Meral Ece
Encyclopedia
Meral Hussein Ece, Baroness Hussein-Ece, OBE (born 10 October 1953) is a Liberal Democrat
member of the House of Lords
. She is the first woman of Turkish Cypriot origin to be a member of either house of Parliament
after she was appointed a Liberal Democrat working peer on May 28, 2010.
in the early 1950s, and settled in Islington, North London
, including as chief officer for Haringey Community Health Council.
She was elected as a Labour councillor on Hackney Borough Council in Clissold ward in 1994, and was Deputy Leader in 1995 and 1996. She was the first woman from a Turkish/Cypriot background elected to public office in the UK. In May 1996, a split opened up in the Labour group on Hackney Council with Ece a member of the "Manifesto Group".
17 councillors in the 'Manifesto Group' including Ece subsequently formed the 'Hackney New Labour' group in September 1996, which despite its name was not affiliated to the Labour Party. The 'Hackney New Labour' group subsequently broke up and Ece then joined the Liberal Democrats; she was re-elected to Hackney Borough Council in Dalston
ward in 1998.
She was instrumental in setting up the very first Turkish Women's Group, and establishing a domestic violence
project for Turkish and Kurdish women.
In the local government elections of 2002, Ece did not stand for re-election in Hackney but was elected as Liberal Democrat councillor for Mildmay ward on Islington Borough Council. She was the Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care from 2002 to 2006, serving as Chair of the Islington Health Partnership Board and as a member of Islington Primary Care Trust Board. She was also a non-executive director of Camden and Islington Mental Health and Social Care Trust. After being re-elected in 2006, Ece was Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee from 2007 to 2009. In November 2009, Ece was appointed as a Commissioner to the Equality and Human Rights Commission. In May 2008 Ece was appointed by the Minister for Equalities, Harriet Harman
MP to serve on the Government’s Task Force to increase the numbers of ethnic minority women councillors in the UK.
Ece was awarded the OBE in the Queens New Year Honours 2009, for services to local government. She was Chair of the Ethnic Minority Liberal Democrats (2007–10) and was a member of the Liberal Democrats Federal Executive Committee 2005-10, and advised Nick Clegg
MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on community cohesion and minority ethnic communities.
After an announcement by the UK Cabinet Office on Friday 28 May 2010, Meral Hussein Ece was appointed as a peer to the House of Lords and took her seat as Baroness Hussein-Ece, of Highbury in the London Borough of Islington. She made her maiden speech
at the House of Lords on 15 July 2010 in a debate on criminal justice.
In 2011 she received criticism for referring to 'chavs' in a social networking site update.
.
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...
member of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. She is the first woman of Turkish Cypriot origin to be a member of either house of Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
after she was appointed a Liberal Democrat working peer on May 28, 2010.
Early life
Baroness Hussein-Ece was born in Islington. Her Turkish -Cypriot parents: Ayshe Cuma Abdullah (mother) and the late Hasan Nihat Hussein (father), came to the UK from CyprusCyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
in the early 1950s, and settled in Islington, North London
London
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...
Career
Ece originally studied art history and fine art, before going to work in local government and training as a librarian. She subsequently worked for Islington Council's Race Equality Unit, then went to work as a senior manager in the National Health ServiceNational 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...
, including as chief officer for Haringey Community Health Council.
She was elected as a Labour councillor on Hackney Borough Council in Clissold ward in 1994, and was Deputy Leader in 1995 and 1996. She was the first woman from a Turkish/Cypriot background elected to public office in the UK. In May 1996, a split opened up in the Labour group on Hackney Council with Ece a member of the "Manifesto Group".
17 councillors in the 'Manifesto Group' including Ece subsequently formed the 'Hackney New Labour' group in September 1996, which despite its name was not affiliated to the Labour Party. The 'Hackney New Labour' group subsequently broke up and Ece then joined the Liberal Democrats; she was re-elected to Hackney Borough Council in Dalston
Dalston
Dalston is a district of north-east London, England, located in the London Borough of Hackney. It is situated northeast of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
ward in 1998.
She was instrumental in setting up the very first Turkish Women's Group, and establishing a domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
project for Turkish and Kurdish women.
In the local government elections of 2002, Ece did not stand for re-election in Hackney but was elected as Liberal Democrat councillor for Mildmay ward on Islington Borough Council. She was the Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care from 2002 to 2006, serving as Chair of the Islington Health Partnership Board and as a member of Islington Primary Care Trust Board. She was also a non-executive director of Camden and Islington Mental Health and Social Care Trust. After being re-elected in 2006, Ece was Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee from 2007 to 2009. In November 2009, Ece was appointed as a Commissioner to the Equality and Human Rights Commission. In May 2008 Ece was appointed by the Minister for Equalities, Harriet Harman
Harriet Harman
Harriet Ruth Harman QC is a British Labour Party politician, who is the Member of Parliament for Camberwell and Peckham, and was MP for the predecessorPeckham constituency from 1982 to 1997...
MP to serve on the Government’s Task Force to increase the numbers of ethnic minority women councillors in the UK.
Ece was awarded the OBE in the Queens New Year Honours 2009, for services to local government. She was Chair of the Ethnic Minority Liberal Democrats (2007–10) and was a member of the Liberal Democrats Federal Executive Committee 2005-10, and advised Nick Clegg
Nick Clegg
Nicholas William Peter "Nick" Clegg is a British Liberal Democrat politician who is currently the Deputy Prime Minister, Lord President of the Council and Minister for Constitutional and Political Reform in the coalition government of which David Cameron is the Prime Minister...
MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on community cohesion and minority ethnic communities.
After an announcement by the UK Cabinet Office on Friday 28 May 2010, Meral Hussein Ece was appointed as a peer to the House of Lords and took her seat as Baroness Hussein-Ece, of Highbury in the London Borough of Islington. 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...
at the House of Lords on 15 July 2010 in a debate on criminal justice.
In 2011 she received criticism for referring to 'chavs' in a social networking site update.
.