Bridget Prentice

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Bridget Prentice MP
Member of Parliament
for Lewisham East
Incumbent
Assumed office 
9 April 1992
Preceded by Colin Moynihan
Born 28 December 1952 (1952-12-28) (age 55)
Glasgow
Nationality Scottish
Political party Labour
Website http://www.bridgetprenticemp.org.uk/biography

Bridget Theresa Prentice (born December 28, 1952, Glasgow, as Bridget Theresa Corr) is a politician in the United Kingdom. She has been Labour MP for Lewisham East since 1992 and was formerly married to fellow Labour M.P. Gordon Prentice.

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[edit] Background

She attended Our Lady and St Francis School, Glasgow, then later the University of Glasgow (MA English Literature and Modern History); University of London (Postgraduate Certification in Education); and South Bank Polytechnic(LLB).

Starting her career as the Rector's Assistant at Glasgow University (1972-3), she became a teacher at London Oratory School (1974-86) and later Head of Careers (1984-1986) before switching to John Archer School as Head of Careers between 1986-88.

[edit] Member of Parliament

Bridget Prentice stood unsuccessfully for Parliament in 1987 in Croydon Central. She contested Lewisham East at the 1992 General Election, a Conservative seat with a majority of 4,846 in the 1987 General Election, taking it for Labour with a majority of 1,095, increasing the majority to 12,127 in the 1997 general election. In General Elections since she has held the seat with reduced majoities of 9,003 in June 2001 and 6,751 in May 2005.

Appointed a Labour Whip in 1995 by Tony Blair, on Labour entering government in May 1997 she continued in the role into government, before becoming PPS to the Minister for Trade (1998-99), and then PPS to the Lord Chancellor (1999-2001), leaving government in 2001 to become a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee (2001-2003).

She rejoined the government in 2003 on appointed to the Government Whips Office again, later becoming Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Constitutional Affairs, continuing in the role since 10 May 2005 in the newly formed Ministry of Justice following the reorganisation of the Home Office. Her responsibilities are: Reform of electoral administration, legal services, legal services complaints, commissioner/legal services Ombudsman, asylum and immigration, devolution and regional policy and the Northern Ireland court service.

She has close ties to Bonus Pastor Secondary School in Bromley, accepting one pupil every year for work experience, which includes work within the constituency and the Houses of Parliament.

[edit] Voting record

How Bridget Prentice voted on key issues since 2001 (They Work For You):

  • Voted against a transparent Parliament.
  • Voted for introducing a smoking ban.
  • Voted for introducing ID cards.
  • Voted for introducing foundation hospitals.
  • Voted for introducing student top-up fees.
  • Voted for Labour's anti-terrorism laws.
  • Voted for the Iraq war.
  • Voted against investigating the Iraq war.
  • Voted for replacing Trident.
  • Voted for the hunting ban.
  • Voted for equal gay rights.


[edit] External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Colin Moynihan		 Member of Parliament for Lewisham East
1992 – present		 Incumbent


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