Julie Hilling

Julie Hilling MP
Member of Parliament
for Bolton West
Incumbent
Assumed office
6 May 2010
Preceded by Ruth Kelly
Majority 92 (0.19%)
Personal details
Born 29 April 1955
Oxford, Oxfordshire, England
Political party Labour
Website www.juliehilling.org.uk

Julie Ann Hilling[1] (born 29 April 1955) is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolton West since the general election in May 2010 and an Opposition Whip since 2012.

Background

Hilling was born in Oxford and lived there until the age of 9 when her family moved to Leighton Buzzard. She attended The Cedars School before studying Chemistry at Nottingham University and then attaining a Diploma in Youth and Community Work at Manchester Polytechnic. She has lived in Atherton, which became part of the Bolton West constituency at the 2010 General Election, for 24 years.

Early career

Hilling has worked as a Youth Worker in Nottingham, St Helens and Wigan, the latter for 18 years. She became President of the Community and Youth Workers' Union in 1991, a post she held until 1999. Ms Hilling was a North West Learning Organiser for the NASUWT 2004–2006 and, before entering politics, worked as a Senior Regional Organiser for the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA).

Political career

Hilling was elected as the Member of Parliament for Bolton West in May 2010 with a majority of just 92 votes (0.19%), in a seat the Conservatives had targeted since the previous incumbent Ruth Kelly had become embroiled in the expenses scandal.[2]

She was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Yvette Cooper in her role as Shadow Women's and Equalities Minister in October 2010, the same month that she became a member of the Transport Select Committee. Ms. Hilling has recently been appointed as Chair of the all-party Rail in the North group of MPs.[3]Julie also served on the Standards and Privileges Select Committee [4] and is a member of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Rail, Youth Affairs, Children, Community & Voluntary Sector and Save The Pub.

She was promoted to join the Whips office in June 2012. [4]

She launched a campaign to promote Emergency Life Skills (ELS) and pressed the Government hard to introduce it into the national curriculum. She has linked up with Bolton Wanderers Community Trust, North West Ambulance Service as well as the British Heat Foundation to push for every school leaver in Bolton West to become trained in CPR and ELS.

Throughout 2013, Julie has actively campaigned on dangerous dogs, following the death of 14 year old constituent Jade Lomas-Anderson, in Atherton. She helped present a petition alongside Jade's parents to 10 Downing Street, before presenting it in the House of Commons. Julie sought to make amendments to the recent Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill to include preventative measures such as Dog Control Notices and to control the number of dogs in a household.

In in her Bolton West Constituency, she has lead campaigns against the Bedroom Tax, campaigning for lower Energy Bills and calling for better conditions on Bolton's Railways alongside the Bolton News and fellow Labour Bolton MPs David Crausby and Yasmin Qureshi

References

  1. "List of members returned to serve in Parliament at the General Election 2010". The London Gazette (HM Government of the United Kingdom). 13 May 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  2. Bunyan, Nigel (7 May 2010). "General Election 2010: Bolton West stays Labour despite Ruth Kelly's expenses scandal". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  3. "Labour surge ahead in North West". Johnston Publishing Ltd. (Diss Express). 13 May 2010. Retrieved 13 May 2010. Labour held on to Bolton West with a wafer-thin majority of 92 following a recount. Jubilant Labour supporters cheered as Julie Hilling was declared winner with 18,327 votes in the seat formerly held by Cabinet Minister Ruth Kelly, who stood down.
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Julie HIlling". UK Parliament. Retrieved 28 March 2015.

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Ruth Kelly
Member of Parliament for Bolton West
2010-present
Succeeded by
Incumbent