Hilary Jane Armstrong

Biography

Hilary Armstrong stood down as MP for North West Durham in May 2010.

The Rt. Hon. Hilary Armstrong MP is the Labour Member of Parliament for North West Durham.

Born in Sunderland on the 30th November 1945, Hilary Jane Armstrong is the daughter of the late Ernest Armstrong MP, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons and a government whip in Harold Wilson's government. Ernie was also her predecessor as MP for North West Durham.

Hilary lives in Crook, County Durham and is married to Professor Paul Corrigan.

Educated at Monkwearmouth Comprehensive School in Sunderland, she went onto study at West Ham College of Technology and the University of Birmingham.

Before entering parliament Hilary spent time overseas as a VSO volunteer, teaching at a Girls School in Kenya. Returning to Britain, Hilary turned to Social and Community work in Southwick, Sunderland and in the West End of Newcastle upon Tyne. Building on these experiences she became a lecturer in Youth and Community Work at Sunderland Polytechnic. (Now Sunderland University)

It was this background that led Hilary into politics. An active campaigner in the North East of England, Hilary was elected on to the Regional Boards of the Labour Party and her union MSF (Amicus). In 1985, she was elected as a Councillor for Crook North Division on Durham County Council and became Parliamentary Researcher for her father Ernest Armstrong MP.

1n 1985, Hilary was selected by the local Labour Party in North West Durham to be their parliamentary candidate and she was first elected to parliament in General Election of 1987.

As a Member of Parliament Hilary has served as an opposition frontbench spokesperson on Education (1988-1992).

In 1992 she was made Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the opposition leader, the late John Smith MP. During her time as PPS to John Smith, Hilary played a crucial vote in securing reform within the Labour Party, helping broker a deal which saw the introduction of "One Member One Vote" (OMOV) in Labour Party elections.

Following the death of John Smith MP and election of Tony Blair as Labour Leader, she was appointed the Treasury Affairs Team in 1994. In 1995 she was made Opposition spokesperson on the Environment and London, with responsibility for Local Government.

After Labour's 1997 general election victory, Prime Minister Tony Blair appointed her as Minister of State at the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions with responsibility for Local Government and Housing.

In this role Hilary was at the forefront of the government's drive to modernise Local Government and promote equality by starting the move to remove Section 28 from the statute books. As Minister for Regions she advanced the government's regional policy helping areas such as the North East of England. She also had special responsibility for Social Exclusion and oversaw the creation of the government's Social Exclusion Unit.

In 1999 Hilary was made a member of the Privy Council.

Following the 2001 General Election Hilary was promoted to the Cabinet and given the cabinet position of Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Government Chief Whip. Only the second woman to hold the position. She was re-appointed as Government Chief Whip following the 2005 General Election. By the time she left the post she had become one of the longest serving Labour Chief Whips.

In May 2006, the then Prime Minister Tony Blair, appointed Hilary to the post of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Social Exclusion. In the Prime Minister's appointment letter she was asked to co-ordinate a new cross-government effort to breakdown the barriers for those excluded from society and to expand the ways in which government works with the voluntary sector.

Hilary Armstrong published "Reaching Out - an Action Plan to combat Social Exclusion" in September 2006.

In June 2007, Hilary announced her decision to step down from the Government and return to the backbenches after 18 years as a Party spokesperson and Government Minister.

Outside politics, Hilary enjoys reading, the theatre and supporting Sunderland AFC.

Hilary sits on the Advisory Board of The Tony Blair Sports Foundation - a charity to promote involvement in sport in the North East of England.

Constituency

North West Durham

Constituency Address

North West Durham Office North House 17 North Terrace Crook Co. Durham DL15 9AZ

Constituency Tel

01388) 767 065

Date of Birth

30 November 1945.

Email

armstrongh@parliament.uk

Party

Labour

Personal Website

http://www.hilaryarmstrong.com/splash.htm

Westminster Address

House of Commons London SW1A 0AA

Westminster Tel