Joyce Quin

Last updated

The Right Honourable
The Baroness Quin
PC
Official portrait of Baroness Quin crop 2, 2019.jpg
Official portrait, 2019
Minister of State for Europe
In office
28 July 1998 –28 July 1999

Joyce Gwendolen Quin, Baroness Quin, PC (born 26 November 1944), is a British Labour Party politician. She was a member of the European Parliament from 1979 to 1989, and served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Gateshead East and Washington West and for its predecessor Gateshead East from 1987 to 2005. Quin was appointed a life peer in 2006 and sat in the House of Lords until her retirement in 2024.

Contents

Early life and career

Quin was educated at Whitley Bay Grammar School and Newcastle University, where she gained first-class honours in French and came top in her year. She subsequently gained an Master of Science (MSc) degree in international relations at the London School of Economics. She worked as a French language lecturer and tutor at the University of Bath and Durham University. Quin is the grand-niece of Labour Party politician Joshua Ritson (1874–1955).

She served as a member of the European Parliament for Tyne South and Wear and Tyne and Wear successively from 1979 to 1989. During her time as an MEP she served as Labour spokesperson on Fisheries from 1979 to 1984. She was a member of the Agriculture, Women's Rights, Regional and Economic Affairs Committee. In 1979, she tabled the resolution to set up a Register of Members' Interests which was eventually accepted by the European Parliament.

Member of Parliament

Quin entered the House of Commons in the 1987 election as Member of Parliament for Gateshead East. In Opposition (1987–1997) she served on the Labour front bench as a Shadow Minister for Consumer Affairs, Trade Policy, Regional Policy and Employment (dealing with the EU Social Chapter). From 1994 to 1997 she served as Shadow Europe Minister and was Deputy to Shadow Foreign Secretary Robin Cook.

After boundary changes for the 1997 general election, she represented the new Gateshead East and Washington West constituency from 1997 until she stepped down at the 2005 general election and was replaced by Sharon Hodgson. Quin served as prisons minister, Minister for Europe, and as Minister of State for Agriculture (and deputy to Cabinet Minister, Nick Brown). She asked to retire as a minister in 2001 to concentrate on her constituency interests. She had intended to stand for membership of a North East Regional Assembly on her retirement from Westminster, but the proposed body was rejected by a margin of 4–1 in a referendum in November 2004. In Parliament as a backbencher Quin was the first woman to chair the Northern Group of Labour MPs and Chaired the All-Party Group for France (Franco-British Parliamentary Group). She successfully lobbied Chancellor Gordon Brown to bring in the nationwide concessionary bus travel scheme for pensioners [1]

Life peer

In April 2006, it was announced that Quin had been nominated for a life peerage by the Labour Party. [2] On 30 May, she was created Baroness Quin, of Gateshead in the County of Tyne and Wear. [3] Quin was appointed a shadow Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs minister by Harriet Harman in May 2010, and was retained in that role by Ed Miliband after his election as Leader of the Labour Party. She stood down from this position in July 2011.

In November 2007, Baroness Quin was appointed Chair of the Franco-British Council (British Section). In 2010 she was awarded "Officier de la Légion d'Honneur" by the French Government.

She was interviewed in 2014 as part of The History of Parliament's oral history project. [4]

Quin has volunteered as a Newcastle City Tourist Guide since 1976. She is President of the Northumbrian Pipers' Society (since 2009) and President of the Northumberland National Park Foundation (since 2016). Since September 2017 she has been Chair of the Strategic Board of Tyne and Wear Museums.

In 2010 Quin authored a book titled "The British Constitution, Continuity and Change - An Inside View: Authoritative Insight into How Modern Britain Works" [5] published by Northern Writers ISBN   9780955386985 and is co-author of the book “Angels of the North - Notable Women of the North-East” with Moira Kilkenny, published 2018, reprinted 2019 by Tyne Bridge Publishing ISBN   978-0951048863.

Quin retired from the House of Lords on 19 December 2024. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shirley Williams</span> British politician and academic (1930–2021)

Shirley Vivian Teresa Brittain Williams, Baroness Williams of Crosby, was a British politician and academic. Originally a Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP), she served in the Labour cabinet from 1974 to 1979. She was one of the "Gang of Four" rebels who founded the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 1981 and, at the time of her retirement from politics, was a Liberal Democrat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gillian Shephard</span> British Conservative politician

Gillian Patricia Shephard, Baroness Shephard of Northwold,, is a British Conservative politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for South West Norfolk from 1987 to 2005. Shephard served as a Cabinet Minister, and is now Chairman of the Association of Conservative Peers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Taylor, Baroness Taylor of Bolton</span> British Labour Party politician (born 1947)

Winifred Ann Taylor, Baroness Taylor of Bolton, is a British politician and life peer who served in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2001. A member of the Labour Party, she was Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolton West from 1974 to 1983, and Dewsbury from 1987 to 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Corston, Baroness Corston</span> British politician (born 1942)

Jean Ann Corston, Baroness Corston,, is a British politician and life peer who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Bristol East from 1992 to 2005, during which time she served as Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party from 2001 to 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Martlew</span> British politician

Eric Anthony Martlew is a British Labour Party politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Carlisle from 1987 to 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gillian Merron</span> British Labour politician (born 1959)

