Janet Anderson
Janet Anderson | |
---|---|
Shadow Minister for Women | |
In office 26 July 1996 – 2 May 1997 | |
Leader | Tony Blair |
Preceded by | Tessa Jowell |
Succeeded by | Gillian Shephard |
Member of Parliament for Rossendale and Darwen | |
In office 9 April 1992 – 12 April 2010 | |
Preceded by | Sir David Trippier |
Succeeded by | Jake Berry |
Personal details | |
Born | Newcastle upon Tyne, England | 6 December 1949
Died | 6 February 2023 | (aged 73)
Political party | Labour |
Spouses |
|
Janet Anderson (6 December 1949 – 6 February 2023) was a British politician from the
Early life and education
Anderson was born in
Career
In 1971, Anderson joined the offices of
Anderson became a campaigns organiser for the
Parliamentary career
Anderson fought Rossendale and Darwen successfully at the 1992 General Election, winning by just 120 votes.[8] She became the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Margaret Beckett, which she held for a year before resigning due to Beckett not supporting John Smith's 'One member, one vote' campaign.[9]
She was an opposition
In May 1996, in response to campaigns to deal with the problem of stalking, she presented the Stalking Bill 1996 to Parliament under the Ten Minute Rule,[11] with support from 64 other MPs.[12] The bill failed to get government support, as it was felt that the proposed offence failed to distinguish between reasonable and unreasonable conduct.[13]
Following the
During her time as Minister for Tourism, rural tourism lost £100m a week at the height of the foot and mouth crisis.
At the conclusion of the foot and mouth crisis, Anderson returned to the
She was defeated in the 2010 General Election, by Conservative candidate Jake Berry in an 8.9% swing to the Conservatives. Berry overturned a Labour majority of 3,616 to win by 4,493 votes.[20]
Book
While serving as junior whip and Chamberlain of the Household under Tony Blair, Anderson was responsible for sending daily reports to the Palace about daily business in Parliament.[5] She decided to "spice up" her accounts of each day's debates by injecting them with Westminster gossip.[21][5] Anderson later published her letters, which were reportedly well appreciated by the Queen,[21][5] in a book titled Dear Queen.[21]
Expenses
In May 2009, during the disclosure of expenses of British members of parliament over MPs' expenses, The Daily Telegraph alleged that Anderson had submitted and was paid a claim form including mileage equalling five round trips to her constituency each week parliament despite living in London during the week.[22] Her expenses for car journeys were £16,612 for 60,118 miles travelled. This was £4,500 more than the next highest claimant, Laurence Robertson.[23]
The Telegraph described her as "one of the most prolific expense claimers in Parliament".[24]
Other allegations included expenses for the upkeep of the home of her partner, fellow MP Jim Dowd MP, in his Lewisham constituency under her second home allowance despite Dowd claiming the London salary supplement intended to cover the additional cost of living in London.[22] Anderson was one of 98 MPs who voted in favour of legislation which would have kept MPs expense information undisclosed.[25]
Anderson claimed near the maximum
Personal life and death
Anderson married solicitor Vincent Humphreys in 1972; the couple had three children, daughters Kate and Dee and son, James. In 1998, she left, later divorcing Humphreys for her fellow Labour MP Jim Dowd, though she remained on good terms with her former husband.[5] She married Dowd in 2016.[1] She spoke fluent French.[28]
Anderson died on 6 February 2023, at the age of 73.[29]
Books
- Anderson, Janet (7 April 2016). Dear Queen. Red Axe Books. ISBN 978-0993218385.
References
- ^ a b "Janet Anderson, Labour whip and minister described as 'a force of nature' – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 9 February 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Janet Anderson". Politics.co.uk. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ISBN 9780905702513– via Google Books.
- ^ "Vote 2001 – Candidate – Janet Anderson". BBC News. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Sylvester, Rachel (22 July 2000). "A Blair babe who amuses Her Majesty". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Janet Anderson (Labour)". Manchester Evening News. 28 April 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
- ^ Jacobs, Bill (7 February 2023). "Former Rossendale and Darwen Labour MP Janet Anderson dies at 73". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
- ^ "FIVE YEARS AGO: MP's votes stand". Lancashire Telegraph. 26 October 1998. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
- ^ Picardie, Ruth (3 October 1996). "Promiscuity. A new war cry for Labour?". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2010.
- ^ "A-Z of legislation: Protection from Harassment Act 1997". The Guardian. 1 June 2006.
- ^ "Stalking Bill: EDM number 855 in 1995–1996". edms.org.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
- ^ "Home Office drops support for stalking Bill". The Independent. 7 May 1996.
- ^ a b "Voting Record – Janet Anderson". The Public Whip. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
- The Lancashire Telegraph. 22 February 2000. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
- ^ Branigan, Tania (31 March 2001). "Scare Stories Blamed for. Fall in Visitors". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
- .
- ^ "Janet Anderson". TheyWorkForYou UK. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ^ Brown, Lauren (8 February 2023). "ALCS pays tribute to advocate of writers' rights Janet Anderson MP, who has died aged 73". The Bookseller. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
- ^ "Conservative gains in Lancashire". BBC News. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 13 May 2010.
- ^ ISBN 9781785904493.
- ^ a b Rayner, Gordon (11 May 2009). "Labour MP's twice round the globe mileage claim". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
- ^ Morris, Nigel (14 February 2007). "MPs' travel expenses revealed after two-year battle for secrecy". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 6 July 2008. Retrieved 1 March 2010.
- ^ Swaine, Jon; Blake, Heidi (13 January 2010). "Janet Anderson: former tourism minister is one of most prolific expense claimers". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 1 March 2010.
- ^ "How your MP voted on the FOI Bill". The Times. London. 20 May 2007.
- ^ "Janet Anderson MP". TheyWorkForYou. UK Citizens Online Democracy. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
- ^ Swaine, Jon; Winnett, Robert (12 January 2010). "Immunity for MPs who repay expenses". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 1 March 2010.
- ^ "Janet mugs up on French". The Bolton News. 8 June 2000. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
- ^ Courea, Eleni (8 February 2023). "London Playbook: New squad at PMQs — Tota-Lee controversial — Prevent review". Politico Europe. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
Janet Anderson, the former Labour MP for Rossendale and Darwen, died aged 73 on Monday.
External links
- Janet Anderson MP official site
- ePolitix.com – Janet Anderson MP
- Guardian Unlimited Politics – Ask Aristotle: Janet Anderson MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com – Janet Anderson MP
- The Public Whip – Janet Anderson MP voting record
- BBC Politics – Janet Anderson MP[permanent dead link]
- With Humble Duty Reports... – A daily message to Her Majesty the Queen
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Janet Anderson
- Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
- Portraits of Janet Anderson at the National Portrait Gallery, London