Sally Keeble
Encyclopedia
Sally Curtis Keeble is a British
Labour Party
politician, was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Northampton North
from 1997
to 2010. She had previously been Leader of Southwark Council
from 1990 to 1993.
, and later attended St Hugh's College, Oxford
, gaining a BA
degree in Theology in 1973, and a BA in Sociology from the University of South Africa in 1981. Before entering Parliament she was a journalist in South Africa for the Daily News
in Durban
from 1973-9 and then in Birmingham on the Birmingham Post
from 1978-83. She then worked for the Labour Party as a Press Officer at Labour Headquarters from 1983-4, then the Inner London Education Authority
where she was Assistant Director for External Relations from 1984-6, and was Head of Communications for the GMB
trade union from 1986-90 before becoming a full-time council leader in inner London. She was a public affairs consultant from 1995-7.
. This method of selection was subsequently declared illegal in January 1996 as it breached sex discrimination laws. Despite the ruling she remained in place as the candidate for the following year's election and entered Parliament in 1997.
She served on the Agriculture Select Committee, and became Parliamentary Private Secretary to Rt Hon Hilary Armstrong in 1999. After the 2001 General Election she was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions
, where her responsibilities included planning, regeneration, housing and local transport. She chaired the taskforce on parks and urban green spaces. In 2002 she moved to the Department for International Development
. In 2003 she left the frontbench. Since 2005 she has been a member of the Treasury Select Committee.
She introduced a private members bill to introduce the offence of causing death by careless driving: the measure was later accepted by the Government and introduced in the Road Safety Act 2006. She also introduced ten minute rule bills on flooding, and a bill on minimum pricing for alcohol.
At the 2010 general election, she lost her seat as MP for Northampton North to the Conservative Party candidate Michael Ellis
on a swing of 6.9%.
and they have a son and daughter. She is an honorary fellow of South Bank University. Her sister, Jane Mahoney, and her sister's husband Anthony were killed on 12 July 1998 near Darwin
in Australia
. A Hells Angel motorcyclist had ploughed into them whilst they were waiting by the roadside after Anthony was changing a wheel. The Hells Angel carried on driving and failed to report the accident. After the accident, her father, Sir Curtis Keeble
, the former British ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1978–82 and governor of the BBC
had a heart attack
.
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, 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 Northampton North
Northampton North (UK Parliament constituency)
Northampton North 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. It was created before the election of February 1974 when the old constituency of Northampton...
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...
to 2010. She had previously been Leader of Southwark Council
London Borough of Southwark
The London Borough of Southwark is a London borough in south east London, England. It is directly south of the River Thames and the City of London, and forms part of Inner London.-History:...
from 1990 to 1993.
Early life
Keeble went to the independent Cheltenham Ladies' CollegeCheltenham Ladies' College
The Cheltenham Ladies' College is an independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.-History:The school was founded in 1853...
, and later attended St Hugh's College, Oxford
St Hugh's College, Oxford
St Hugh's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford. It is located on a fourteen and a half acre site on St Margaret's Road, to the North of the city centre. It was founded in 1886 as a women's college, and accepted its first male students in its centenary year in 1986...
, gaining a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in Theology in 1973, and a BA in Sociology from the University of South Africa in 1981. Before entering Parliament she was a journalist in South Africa for the Daily News
The Daily News (Natal)
The Daily News is a daily newspaper owned by Independent News & Media and published every weekday afternoon in Durban, South Africa. It was called Natal Daily News between 1936 and 1962 and The Natal Advertiser prior to 1936 going back to the 19th century.In June 2010 the newspaper had daily...
in Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
from 1973-9 and then in Birmingham on the Birmingham Post
Birmingham Post
The Birmingham Post newspaper was originally published under the name Daily Post in Birmingham, England, in 1857 by John Frederick Feeney. It was the largest selling broadsheet in the West Midlands, though it faced little if any competition in this category. It changed to tabloid size in 2008...
from 1978-83. She then worked for the Labour Party as a Press Officer at Labour Headquarters from 1983-4, then the Inner London Education Authority
Inner London Education Authority
The Inner London Education Authority was the education authority for the 12 inner London boroughs from 1965 until its abolition in 1990.-History:...
where she was Assistant Director for External Relations from 1984-6, and was Head of Communications for the GMB
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...
trade union from 1986-90 before becoming a full-time council leader in inner London. She was a public affairs consultant from 1995-7.
Parliamentary career
In 1995 Keeble was selected to stand for election for Labour in Northampton North through an 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...
. This method of selection was subsequently declared illegal in January 1996 as it breached sex discrimination laws. Despite the ruling she remained in place as the candidate for the following year's election and entered Parliament in 1997.
She served on the Agriculture Select Committee, and became Parliamentary Private Secretary to Rt Hon Hilary Armstrong in 1999. After the 2001 General Election she was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
, where her responsibilities included planning, regeneration, housing and local transport. She chaired the taskforce on parks and urban green spaces. In 2002 she moved to the Department for International Development
Department for International Development
The Department For International Development is a United Kingdom government department with a Cabinet Minister in charge. It was separated from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1997. The goal of the department is "to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty". The current...
. In 2003 she left the frontbench. Since 2005 she has been a member of the Treasury Select Committee.
She introduced a private members bill to introduce the offence of causing death by careless driving: the measure was later accepted by the Government and introduced in the Road Safety Act 2006. She also introduced ten minute rule bills on flooding, and a bill on minimum pricing for alcohol.
At the 2010 general election, she lost her seat as MP for Northampton North to the Conservative Party candidate Michael Ellis
Michael Ellis (British politician)
Michael Tyrone Ellis is a British Conservative Party politician. Since 2010 he is the MP for the Northampton North constituency.- Background :...
on a swing of 6.9%.
Personal life
Keeble married Andrew Hilary Porter on 9 June 1990 in CamberwellCamberwell
Camberwell is a district of south London, England, and forms part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is a built-up inner city district located southeast of Charing Cross. To the west it has a boundary with the London Borough of Lambeth.-Toponymy:...
and they have a son and daughter. She is an honorary fellow of South Bank University. Her sister, Jane Mahoney, and her sister's husband Anthony were killed on 12 July 1998 near Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. A Hells Angel motorcyclist had ploughed into them whilst they were waiting by the roadside after Anthony was changing a wheel. The Hells Angel carried on driving and failed to report the accident. After the accident, her father, Sir Curtis Keeble
Curtis Keeble
Sir Herbert Ben Curtis Keeble GCMG was a British diplomat and Ambassador to the Soviet Union between 1978 and 1982....
, the former British ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1978–82 and governor of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
had a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.
External links
- Sally Keeble MP
- Sally Keeble's blog
- Northampton Labour Group
- Northampton North CLP
- Northampton South CLP Labour2win
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Sally Keeble MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Sally Keeble MP
- BBC Politics page