Phyllis Starkey

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Phyllis Starkey MP
Phyllis Starkey
Member of Parliament
for Milton Keynes South West
Incumbent
Assumed office 
1 May 1997
Preceded by Barry Legg
Majority 4,010
Born 4 January 1947 (1947-01-04) (age 61)
Ipswich
Nationality British
Political party Labour
Alma mater Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford

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.

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[edit] Early career

Before she entered parliament, Phyllis Starkey's career was in biomedical research. Her early work with Alan Barrett at the University of Cambridge was in the field of biochemistry, and included formulating the trap hypothesis of peptidase inhibition.[1] She later headed a group at the University of Oxford researching problems of pregnancy.[2]. Subsequently she worked as an expert in science and technology policy and bioethics for the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

Dr Starkey joined the Labour Party in 1974 and became a councillor on Oxford City Council in 1983.[3] She held various positions on the council, including that of Leader of the Council (1990-1993) and Chair of the Finance Committee (1988-1990 & 1993-1996).

[edit] Parliamentary career

As a female entrant to Parliament in 1997, Dr Starkey was part of the intake dubbed 'The Blair Babes' by the UK media following a famous photoshoot by the Labour Party to show off how many women MPs were in the new government. Her parliamentary voting record shows she has been a staunch supporter of the legislation introduced by the Blair and Brown governments, including the occasional contentious issues within the Labour Party.

Dr Starkey was a Member of the Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons between 1997-1999[4], during which time significant changes to parliamentary procedures were introduced, including the establishment of the Westminster Hall debating chamber and the beginning of alterations to sitting hours of Parliament to make them more 'family friendly'.[5]

In 1998 Dr Starkey highlighted the need for a national register for door supervisors (bouncers) to protect young people’s safety while clubbing, and introduced a Private Members Bill to Parliament to establish one.[6] Whilst her Bill did not succeed, the Government was persuaded of the need for a register, and it was incorporated into the Private Security Industry Act 2001 which led to the formation of the Security Industry Authority in 2003.

Between 1999 and 2001 Dr Starkey was a member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, and she was subsequently appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to junior Foreign Office Ministers Denis MacShane and Ben Bradshaw and from May-October 2002 was PPS to Denis MacShane and Mike O'Brien. In November 2002 she transferred to become PPS to Denis MacShane in his new role as Minister of State for Europe.

After the general election in May 2005, Dr Starkey was appointed Chair of the Committee on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Following the reorganisation of Government Departments announced on 5 May 2006, the Committee was renamed the Communities and Local Government Select Committee, though its role and the majority of its remit remained the same.[7]

In 2006, there were some notable examples of Dr Starkey becoming increasingly critical of the Prime Minister Tony Blair. In March she used a tough line of questioning during PMQs regarding the tensions between Israel and the Palestinian Authority,[8] and in July during a Liaison Committee session with the PM she raised concerns in relation to the Government's work on education and employment for the Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities of Britain.[9]

In 2007 Dr Starkey along with Jeffrey Donaldson MP called for an investigation into the private security and military services firm ArmorGroup, who held contracts with the British Government for police training in Iraq and Afghanistan.[10] She has also pressed the Government to regulate nail bars and for a ban on a potentially harmful chemical glue used in some outlets to affix fake nails.[11]

Dr. Starkey has taken a close interest in the political situation in the Middle East, and has travelled to both Palestine and Lebanon in recent years. Her outspoken opinion on the Israeli incursion into Lebanon in 2006 was firmly at odds with the Labour leadership.[12] In a pop quiz of MPs involved in Middle East issues run by the Sunday Times newspaper in 2007, Dr Starkey was commended along with Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell for getting the highest score, with all but one answer correct.[13]


Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Barry Legg		 Member of Parliament for Milton Keynes South West
1997 – present		 Incumbent

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Salvesen GS, Murphy G, Nagase H. The trap hypothesis: α2M and protease inhibition The Biochemist (June 2006) 46–48 (accessed 2 October 2007)
  2. ^ Phyllis Starkey, MP for Milton Keynes South West: About Phyllis (accessed 30 December 2007)
  3. ^ Phyllis Starkey, BBC Election 1997 candidate page (accessed 30 December 2007)
  4. ^ Phyllis Starkey, MP for Milton Keynes South West: About Phyllis (accessed 30 December 2007)
  5. ^ Modernisation Committee Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons First Report, Appendix 1 December 2, 1998 (accessed 30 December 2007).
  6. ^ Hansard, 28 January 1998 Hansard - Door Supervisors (Registration) January 28, 1998 (accessed 30 December 2007).
  7. ^ ODPM Committee Note The ODPM Select Committee and the Department for Communities and Local Government May 22, 2006 (accessed 30 December 2007).
  8. ^ Hansard, 15 March 2006 Hansard - Questions to the Prime Minister March 15, 2006 (accessed 30 December 2007).
  9. ^ Liaison Committee - Minutes of Evidence House of Commons Liaison Committee July 4, 2006 (accessed 30 June 2007).
  10. ^ Guardian Newspaper Iraq cover-up claims: MPs call for inquiry December 24, 2007 (accessed 30 December 2007).
  11. ^ BBC News Website Call for UK ban on fake-nail glue December 30, 2007 (accessed 30 December 2007).
  12. ^ The Independent - Comment Pages Phyllis Starkey: I could support Blair on Iraq, but not over this August 2, 2006 (accessed 30 December 2007).
  13. ^ Sunday Times MPs don’t know their Sunnis from Shi’ites January 07, 2007 (accessed 30 December 2007).

[edit] External links