Liz Twist

Last updated

Blaydon (2017–2024)
Charlie Dix
​
​
(m. 1983;died 2000)​
Liz Twist
MP
Official portrait of Liz Twist crop 2.jpg
Official portrait, 2017
Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister
Incumbent
Assumed office
17 July 2024
Servingwith Chris Ward
Incumbent
Assumed office
8 June 2017
EducationNotre Dame High School
Alma mater Aberystwyth University
Website liztwist.co.uk

Mary Elizabeth Twist [1] (born 10 July 1956) is a British Labour Party politician. [2] She served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Blaydon from the 2017 general election until the seat's abolition in 2024. She then stood for reelection during the 2024 general election in the newly formed constituency of Blaydon and Consett which she won. Before her parliamentary career, she was the head of health in the North-East for the trade union, UNISON, and a local councillor.

Contents

Early life and career

Twist was born in July 1956 in St Helens, Lancashire. [3] She attended the Notre Dame High School (now De La Salle School, St Helens) and studied at Aberystwyth University. Twist worked as a local government archivist. [4] She worked as a trade union official for UNISON and became their head of health in the North-East. [5]

She credits her grandfather's activism in the National Union of Mineworkers as her inspiration to enter politics. [6]

Political career

Twist was elected as a Labour Party councillor for Ryton, Crookhill & Stella ward in the Gateshead Council in 2012. [7] She was the cabinet member for housing on the council. [8] Twist was re-elected in 2016. [9]

She was elected as MP for Blaydon in the 2017 general election with a majority of 13,477 (28.0%) votes. [10] The seat has been represented by a Labour MP since 1935. Twist had worked in the constituency office of the previous MP David Anderson who chose to stand down for personal and health reasons. [6] [11] In parliament, she sits on the Commons Select Committee on Standards, and the Commons Select Committee of Privileges since February 2019. Twist was a member of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee between September 2017 and May 2019. [12]

Twist speaking during Prime Minister's Questions, 7 February 2024 Prime Minister's Questions, 7 February 2024 18.jpg
Twist speaking during Prime Minister's Questions, 7 February 2024

Twist supported the United Kingdom (UK) remaining within the European Union (EU) in the 2016 UK EU membership referendum. In the indicative votes on 27 March 2019, she voted for a referendum on a Brexit withdrawal agreement, for the Norway-plus model, and for a customs union with the EU. [13]

She supported Emily Thornberry in the 2020 Labour leadership election. [14]

She was appointed Shadow Scotland Minister in the November 2021 British shadow cabinet reshuffle. [15] In the 2023 British shadow cabinet reshuffle she returned to the backbenches. [16]

She returned to the frontbench on 27 November 2023 as Shadow Minister for Local Government and Services, after the previous Shadow Minister, Sarah Owen, resigned to vote against the Labour Party whip on a motion to back a ceasefire in Gaza. [17]

In the 2024 general election, she successfully contested the newly named constituency of Blaydon and Consett. [18]

Personal life

She is a widow. Twist disclosed in her maiden parliamentary speech in 2017 that her husband had died of suicide, and called for action on suicide prevention. [19] She volunteers for the charity Samaritans. [20] She lives in Ryton in her constituency. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blaydon (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1918–2024

Blaydon was a constituency represented in the House of Commons from 2017 until its abolition for the 2024 general election by Liz Twist of the Labour Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Gwynne</span> British politician (born 1974)

Andrew John Gwynne is a British Labour and Co-operative politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Gorton and Denton, previously Denton and Reddish, since 2005. He was Shadow Minister for Social Care from 2023 to the 2024 election. He is currently serving as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention.

<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">Ryton, Tyne and Wear</span> Village in England

Ryton is a village in Tyne and Wear, England. It is in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, historically part of County Durham. In 2011, the population of the Ryton, Crookhill and Stella ward was 8,146. It is 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Newcastle upon Tyne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shabana Mahmood</span> British politician (born 1980)

Shabana Mahmood is a British politician and barrister who has been serving as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice since 2024. A member of the Labour Party, she has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Birmingham Ladywood since 2010. Between 2010 and 2024 she held various shadow junior ministerial and shadow cabinet positions under leaders Ed Miliband, Harriet Harman, and Keir Starmer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chi Onwurah</span> British politician (born 1965)

Chinyelu Susan "Chi" Onwurah is a British politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West since 2024, and previously for Newcastle upon Tyne Central from 2010 to 2024, when the constituency was abolished. She is a member of the Labour Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liz Kendall</span> British politician (born 1971)

Elizabeth Louise Kendall is a British politician who has served as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions since July 2024. A member of the Labour Party, she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Leicester West since 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cat Smith</span> British Labour politician

Catherine Jane Smith is a British Labour Party politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) since 2015, representing Lancaster and Wyre since 2024 after her former constituency, Lancaster and Fleetwood, was abolished. She was a member of the shadow cabinets led by Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer from 2016 to 2021 as Shadow Secretary of State, previously Shadow Minister, for Young People and Democracy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachael Maskell</span> British politician (born 1972)

Rachael Helen Maskell is a British Labour and Co-operative politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for York Central since 2015. She was Shadow Environment Secretary from 2016 to 2017 and Shadow Employment Secretary in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holly Lynch</span> British Labour politician