Gillian Joanna Merron, Baroness Merron is a British politician and life peer serving as Chief Executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews since 2014. A member of the Labour Party, she has been serving as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women's Health and Mental Health since 2024. She served as the shadow spokesperson for Health and Social Care from 2021 to 2024. She was previously Member of Parliament (MP) for Lincoln from 1997 till 2010 and held several ministerial offices in the Blair and Brown governments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angela Smith, Baroness Smith of Basildon</span> British politician and life peer (born 1959)

Angela Evans Smith, Baroness Smith of Basildon,, is a British politician and life peer serving as Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal since 2024. A member of the Labour and Co-operative Parties, she was Member of Parliament (MP) for Basildon from 1997 to 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helene Hayman, Baroness Hayman</span> British politician

Helene Valerie Hayman, Baroness Hayman, is a British politician who was Lord Speaker of the House of Lords in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. As a member of the Labour Party she was a Member of Parliament from 1974 to 1979. When she became an MP at age 25, she was the youngest MP of the 1974–79 Parliament. Hayman became a life peer in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joyce Anelay, Baroness Anelay of St Johns</span> British politician (born 1947)

Joyce Anne Anelay, Baroness Anelay of St Johns,, is a British Conservative Party politician, previously serving as Minister of State of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from August 2014 to June 2017. Anelay was appointed as Minister of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union in the Second May ministry, after the 2017 reshuffle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eluned Morgan</span> First Minister of Wales since 2024

Mair Eluned Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Ely,, is a Welsh Labour politician who has served as First Minister of Wales and Leader of Welsh Labour since 2024. She previously served as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care in the Welsh Government from 2021 to 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon Hodgson</span> British politician (born 1966)

Sharon Hodgson is a British politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Washington and Gateshead South since 2024, and previously for Washington and Sunderland West and Gateshead East and Washington West from 2005. A member of the Labour Party, she has chaired the Finance Committee since 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Wrigglesworth</span> British politician (born 1939)

Ian William Wrigglesworth, Baron Wrigglesworth is a Liberal Democrat peer. He served as President of the Liberal Democrats from 1989 to 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lena Jeger, Baroness Jeger</span> British Labour MP

Lena May Jeger, Baroness Jeger was a British Labour MP during two periods. She followed her husband as Member of Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras South, holding the seat from 1953 to 1959. She retook the seat in 1964, retaining it until 1979, when she became a life peer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Bates, Baron Bates</span> British politician (born 1961)

Michael Walton Bates, Baron Bates is a British Conservative Party politician. He has served in the House of Lords since 2008, having previously represented the constituency of Langbaurgh in the House of Commons from 1992 to 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dianne Hayter</span> British politician and member of the House of Lords

Dianne Hayter, Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town is a British politician serving as a Member of the House of Lords since 2010. A member of the Labour and Co-operative Party, she was Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords from 2017 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom</span> Females in the British House of Commons

The representation of women in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom has been an issue in the politics of the United Kingdom at numerous points in the 20th and 21st centuries. Originally debate centred on whether women should be allowed to vote and stand for election as Members of Parliament. The Parliament Act 1918 gave women over 21 the right to stand for election as a Member of Parliament. The United Kingdom has had three female Prime Ministers: Margaret Thatcher (1979–1990), Theresa May (2016–2019), and Liz Truss (2022). The publication of the book Women in the House by Elizabeth Vallance in 1979 highlighted the under-representation of women in Parliament. In more modern times concerns about the under-representation of women led the Labour Party to introduce and, decades later, abandon all-women short lists, something which was later held to breach discrimination laws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bridget Phillipson</span> British politician (born 1983)

Bridget Maeve Phillipson is a British politician who has served as Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities since July 2024. A member of the Labour Party, she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Houghton and Sunderland South since 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenny Chapman</span> British politician and life peer (born 1973)

Jennifer Chapman, Baroness Chapman of Darlington is a British politician and life peer who has served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Latin America and Caribbean since July 2024. A member of the Labour Party, she served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Darlington from 2010 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sue Hayman</span> British Labour politician

Susan Mary Hayman, Baroness Hayman of Ullock is a British politician and life peer who has served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs since July 2024. A member of the Labour Party, she was Member of Parliament (MP) for Workington from 2015 to 2019. Hayman served as an Opposition Whip from 2015 to 2016 and Shadow Minister for Flooding and Coastal Communities from 2016 to 2017, then as Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2017 to 2019 and was appointed to the House of Lords in 2020.

References

  1. ↑ "The Honourable Ladies: Profiles of Women MPs 1918–1996" (Vol 1) Edited by Iain Dale and Jacqui Smith ISBN   9781785902444
  2. ↑ "New working life peers unveiled". BBC News Online . 11 April 2006. Retrieved 25 May 2009.
  3. ↑ "No. 58001". The London Gazette . 5 June 2006. p. 7665.
  4. ↑ "Joyce Quin interviewed by Isobel White". British Library Sound Archive . Retrieved 26 January 2018.[ permanent dead link ]
  5. ↑ Robert Waller, Byron Criddle, The Almanac of British politics (vol 7), Routledge (2002); ISBN   0-415-26833-8, ISBN   978-0-415-26833-2, page 383.
  6. ↑ Lord McFall of Alcluith, Lord Speaker (10 July 2024). "Retirements of Members and Cessation of Membership". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Lords.
European Parliament
New constituency Member of the European Parliament
for Tyne South and Wear
1979–1984 		Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of the European Parliament
for Tyne and Wear
1984–1989 		Succeeded by
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Gateshead East
1987–1997 		Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament
for Gateshead East and Washington West
1997–2005 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of State for Home Affairs
1997–1998		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of State for Europe
1998–1999		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.