Phyllis Starkey

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Dr Phyllis Margaret Starkey (born 4 January 1947, Ipswich as Phyllis Margaret Williams) is a politician in the United Kingdom. She is Labour Member of Parliament for Milton Keynes South West, and was first elected in 1997. She had previously been leader of Oxford City Council.

Dr Starkey's parliamentary voting record shows she has been a staunch supporter of all the Blairite legislation, including the occasional contentious issues within the Labour Party. Thus Dr Starkey has so far lived up to the ultimate/consummate 'political groupie' label, as was attributed by all the UK media shortly after the 1997 election when New Labour arranged a group photoshoot to show off how many female MPs were in the new government - they were dubbed 'The Blair Babes'. Dr Starkey is one of the elder 'babes' to still survive.

In 2006, there were many examples of Dr Starkey becoming frustrated with the Prime Minister Tony Blair. She used a tough line of questioning during PMQs regarding the crisis in Gaza. In July she was also highly critical during a home affairs select committee with the PM in relation to the Government's promises for helping the Muslim communities of Britain.

Dr. Starkey has also been heavily involved in the Middle-East, and has travelled to both Palestine and Lebanon in recent years. Her outspoken opinion on the recent Israeli incursion into Lebanon was firmly at odds with the Labour leadership.