Holly Lynch, also known as Holly Walker-Lynch, is a British Labour Party politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Halifax from 2015 to 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gill Furniss</span> British Labour politician

Gillian Furniss is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough since 2016. She was a Member of Sheffield City Council from 1999 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosena Allin-Khan</span> British politician (born 1978)

Rosena Chantelle Allin-Khan is a British politician and medical doctor serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Tooting since 2016. A member of the Labour Party, she attended shadow cabinet as Shadow Minister for Mental Health from 2020 to 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Preet Kaur Gill</span> British politician (born 1972)

Preet Kaur Gill is a British Labour and Co-operative politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Birmingham Edgbaston since 2017. She served as Shadow Minister for Primary Care and Public Health between 6 September 2023 and 4 July 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellie Reeves</span> British politician (born 1980)

Eleanor Claire Reeves, is a British barrister and politician who has served as Chair of the Labour Party and Minister without Portfolio since July 2024. A member of the Labour Party, she has served as the Member of Parliament for Lewisham West and East Dulwich, formerly Lewisham West and Penge, since 2017. She previously served as Shadow Solicitor General from April 2020 to December 2021 and Shadow Minister for Prisons and Probation from 2021 to 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Norris (British politician)</span> British politician (born 1984)

Alexander James Jordan Norris is a British Labour and Co-op politician who has served as the Member of Parliament for Nottingham North and Kimberley, previously Nottingham North, since 2017. He has served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Democracy and Local Growth since July 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephanie Peacock</span> British Labour politician

Stephanie Louise Peacock is a British Labour Party politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Barnsley South, previously Barnsley East, since 2017. She has served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sport, Media, Civil Society and Youth since July 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Kelly Foy</span> British politician (born 1968)

Mary Kelly Foy is a British Labour Party politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the City of Durham since the 2019 general election. She is a member of the Socialist Campaign Group parliamentary caucus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Owen</span> British Labour politician

Sarah Mei Li Owen is a British Labour Party politician and trade unionist who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Luton North since 2019. She is the first MP of South East Asian descent and the first female MP of Chinese descent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paula Barker</span> British Labour politician

Paula Barker is a British Labour Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Liverpool Wavertree since 2019. She served as the Shadow Minister for Devolution and the English Regions from September 2023 to November 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feryal Clark</span> British Labour politician

Feryal Demirci Clark is a British Labour Party politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Enfield North since 2019. She has also served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for AI and Digital Government since July 2024.

References

  1. ↑ "No. 61961". The London Gazette . 19 June 2017. p. 11778.
  2. ↑ The Times guide to the House of Commons 2017. Ian Brunskill. London. 2017. p. 96. ISBN   978-0-00-826333-1. OCLC   1024165015.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. ↑ Dale, Iain; Smith, Jacqui (14 November 2019). The Honourable Ladies: Volume II: Profiles of Women MPs 1997–2019. Biteback Publishing. p. 807. ISBN   978-1-78590-447-9.
  4. ↑ "Who Runs the North East Now? Governance and Governing in an English Region" (PDF). St Chad's College, Durham. p. 26.
  5. ↑ "Union attacks private phones hospital plan". The Northern Echo. 25 May 2002. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  6. 1 2 Carr, Tim; Dale, Iain; Waller, Robert (7 September 2017). The Politicos Guide to the New House of Commons 2017. Biteback Publishing. pp. 409–410. ISBN   978-1-78590-278-9.
  7. ↑ "Local election results 2012". Gateshead Council. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  8. ↑ "Here & Now Winter 2016" (PDF). Gateshead Housing. p. 2.
  9. ↑ "Local election results 2016". Gateshead Council. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  10. ↑ "Blaydon". parliament.uk. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  11. ↑ Graham, Hannah (9 June 2017). "Blaydon constituency General Election results 2017: Full standings, MP and reaction". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  12. ↑ "Liz Twist MP". parliament.uk. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  13. ↑ "How MPs voted on May's withdrawal deal defeat". Financial Times. 29 March 2019. Archived from the original on 2 September 2019.
  14. ↑ "Rolling list: MP/MEP nominations for Labour leadership candidates". LabourList. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  15. ↑ Rodgers, Sienna (4 December 2021). "Keir Starmer unveils new frontbench team after wider reshuffle". LabourList. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  16. ↑ Jones, Tom Belger, Morgan (4 September 2023). "Labour reshuffle news: Full shadow cabinet and frontbench as shakeup unfolds". LabourList . Retrieved 11 September 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ↑ Boakye, Kwame (28 November 2023). "Updated: Labour names ex-council leader as shadow local government minister". Local Government Chronicle (LGC). Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  18. ↑ Twist, Liz (30 May 2024). "UPDATE". Liz Twist MP for Blaydon Constituency. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  19. ↑ "New MP Liz Twist says her husband committed suicide as she calls for action to reduce deaths". Chronicle Live. 20 July 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  20. ↑ ""It's so important to talk": MP who lost husband to suicide urges everyone to open up". Chronicle Live. 11 December 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  21. ↑ "Retail Sector".
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Blaydon
2017–2024 		Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament
for Blaydon and Consett
2024–present		Incumbent
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.