Claire Ward

Ward was born in North Shields, Northumberland, the daughter of Frank and Cathy Ward.{{Cite news |date=16 March 2006 |title=Claire Ward |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/mpdb/html/615.stm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060108223500/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/mpdb/html/615.stm |archive-date=8 January 2006 |access-date=23 December 2009 |work=BBC News}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/hare-krishna-paid-for-labour-mps-trip-to-india-1074499.html|title=Hare Krishna paid for Labour MP's trip to India|last=Sylvester|first=Rachel|date=17 January 1999|work=The Independent|publisher=Independent News and Media|access-date=23 December 2009 | location=London}}{{cite web|url=http://www.claire-ward.org.uk/claire_ward_biography/claire_ward_biography.html|title=Claire Ward's Biography|last=Ward|first=Claire|publisher=Watford Labour Party|access-date=23 December 2009|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100422193731/http://www.claire-ward.org.uk/claire_ward_biography/claire_ward_biography.html|archive-date=22 April 2010}} Both her parents were Labour Party councillors and her father stood unsuccessfully as the Labour candidate for Hertsmere at the 1987 general election. She was brought up in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, where she attended the Loreto College, an all-girls Roman Catholic school in St Albans, and studied at the newly created University of Hertfordshire, graduating with a LLB (Law degree) in 1993.{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/az-of-universities--hertfordshire-1252172.html|work=The Independent|title=A-Z of Universities: Hertfordshire|last=Hodges|first=Lucy|date=24 July 1997|access-date=22 December 2009 | location=London}} She then completed an MA on Britain and the European Union at Brunel University, before qualifying as a solicitor at the College of Law in London.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/person/5389/claire-ward|title=Claire Ward|work=The Guardian|access-date=22 December 2009 | location=London}} From 1995 to 1998, she was a trainee solicitor.

Ward joined the Labour Party, the Co-operative Party and the Transport and General Workers' Union at the age of fifteen, becoming an active member of Young Labour.{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/the-cabinet-of-tomorrow-1277684.html|title=The Cabinet of Tomorrow?|last1=Castle|first1=Stephen|last2=Birnberg|first2=Ariadne|date=9 February 1997|work=The Independent|publisher=Independent News and Media|access-date=21 December 2009 | location=London}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1326676/The-young-idealist-who-took-on-the-old-hand.html|title=The young idealist who took on the old hand|last=McSmith|first=Andy|date=16 March 2001|work=The Telegraph|access-date=23 December 2009 | location=London}} In 1990, she won the South East TUC Mike Perkins Memorial Award for Young Trade Unionists before being elected as the Youth Representative on Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC) the following year.{{cite web|url=http://www.politicalwizard.co.uk/administration/pwapp/home.php?app=db&uid=&SD=3cb0f76b0e2d829d675eada5d361c000&defn=1&type=1&org=4165&biog=15513|title=Ms Claire Ward MP|work=politicalwizard.co.uk|access-date=24 December 2009}}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

She was elected as a councillor for Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council in 1994, where she served as Mayor from 1996 to 1997.{{cite web|url=http://www.justice.gov.uk/about/ward.htm|title=Claire Ward- Ministry of Justice|publisher=Crown copyright|work=Ministry of Justice|access-date=21 December 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100228155203/http://www.justice.gov.uk/about/ward.htm|archive-date=28 February 2010}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/li/member_of_parliament.in.Watford/|title=Members of Parliament for Watford|work=Watford Observer|access-date=21 December 2009}} She stepped down from the Labour Party NEC in 1995 upon her selection as the party's candidate for Watford.

File:Claire Ward.JPG

Ward became the MP for Watford at the 1997 general election, succeeding the former Conservative Party Deputy Chief Whip Tristan Garel-Jones, who had retired, and defeating Conservative candidate Robert Gordon by 5,792 votes.{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2001/results_constituencies/constituencies/615.stm|title=Vote 2001: Watford|work=BBC News|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=21 December 2009}} Elected at the age of 24, she was not quite the youngest MP, being a month older than Chris Leslie, the new MP for Shipley, although she was the youngest woman elected to the House of Commons.{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/interview-claire-ward-age-of-innocence-1260797.html|title= Interview: Claire Ward; Age of innocence |last=Barbieri|first=Annalisa|date=11 May 1997|work=The Independent|publisher=Independent News and Media|access-date=21 December 2009 | location=London}} She was also the youngest female MP elected in the 2001 election.

