Trudy Harrison

Trudy Harrison
MP
Member of Parliament
for Copeland
Assumed office
24 February 2017
Preceded by Jamie Reed
Majority 1,695 (4.0%)
Personal details
Born (1976-04-19) 19 April 1976
Seascale, England, UK
Political party Conservative
Children 4
Alma mater University of Salford

Trudy Lynne Harrison (born 19 April 1976) is a British Conservative Party politician. She has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Copeland since winning the seat at the February 2017 by-election. It was the first time Copeland has elected a Conservative MP since 1935.

Early life

Harrison was born and brought up in Seascale. She was educated at the University of Salford.

Political career

Harrison previously worked at Sellafield, and served as a parish councillor in Bootle, Cumbria, from 2004 to 2007.[1] Following the resignation of Jamie Reed, the incumbent Labour Party MP for Copeland, Harrison was selected by the Conservatives to contest the subsequent by-election.[2]

The by-election was fought by both the Conservatives and Labour over a number of local issues. Harrison campaigned on a strongly pro-nuclear stance in contrast to Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the Labour Party. She promised to safeguard thousands of jobs in the constituency by supporting the existing Sellafield site and the possible future Moorside Nuclear Power Station.[3] She also campaigned on a pro-Brexit line and claimed that Labour wanted "to ignore how we voted in the referendum."[2]

Harrison won the by-election with a majority of 2,147. Her election was seen by many commentators to be historic and a blow to Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of Labour.[4] Her victory in the historically solid Labour constituency was the first by-election gain by a governing party since 1982 and was also the best by-election performance by a governing party in terms of the increase in its share of the vote since January 1966.[5]

Harrison made her maiden speech on 25 April 2017.[6]

Personal life

She lives in Bootle with her husband Keith, who works as a welder at Sellafield, and her four daughters.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Staff writer. "Tory candidate for Copeland MP election says Brexit must be respected". News and Star. Cumbria. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  2. 1 2 Press Association (26 January 2017). "Tories and Labour pick candidates for Copeland and Stoke byelections". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  3. ↑ Maguire, Patrick (25 February 2017). "Copeland by-election: Brexit and other issues that could swing the vote". New Statesman. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  4. ↑ Stewart, Heather; Asthana, Anushka; Mason, Rowena; Carrell, Severin (24 February 2017). "Corbyn says he is not to blame for Copeland loss and will not resign". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  5. ↑ "Tories in historic by-election Copeland win as Labour holds Stoke". BBC News. 24 February 2017. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  6. ↑ Kidd, Patrick (25 April 2017). "Maiden speech swanlike in its grace and beauty". The Times. News UK. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  7. ↑ Palmer, Ewan (24 February 2017). "Who is Trudy Harrison? New Tory MP for Copeland following historic by-election win". International Business Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Jamie Reed		 Member of Parliament
for Copeland
2017–present 		Incumbent
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