Bridget Prentice

Bridget Theresa Prentice (born 28 December 1952, as Bridget Theresa Corr) is a British politician in the United Kingdom. She has been Labour MP for Lewisham East since 1992 and was formerly married to fellow Labour M.P. Gordon Prentice, marrying on 20 December 1975 and divorcing in 2000.

Background

Prentice was born in Glasgow, in Scotland, in 1952. She attended the (Roman Catholic) Our Lady and St Francis School (became part of St Mungo's Academy in 1988) on Charlotte Street in Glasgow (two years below fellow Labour MP Anne McGuire), then later the University of Glasgow (MA English Literature and Modern History 1973); University of London (PGCE 1974); and South Bank Polytechnic (LLB 1992).

Starting her career as the Rector's Assistant at Glasgow University (1972-3), she became a History and English teacher at the (RC) London Oratory School in Fulham (1974-86) and later Head of Careers (1984-6) before switching to John Archer School (sold off for housing) on Sutherland Grove in Wandsworth as Head of Careers between 1986-8.

Member of Parliament

Bridget Prentice stood unsuccessfully for Parliament in 1987 in Croydon Central. She contested Lewisham East at the 1992 general election, a Conservative seat with a majority of 4,846 in the 1987 general election, taking it for Labour with a majority of 1,095, and increased the majority to 12,127 in the 1997 general election. In general elections since she has held the seat with reduced majorities of 9,003 in June 2001 and 6,751 in May 2005.

Appointed a Labour Whip in 1995 by Tony Blair, on Labour entering government in May 1997 she continued in the role into government, before becoming PPS to the Minister for Trade (1998-1999), and then PPS to the Lord Chancellor (1999-2001), leaving government in 2001 to become a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee (2001-2003).

She rejoined the government in 2003 on appointment to the Government Whips Office again. She later became a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Constitutional Affairs, continuing in the role in the department's successor, theMinistry of Justice. With in the department, she is responsible for reform of electoral administration, legal services, legal services complaints, legal services commissioner and ombudsman, asylum and immigration, devolution and regional policy and the Northern Ireland court service.

She has close ties to Bonus Pastor Secondary School in Bromley, accepting one pupil every year for work experience, which includes work within the constituency and the Houses of Parliament.

On 3 April 2009, Prentice announced her decision to stand down from Parliament at the next election.^[1]

Voting record

How Bridget Prentice voted on key issues since 2001 (They Work For You):

• Voted against a transparent Parliament.
• Voted for 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.

References

External links

• Bridget Prentice MP official site
• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Bridget Prentice MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Bridget Prentice MP
• Pupils interview Bridget Prentice about how to get your voice heard for Radiowaves (2008)