Following her election, Ward became a member of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee. From 2000 to 2002, she was the Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Chocolate and Confectionery Industry Group.{{cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199900/cmparty/memi134.htm|title=All-Party Parliamentary Chocolate and Confectionery Industry Group|work=House of Commons – Register of All-Party Groups|publisher=Parliament of the United Kingdom|date=12 September 2000|access-date=22 December 2009|location=London}}{{cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200001/cmoldparty/cmparty/memi136.htm|title=All-Party Parliamentary Chocolate and Confectionery Industry Group|work=House of Commons – Register of All-Party Groups|publisher=Parliament of the United Kingdom|date=14 May 2001|access-date=21 December 2009|location=London}}{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200102/cmhansrd/vo020520/debtext/20520-34.htm#20520-34_spnew2|title=Official Report, Commons|publisher=Parliament of the United Kingdom|date=20 May 2002|access-date=22 December 2009|location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605033839/http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200102/cmhansrd/vo020520/debtext/20520-34.htm#20520-34_spnew2|archive-date=5 June 2011|url-status=dead}} In the 2001 general election she retained her seat by 5,555 votes and was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary to John Hutton.{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4698222.stm|title=The 'Blair babes': Where are they now?|date=8 May 2007|work=BBC News|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=21 December 2009}}

The increasing dominance of local politics in Watford Borough council by the Liberal Democrats, including the election of a Liberal Democrat mayor, led to speculation that Ward would find re-election extremely difficult; Ward even accused staff from the council of harassment during the 2005 general election campaign.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2005/may/06/uk.election2005|title=Watford: a three-way junction to Westminster|last=Meek|first=James|date=6 May 2005|work=The Guardian|publisher=Guardian News and Media|access-date=21 December 2009 | location=London}} However, she managed to hold off a strong Liberal Democrat challenge from Sal Brinton; despite a 12% swing against her, Ward held the seat with a majority of 1,148 votes (approximately 2.3%). The Conservative candidate was narrowly pushed into third place, with 793 fewer votes than Brinton, making Watford a three-way marginal seat.{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2005/html/615.stm|title=Election 2005: Watford|date=6 May 2005|work=BBC News|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=21 December 2009}}

Upon her re-election in May 2005, Ward was appointed an Assistant Government Whip before being promoted to full Whip, as a Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury, on 5 May 2006.{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/the-cabinet-and-new-members-of-the-government-490158.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210142643/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/the-cabinet-and-new-members-of-the-government-490158.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 February 2009|title= The Cabinet and new members of the Government|date=10 May 2005|work=The Independent|publisher=Independent News and Media|access-date=22 December 2009 | location=London}}{{cite web|url=http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page9393|title=Her Majesty s Cabinet and Ministerial list|date=5 May 2006|publisher=10 Downing Street|access-date=21 December 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402040219/http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page9393|archive-date=2 April 2012}} She was promoted again in October 2008 to Vice-Chamberlain of the Household, the lowest of the senior Whips.{{Cite news|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Reshuffle-in-full-New-Minister.4561222.jp?articlepage=2|title=Reshuffle in full: New Minister hints he may seek to impose curb on migrant arrivals|last=Jeeves|first=Paul|date=6 October 2008|work=The Yorkshire Post|publisher=Johnston Press Digital Publishing|access-date=21 December 2009}} At the June 2009 Cabinet reshuffle, she replaced Shahid Malik as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Justice.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/jun/05/gordon-brown-new-cabinet-list|title=Who's who in Gordon Brown's government?|date=9 June 2009|work=guardian.co.uk|publisher=Guardian News and Media|access-date=21 December 2009 | location=London}}

