Hilary Armstrong, Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top

Hilary Jane Armstrong, Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top, PC ( born November 30, 1945 in Sunderland) is a British politician ( Labour Party ). She represented from 1987 to 2010 the constituency of North West Durham as MPs in the House of Commons.

Life and career

Armstrong was born in 1945 as the daughter of Labour politician Ernest Armstrong and his wife Hannah P. Lamb in Sunderland and attended Monkwearmouth Grammar School, West Ham College of Technology, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Sciences ( BSc ) and the University of Birmingham, where she obtained a Diploma in social Work (Social work).

Prior to entering politics, she worked from 1967 to 1969 in Kenya for the internationally active in the field of development aid charity Voluntary Service Overseas ( VOS) as a teacher at the Murray Girls' School Head in Mwatate. Later it was from 1970 to 1973 as a social worker in the social security office (Social Services Department ) of the Municipality of Newcastle upon Tyne from 1973 to 1975 in Sunderland as part of the Southwick Neighbourhood Action Project operates. From 1975 to 1986 she was a university lecturer ( Lecturer ) in community and youth work ( Community and Youth Work) at the University of Sunderland. In 1985, she was first elected as a member of the Durham County Council for the District Crook and was there until 1988 a member.

For the constituency of Sedgefield in 1983, she joined the first election to the House of Commons on. They defeated Tony Blair. In the general election in 1987, she followed her father, in which she 1986-1987 previously worked as a secretary and research assistant in whose constituency North West Durham and expanded its majority by 3,806 votes to 10,162 votes.

Membership in the House of Commons

Armstrong was 1988-1993 opposition spokesperson for education. In 1988 she was a member of the Special Parliamentary Committee on Education (Education Select Committee ). She was Parliamentary Private Secretary to introduce John Smith during his time as Labour chairman from 1992 to 1994 and played an important role in his successful battle with Labour Party days the System One member, one vote ( OMOV ). Armstrong was a member of the Labour Party National Executive Committee from 1992 to 1994 and from 1996 to 2006.

From 1994 to 1995 she was the opposition spokesperson on Finance and Economic Affairs, and from 1995 to 1997 for environmental and London. Also from 1995 to 1997 she was the shadow Minister for Local Government ( Shadow Minister for Local Government). Armstrong was seen as a politician of the center-right within the Labour Party and stood politically Tony Blair and New Labour close. She was, however, also a member of the Amicus union (previously MSF) and their union connections were useful in that they sought support for the amendment of Clause IV of the Labour Party program.

Armstrong from 1997 to 2001, four years as Minister of State (Minister of State ), Ministry for the Environment, Transport and the Regions ( Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions ) operates; 1997 to 1999, she had the responsibility for the areas of Local Government and Housing, and later from 1999 to 2001 then in the areas of Local Government and English Regions. She became a member of the Privy Council in 1999.

After the general election in 2001, she was promoted to the Cabinet as Chief Whip. This was the culmination of a political career, which unobtrusively, but mostly ran successfully, although it was disputed by membership of special committees, and allegations of harsh tactics in dealing with Labour members who opposed the military mission in Afghanistan. Armstrong was also criticized after the government in early 2006 in the House on the question of how long terror suspects may be detained without charge, and because of legal provisions that could be interpreted as incitement to religious hatred, a double vote defeat in the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005, and in the Religious Hatred Bill 2005 suffered. Armstrong had judged in her capacity as Chief Whip in the run-up to the parliamentary majority for the law wrong; Also it was revealed that Tony Blair had left the meeting before the vote, after Armstrong had told him that due to a safe majority of his personal presence at the vote would not be required. The rumors that she would resign, however, did not materialize.

Shortly after Armstrong was made ​​by the then opposition leader David Cameron in a parliamentary debate with Tony Blair ridiculous. Cameron said: " It will be the first Chief Whip in the history that brought the Prime Minister in the situation of losing a key vote - which is an interesting career move. " This was the second time that Cameron during Prime Minister's Questions attack. In his debut as a leader of the opposition on December 7, 2005, he commented: "This is the problem with these exchanges, the Chief Whip on the Labour side cries like a child. Is she ready? Are you ready? "

On 5 May 2006 Armstrong became the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, appointed Minister of the Cabinet Office (Minister for the Cabinet Office ) and the Minister for Social Exclusion. 2006 Armstrong launched a petition for the Labour Party in the constituency of Bethnal Green and Bow against the participation of the Respect MP George Galloway in the mission of Celebrity Big Brother on Channel 4 criticized Galloway for during the time in the Big Brother house on as a deputy to get paid. Galloway responded by saying that he planned to compensate the taxpayer after his departure, after he did not know at this time how much he 'll get up to his departure to deputies references.

Armstrong appeared formally on 27 June 2007 from their government offices back when Tony Blair resigned as Prime Minister. Gordon Brown, announced that after he became prime minister, her appointment as Chair ( Chair ) of the Parliamentary Labour Party Manifesto Committee, should develop which party aims to support children. On 4 July 2009, she announced that she would not be standing for General Election 2010.

Membership in the House of Lords

On 18 June 2010 she was in the County of Durham, appointed Life peer as Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top, of Crook and was officially launched on 6 July 2010 the House of Lords. She was supported by Sally Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Huyton, and Leslie Griffiths. Your inauguration, she held on 5 October 2010.

As their political interests they are on the website of the House of Lords regional development and global development, education, environmental policy, social exclusion and non-profit businesses ( social enterprises ). As countries of particular interest is called the Central African Republic, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda.

Other Offices and Memberships

Armstrong was 1994-1997 Vice-Chair ( Vice - Chair ) of the British Council. She is a member of the Advisory Board ( Advisory Board ) of the waste management company SITA UK and the publishing house and event organizers Govnet Communications. Your quick change after leaving politics to the economy to SITA UK, a waste management company that had received government contracts for waste disposal, provoked criticism in public. Armstrong had with the responsibility for local government decisively to influence the system and the rules of waste disposal during her time as Minister of State.

When NHS Foundation Trust County Durham and Darlington of them is Non-Executive Director. Armstrong is Chair ( Chair ) of Community Energy Solutions and member of the Supervisory Board (Board Member) at the Westminster Foundation for Democracy. She is also Chair ( Chair ) Tony Blair Sports Foundation, and member of the Trusteeship Council ( trustee ) of the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative ( AGI ) at VSO International, Cyrenians ( Tyneside and North East ) and at Emmaus UK.

Family and private life

Armstrong has been married since 1992 with the Labour politician and university professor Paul Corrigan ( b. 1948 ). Corrigan's appointment as personal adviser to Alan Milburn, the then Cabinet Secretary for Health ( Secretary of State for Health ) in 2001 Milburn brought a the accusation of nepotism. The obligation Corrigan as an expert for the privatization of the public sector was also a reason for concern of Armstrongs colleagues from trade union circles.

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