Helen Goodman
Encyclopedia
Helen Catherine Goodman (born 2 January 1958) is a British
Labour Party
politician
, who has been the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Bishop Auckland
since 2005
, and was the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for in the Department for Work and Pensions
until 2010 with responsibility for Child Poverty and childcare.
and was educated at the comprehensive Lady Manners School, in Bakewell
, Derbyshire
. She studied PPE
at Somerville College, Oxford
.
On leaving Oxford she worked as a researcher for the Labour MP Phillip Whitehead
and from 1995 she worked as the head of strategy at HM Treasury
until she stood down in 1997. She was a director at the Commission on the Future for Multi Ethnic Britain before she was appointed the head of strategy at The Children's Society
in 1998. From 2002 until her election she was the chief executive of the National Association of Toy and Leisure Libraries. She is a member of the GMB Union
and the Christian Socialist Movement
.
at the 2001 general election
she tried unsuccessfully to be selected for Chesterfield
losing out for Labour's nomination to the former MP for Wood Green
Reg Race
. Race in turn lost the seat to the Liberal Democrats
. She was selected as the Labour candidate for to the County Durham
seat of Bishop Auckland at the 2005 General Election
through an All-Women Shortlist following the retirement of the veteran Labour MP Derek Foster. Goodman held the seat with a majority of 10,047 and remains the MP there. She made her maiden speech
on 25 May 2005.
She was a member of the Public Accounts Committee from May 2005 to April 2007 before becoming a Parliamentary Private Secretary
at the Ministry of Justice. In June 2007 she was appointed Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, before being made a whip
in October 2008. She left this role in June 2009 to become a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions
.
Goodman was critical of attempts to reform MP's expenses stating if second homes were lost and travel allowances cut then "stress, mental ill-health, divorce, etc would explode". She went on the claim that "women members cannot be expected to walk around alone in London after 11pm". Critics such as Sue Carrol pointed out that women in the real world often have to travel at night and given the risk of mugging and assault is such a problem then perhaps MPs "might care to do something about it."
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
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, who has been 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 Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland (UK Parliament constituency)
Bishop Auckland is a county 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. Since 1935 it has elected Labour MPs.-Boundaries:...
since 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....
, and was the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for in the Department for Work and Pensions
Department for Work and Pensions
The Department for Work and Pensions is the largest government department in the United Kingdom, created on June 8, 2001 from the merger of the employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security and headed by the Secretary of State for Work and...
until 2010 with responsibility for Child Poverty and childcare.
Early life
Goodman grew up in DerbyshireDerbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
and was educated at the comprehensive Lady Manners School, in Bakewell
Bakewell
Bakewell is a small market town in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire, England, deriving its name from 'Beadeca's Well'. It is the only town included in the Peak District National Park, and is well known for the local confection Bakewell Pudding...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
. She studied PPE
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
Philosophy, politics, and economics is a popular interdisciplinary undergraduate/graduate degree which combines study from the three disciplines...
at Somerville College, Oxford
Somerville College, Oxford
Somerville College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, and was one of the first women's colleges to be founded there...
.
On leaving Oxford she worked as a researcher for the Labour MP Phillip Whitehead
Phillip Whitehead
Phillip Whitehead, was a British Labour politician, television producer and writer.Born in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, he was adopted by a local family, and attended Lady Manners School in Bakewell and Exeter College at Oxford University, where he obtained his BA .Whitehead apparently went to...
and from 1995 she worked as the head of strategy at HM Treasury
HM Treasury
HM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy...
until she stood down in 1997. She was a director at the Commission on the Future for Multi Ethnic Britain before she was appointed the head of strategy at The Children's Society
The Children's Society
The Children's Society, formally The Church of England Children's Society, is a UK charity allied to the Church of England and driven by a belief that all children deserve a good childhood.-History:...
in 1998. From 2002 until her election she was the chief executive of the National Association of Toy and Leisure Libraries. She is a member 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...
and the Christian Socialist Movement
Christian Socialist Movement
The Christian Socialist Movement, or CSM, is a socialist society affiliated to the British Labour Party.The CSM was an amalgamation of the Society of Socialist Clergy and Ministers and the Socialist Christian League. R. H. Tawney made one of his last public appearances at the Movement's inaugural...
.
Parliamentary career
Following the retirement of Tony BennTony Benn
Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC is a British Labour Party politician and a former MP and Cabinet Minister.His successful campaign to renounce his hereditary peerage was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963...
at the 2001 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
she tried unsuccessfully to be selected for Chesterfield
Chesterfield (UK Parliament constituency)
Chesterfield is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is a marginal seat between Labour and the Liberal Democrats. The best-known MP was Tony Benn from 1984 to 2001...
losing out for Labour's nomination to the former MP for Wood Green
Wood Green (UK Parliament constituency)
Wood Green was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Wood Green area of North London. It which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.-History:...
Reg Race
Reg Race
Denys Alan Reginald Race, known as Reg Race, is a British Labour politician.He unsuccessfully contested the Conservative-held constituency of Ruislip-Northwood at the February 1974 general election and again at the October 1974 general election.At the 1979 general election, Race was elected as...
. Race in turn lost the seat to the 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...
. She was selected as the Labour candidate for to the County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
seat of Bishop Auckland at the 2005 General Election
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....
through an All-Women Shortlist following the retirement of the veteran Labour MP Derek Foster. Goodman held the seat with a majority of 10,047 and remains the MP there. She 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 25 May 2005.
She was a member of the Public Accounts Committee from May 2005 to April 2007 before becoming a 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...
at the Ministry of Justice. In June 2007 she was appointed Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, before being made a whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
in October 2008. She left this role in June 2009 to become a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions
Department for Work and Pensions
The Department for Work and Pensions is the largest government department in the United Kingdom, created on June 8, 2001 from the merger of the employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security and headed by the Secretary of State for Work and...
.
Parliamentary expenses
On 19th May 2009 the Daily Telegraph revealed that Goodman had claimed £519.31 for use of a cottage on her expenses, and had submitted hotel bills dated two months prior to her becoming an MP. Goodman argued that she was carrying out Parliamentary business when using the cottage and thus her claim was accepted. The claim for the hotel stay was rejected due to the fact she wasn't an MP at the time thus not entitled to claim expenses for that period. She was subsequently given a clean bill of health by the independent Legg Inquiry into MPs expenses and was not required to pay any money back.Goodman was critical of attempts to reform MP's expenses stating if second homes were lost and travel allowances cut then "stress, mental ill-health, divorce, etc would explode". She went on the claim that "women members cannot be expected to walk around alone in London after 11pm". Critics such as Sue Carrol pointed out that women in the real world often have to travel at night and given the risk of mugging and assault is such a problem then perhaps MPs "might care to do something about it."
Personal life
Goodman is married to Charles Seaford who works for the Sustainable Development Commission. The couple have two children.External links
- Helen Goodman.co.uk - Official web site
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Helen Goodman MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Helen Goodman MP
- Public Whip
- BBC Politics page
- Articles written for The Guardian by Helen Goodman