Siobhain McDonagh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Siobhain McDonagh MP | |
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Member of Parliament
for Mitcham and Morden |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1 May 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Angela Rumbold |
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| Born | 20 February 1960 London |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
| Alma mater | University of Essex |
Siobhain Ann McDonagh (born 20 February 1960, London) is a British Labour Member of Parliament for the Mitcham and Morden constituency in London. She currently serves as an Assistant Whip in the Labour Government.
She was first elected in 1997 on her third attempt, defeating the Conservative incumbent, Dame Angela Rumbold, who was her opponent in both 1987 and 1992 General Elections.
Prior to being elected to Parliament she worked as a Development Manager for Battersea Churches Housing Trust. She also served as a councillor on London Borough of Merton for Colliers Wood ward between 1982 and 1998, chairing the Housing Committee between 1990 and 1995 where she was instrumental in the rebuilding of Phipps Bridge Estate.
McDonagh is a Catholic of Irish descent [1] and was educated at the Holy Cross Secondary School and University of Essex. Her sister is Baroness McDonagh of Mitcham and Morden who was General Secretary of the Labour Party between 1998 and 2001 and was instrumental in the modernisation of the Labour Party in both its campaigning and policy.
Siobhain McDonagh has a record of loyalty to the Labour Government and has not broken the Labour whip since being elected in 1997. Locally, she generally has a reputation for being an assiduous local Member of Parliament holding a weekly surgery along with regular coffee mornings.
She has been extremely pro-active and instrumental in securing two Academy schools for East Mitcham, an area that suffers from considerable educational underachievement with GCSE results far below the national average. Recently she was also successful along with Merton Council in getting the Secretary of State for Health, Patricia Hewitt, to locate the new critical care hospital at St Helier near the southern edge of her constituency. This overturned a decision by local health chiefs to locate the hospital at the Sutton Hospital site a number of miles away from her Mitcham and Morden constituency.
After the May 2005 General Election she served as PPS to Dr. John Reid in his position as Secretary of State for Defence and from May 2006 to June 2007 Secretary of State for Home Affairs. She was appointed to her present position of Assistant Whip on 28 June 2007 in the re-shuffle brought about by Gordon Brown becoming Prime Minister.
[edit] Expenses Controversy
In 2007 McDonagh attracted widespread criticims for her vast expenditure on stationary and postage, spending more than other MP on postage from 2003 to 2006. In total she spent £126,833 on postage alone in the four year period, an average of almost £32,000. When adding in stationary costs, her expenditure was close to £50,000 in both 200 and 2006. [1]
As a result of excessive spending on postage by MPs, a £7,000 limit was introduced for postage costs in 2007 [2]. Some critics such as Martin Bell have expressed concern that excessive postage spending gave incumbent MPs an advantage over challengers in elections as the funds mights be inappropriately used for party political purposes. [2]
[edit] Voting record
How Siobhain McDonagh voted on key issues since 2001 (They Work For You):
- Has never voted on a transparent Parliament.
- Voted against 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
- [3] Siobhain McDonagh MP official site
- [4] Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Siobhain McDonagh MP
- [5] TheyWorkForYou.com - Siobhain McDonagh MP
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Angela Rumbold |
Member of Parliament for Mitcham and Morden 1997 - present |
Succeeded by incumbent |
