Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition | |
---|---|
Assumed office 6 April 2020 | |
Leader | Keir Starmer |
Preceded by | Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi |
Deputy Leader of Welsh Labour | |
Assumed office 21 April 2018 | |
Leader | Carwyn Jones Mark Drakeford |
Preceded by | Office established |
Shadow Minister for Safeguarding and Vulnerability | |
In office 24 September 2016 – 9 April 2020 | |
Leader | Jeremy Corbyn |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Jess Philips (Domestic Violence and Safeguarding) |
Member of Parliament for Swansea East | |
Assumed office 7 May 2015 | |
Preceded by | Siân James |
Majority | 7,970 (23.7%) |
Personal details | |
Born | 18 September 1960 (age 60) Swansea, Wales |
Political party | Labour |
Alma mater | Swansea University |
Carolyn Harris (born 18 September 1960)[1] is a Welsh Labour Party politician serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Swansea East since 2015.[2] She is also the Deputy Leader of Welsh Labour,[3] and Parliamentary Private Secretary to Labour leader, Keir Starmer.[4]
One thing I've learned through all the ups and downs is that if you're doing things right, then you have a core group of people. Not just a core group like your homies or your buddies, but a group of people that has a good influence on you, who you respect and admire, and you know that if they're on your side, you're doing something right.
Harris was born in the constituency of Swansea East which she now represents in Parliament. She attended Swansea University from 1994 to 1998 and studied a joint degree in Social History and Social Policy.
Following university, Harris worked for Swansea-based community projects such as the Guiding Hand Association and then the Joshua Foundation. Before her political career she worked as the Parliamentary assistant of her now predecessor Siân James MP, who announced her intention to step down in March 2015.[5]
Harris was elected to Parliament in 2015. She gave her maiden speech on 8 June 2015 in which she stated that Dylan Thomas was wrong about 'this ugly, lovely town.'[6]
During her first year in Parliament she has concentrated on issues such as the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon, electrification of the South Wales mainline to Swansea and many consumer issues such as fixed odds betting terminals and faulty electrical goods. She has previously worked as a barmaid and a dinner lady which was mentioned as part of her earlier life experience of losing her son.[7]
Harris was appointed by Jeremy Corbyn MP to the role of Shadow Home Office Minister after his re-election as Labour leader.[8]
Harris was elected the first ever Deputy Leader of Welsh Labour on 21 April 2018.[9] Her key pledges for election included:
Harris secured 51.5% of the electoral college vote, which was announced at Welsh Labour conference in Venue Cymru, Llandudno.[10] Her election was controversial as she lost in the members section by a margin of 2 to 1 and she lost overall in the aggregated total of votes by 1,401. In September 2018 Welsh Labour replaced the electoral college system for electing its Leader and Deputy Leader with the one member one vote system.
Harris has led many successful campaigns during her time in Parliament. These have included campaigns on children's funerals, fixed-odds-betting terminals and fires in people's homes caused by electricity.
After losing her son Martin in 1989, Harris was forced to take out a loan and rely on donations from the community to cover the funeral costs. Not wanting other parents to suffer the same hardship, Harris spoke about her grief in an adjournment debate on 28 November 2016 and went on to work with the Fair Funerals Campaign[11] to press the Government to create a Children's Funeral Fund. The fund was announced in Wales at Welsh Labour conference on 25 March 2017,[12] by Theresa May for England on 31 March 2018[13] and Scotland most recently on 30 May 2018.[14]
Following a two-year campaign to reduce the maximum stake on fixed-odds-betting terminals from £100 per spin to £2, on 17 May 2018 the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport announced that they would be reducing the stake in line with Harris's suggestion of £2 a spin.[15]
Harris started a campaign on fires caused by electrical products in people's homes as a result of a death of a constituent, Linda Merron in Penlan, Swansea.[16] Her campaign is to raise awareness of cheap electrical goods being sold online and the potential impact of unsafe goods and she has had several debates in the House of Commons on the issue.[17]
In July 2018, Harris came under political pressure after allegations of homophobia were made against her during a trial in Cardiff involving a former colleague, who subsequently became an employee in her office after Harris was elected. The allegations, which dated from before Harris had become an MP alleged that Harris had made homophobic remarks and an alleged assault. Harris stated that she did not remember the incidents but stated if they had occurred they would have been 'office banter'.[18] Her response caused controversy among LGBT groups and Labour Party colleagues;[19] however, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and LGBT political colleagues supported her,[20] with some describing her as a 'strong ally' to the LGBT community.[21]
On 13 February 2021, The Times revealed that Harris had invited Nicole Elkabbas to a parliamentary event on antigambling. This event took place two months after Elkabbas was found guilty of eliciting over £45,000 in donations by pretending to have ovarian cancer.[22]
Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Siân James | Member of Parliament for Swansea East 2015–present | Incumbent |
Preceded by Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi | Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition 2020 | Incumbent |
British rider Geraint Thomas won the Tour's first summit finish and also assumed overall leadership of the race. Team Sky asserted its dominance over the field in the Alps, with star rider Chris Froome coming in third.
British Team Sky rider Geraint Thomas attacked near the end of stage 11 on Wednesday, taking control of the leader's yellow jersey with his stage win. His teammate Chris Froome, playing catch-up after early setbacks on the Tour, came in third on the day and moved into second overall, 85 seconds behind Thomas. For Thomas, it was only a second career stage win at the Tour.
'I just felt good today, I followed my instincts,' Thomas said after the stage.
Froome's Team Sky stretched their legs in the mountains, rolling in first, second and third
Stage 11 of the Tour is only a modest 108-kilometer (67-mile) ride from Albertville to La Rosiere, but it incorporates some of the Tour's most grueling climbs.
These fierce peaks threw a wrench in former yellow-jersey holder Greg Van Avermaet's race — he lost contact with the leading riders around the half-way stage and finished well adrift.
Early Tour leader Van Avermaet will not be in yellow on Thursday
Several other top contenders suffered difficult days in the blistering sun. Spain's Alejandro Valverde attacked but couldn't sustain his charge, ultimately finishing 3:30 off the pace, and Britain's Adam Yates rolled in almost 5 minutes after Thomas. Last year's Tour runner-up, Rigoberto Uran, finished 26 minutes behind — effectively killing off any hopes he might have held of another podium finish.
Mark Cavendish, meanwhile, failed to finish the stage quickly enough and is therefore eliminated from the Tour. He dropped behind early on, eventually even losing touch with the trailing grupetto behind the peloton. He then struggled to keep pace without the aid of rival riders nearby. Similarly, Germany's Marcel Kittel dropped out of the race on Wednesday, after coming in more than half an hour off the pace.
Read more: Julian Alaphilippe claims Tour de France stage 10
msh (AFP, AP, Reuters)