a British MP, the others being Diane Abbott
Diane Abbott
Diane Julie Abbott is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987, when she became the first black woman to be elected to the House of Commons...
and Oona King
Oona King
Oona Tamsyn King, Baroness King of Bow is a Baroness and Member of the House of Lords, and former Chief Diversity Officer of Channel 4. She previously had served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Bow from 1997 until 2005, when she was defeated by Respect candidate George...
.
Butler made her maiden speech
Maiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
on 24 May 2005 in which she described her constituency as a “shining example of integration at its best”, highlighted the importance of the Warwick Agreement
Warwick Agreement
The Warwick Agreement is the name of a document agreed in July 2004 to the 2005 General Election between many of Britain's main trade unions and the Labour Party, which helped form Labour's 2005 election manifesto....
with the Trade Unions, paid tribute to other sitting and former black MPs and said she would be a voice for youth.
Interest in youth services has continued as one of her main interests in Parliament. On 24 October 2006 she was appointed Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Youth Affairs, and she is an Honorary Vice President of the British Youth Council
British Youth Council
The British Youth Council is a UK charity working to empower young people to have a say and be heard. Run by young people for young people, BYC exists to represent the views of young people to government and decision-makers at a local, national, European and international level; and to promote the...
. After 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...
became Prime Minister, on 27 June 2007, Butler was made one of the Labour Party's six Vice Chairs, with particular responsibility for Youth issues.
She was appointed to the Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons
Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons
The Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons was a temporary select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was created early in the 1997, 2001, and 2005 Parliaments...
shortly after her election, and has also served on standing committees (notably on the Violent Crime Reduction Bill 2006). In November 2007 she was appointed to the Children & Families Select Committee
Children, Schools and Families Committee
The Education Select Committee, previously the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee, is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
. Earlier (in November 2005), she had been promoted to 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 the health minister Jane Kennedy
Jane Kennedy (politician)
Jane Elizabeth Kennedy is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Liverpool Wavertree from 1992 until she stood down in 2010...
, but decided to stand down from this post in early 2006.
On 6 November 2007, Butler was chosen to second the Queen’s Speech
Speech from the Throne
A speech from the throne is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign reads a prepared speech to a complete session of parliament, outlining the government's agenda for the coming session...
. Her voting record shows she has largely been loyal to the government. She was promoted to Assistant Whip on 12 September 2008.
Butler was named female MP of the year at the 2009 Women in Public Life awards, beating fellow Labour MPs Margaret Moran
Margaret Moran
Margaret Moran is a former Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. She was the Member of Parliament for Luton South from 1997 to 2010....
and Sharon Hodgson
Sharon Hodgson
Sharon Hodgson is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Washington and Sunderland West since 2010...
. Following her appointment as Minister for Young Citizens and Youth Engagement
Minister for Young Citizens and Youth Engagement
The post of Minister for Young Citizens and Youth Engagement is a ministerial position in the United Kingdom, created on 30 October 2009 by prime minister Gordon Brown. It was created following a recommendation that came from the Youth Citizenship Commission that there should be a Minister for...
, Butler became the first black woman to speak from the Despatch Box in the House of Commons during question time on 9 December 2009.
Expenses Controversy
In March 2009 she came under criticism for claiming almost the full £23,000 annual second home allowance, despite her other home in StratfordStratford, London
Stratford is a place in the London Borough of Newham, England. It is located east northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an agrarian settlement in the ancient parish of West Ham, which transformed into an industrial suburb...
being the same distance from Parliament as her Brent South home.
Boundary changes
Butler's constituency of Brent South was abolished at the 2010 general election2010 general election
2010 general election may refer to:* Anguillan general election, 2010* Australian federal election, 2010* Bougainvillean general election, 2010* Brazilian general election, 2010* Burmese general election, 2010* Cook Islands general election, 2010...
. Its territory was mostly divided between two new constituencies: Brent Central
Brent Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Brent Central is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
and Brent North. Butler was selected as the Labour candidate in Brent Central but lost to Sarah Teather
Sarah Teather
Sarah Louise Teather is a British Liberal Democrat politician, Member of Parliament for Brent Central, Minister of State at the Department for Education, and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Guantanamo Bay....
(Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
) who was the MP for Brent East which was also abolished at the general election.
External links
- Dawn Butler official Website
- Dawn Butler MP's Website
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Dawn Butler MP
- Guardian: Ask Aristotle - How they voted: Dawn Butler MP
Online interviews
- WPRadio Talking to Women's Parliamentary RadioWomen's Parliamentary RadioWomen's Parliamentary Radio is a website which broadcasts audio and video interviews with women MPs of all parties.All the interviews are pre-recorded and put on the website as reports which can be streamed and listened to immediately or downloaded as podcasts so that they can be listened to later...
about her new role and career in parliament - WPRadio face to face video