| Karen Buck MP | |
|
Member of Parliament
for Regent's Park and Kensington North |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1 May 1997 |
|
| Preceded by | new constituency |
|---|---|
| Majority | 6,131 (15.1%) |
|
|
|
| Born | 30 August 1958 Castlederg, County Tyrone |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse(s) | Barrie Taylor |
| Alma mater | London School of Economics |
Karen Patricia Buck (born 30 August 1958) British politician. She is the Labour member of Parliament for Regent's Park and Kensington North and a former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport.
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Early life
Born in Castlederg, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, she was educated at the Chelmsford County High School for Girls and the London School of Economics, from where she was awarded a BSc and a MSc in Economics, and a MA in Social Policy and Administration. She joined the Labour Party in 1978. In 1979, she became a research and development worker with Outset, a charity working with disabled people, before joining the Hackney Borough Council in 1983 initially as a senior disability officer, and from 1986 a public health officer. She went to work for the Labour Party in 1987 as a health directorate researcher, becoming a campaign strategy coordinator in 1992. She was elected as a councillor to the City of Westminster Council in 1990 and remained on the council until her election to parliament in 1997.
Parliamentary career
Buck was selected to stand for election for Labour through an all-women shortlist [1]. This method of selection was subsequently declared illegal in January 1996 as it breached sex discrimination laws.[2] Despite the ruling she remained in place as the candidate for the following year's election. The seat was based largely on the former Westminster North held narrowly by the Conservative former minister John Wheeler. Wheeler retired, and Karen Buck was elected at the 1997 General Election as the Labour MP for Regent's Park and Kensington North with a majority of 14,657 and has been the MP there since. She made her maiden speech on 17 June 1997.
Following her election to parliament, Karen Buck joined the Social Security Select Committee, and after the 2001 General Election on the Work and Pensions Select Committee. In 2001, her appointment as an Assistant Government Whip was announced without her knowledge and consent. She declined to take up the post. However, she did became a member of Tony Blair's government in the wake of the 2005 General Election as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport.
Karen Buck made her name whilst a councillor at Westminster when she was involved in exposing fraudulent behaviour of Shirley Porter[1] and the Homes for Votes scandal. Her constituency houses both Notting Hill the home of the carnival, and Lord's Cricket Ground the home of cricket and the Marylebone Cricket Club.
Personal life
She is married to Barrie Taylor and they have a son.[3]
References
- ^ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19960109/ai_n9634358?tag=content;col1
- ^ "Labour blow as all-women lists outlawed". The Independent. Bnet.com. 9 January 1996. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19960109/ai_n9634289.
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2001/candidates/candidates/4/47401.stm
External links
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