She claimed over £90,000 in second home allowance between 2004 and 2009, despite living less than 30 miles from Westminster. Upon publication of MPs' expenses in 2009, Ward defended her choice to fund a second home in Westminster from her parliamentary allowance, citing her need to balance her public duties with her duties as a mother of small children.{{cite web|url=http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/4232970.MP_Claire_Ward_defends_second_home_claim/|title=Watford MP Claire Ward defends expenses claim|publisher=Newsquest|work=Watford Observer|author=Neil Skinner|access-date=21 December 2009|date=25 March 2009}}{{cite web |last=Ward |first=Claire |date=21 May 2009 |title=MP's expenses |url=http://www.hearfromyourmp.com/view/message/791 |url-status=dead |access-date=23 December 2009 |publisher=mySociety |archive-date=28 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728050836/http://www.hearfromyourmp.com/view/message/791 }} Ward was one of 98 MPs who voted in favour of legislation which would have kept MPs' expense details secret.{{cite news| url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1816072.ece | archive-url=https://archive.today/20090508020947/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1816072.ece | url-status=dead | archive-date=8 May 2009 | location=London | work=The Times | title=How your MP voted on the FOI Bill | date=20 May 2007 | first1=Charles | last1=Bremner | first2=David | last2=Robertson}}

Ward lost her seat at the 2010 general election, when she finished in third place with 14,750 votes, behind the successful Conservative Party candidate Richard Harrington (who received 19,291 votes) and the Liberal Democrat Sal Brinton (17,866 votes).

{{Synthesis|date=December 2009}}

The Labour Party was in Government throughout Ward's time in Parliament. As of the end of 2009, Ward had rebelled against the Government's stated or majority position 19 times out of 2,629 votes she attended, a rebelling rate of 0.72%. On occasion she voted against her party line on changes to the schedule of the House of Commons, and the Government's position on reform of the House of Lords. In 2004, she voted with the Conservatives in favour of introducing a ban on the "reasonable chastisement" of children.{{cite web|url=http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2004-11-02&number=306&mpn=Claire_Ward&mpc=Watford&house=commons |title=Children Bill [Lords] – New Clause 12 – Reasonable punishment – 2 Nov 2004 at 17:50 – The Public Whip |website=Publicwhip.org.uk |date=2004-11-02 |access-date=2016-01-02}} In 2008, on a free vote,{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7412118.stm|title=MPs reject cut in abortion limit|work=BBC News|access-date=24 December 2009|date=21 May 2009}} Ward voted against her party's majority position on abortion, where she unsuccessfully voted in several separate bills for a reduction in the time when an abortion can be carried out from 24 weeks.{{cite web|url=http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?id=uk.org.publicwhip/member/1911#divisions |title=Voting Record – Claire Ward MP, Watford (10621) – The Public Whip |website=Publicwhip.org.uk |date=2007-03-28 |access-date=2016-01-02}}

From June 2011 until its closure in March 2015, Ward was executive director of the Independent Pharmacy Federation.{{cite web|title=Directors|url=http://www.theipf.co.uk/who/directors.html|publisher=Independent Pharmacy Federation|access-date=7 March 2012|archive-date=30 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110830093232/http://www.theipf.co.uk/who/directors.html|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.theipf.co.uk/ |title=New Chapter new Challenge |date=March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328165515/http://www.theipf.co.uk/ |archive-date=28 March 2015 |access-date=2017-06-07 |url-status=dead }} In April 2015, Ward became the Chair of Pharmacy Voice, an association of trade bodies representing community pharmacy contractors.{{Cite web |url=http://pharmacyvoice.com/about/board/ |title=Board |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504051049/http://pharmacyvoice.com/about/board/ |archive-date=4 May 2016 |access-date=2017-06-07 |url-status=dead }} She resigned this role in April 2017 as part of the Pharmacy Voice's closure.{{Cite web |url=http://www.chemistanddruggist.co.uk/news/breaking-pharmacy-voice-office-finally-close-next-month |title=BREAKING: Pharmacy Voice office to finally close next month |last=Waldron |first=James |date=20 March 2017 |access-date=2017-06-07}}{{Cite web |url=https://companycheck.co.uk/director/916150633/CLAIRE-MARGARET-WARD/companies |title=MS CLAIRE MARGARET WARD |publisher=companycheck.co.uk |access-date=2017-06-07}} Claire Ward was Chief Executive of the Institute for Collaborative Working from January 2019 to January 2022. She also continues roles in the pharmacy sector with the Pharmacists Defence Association and as Chair of Sigma Pharmaceuticals Annual Conference. She has been a Governor of the University of Hertfordshire since September 2018. She became a Non Executive Director of Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in May 2013 and was appointed chair in October 2021.{{cite news |title=East Midlands trust appoints former MP as new chair |url=https://www.hsj.co.uk/sherwood-forest-hospitals-nhs-foundation-trust/east-midlands-trust-appoints-former-mp-as-new-chair/7031018.article |access-date=21 November 2021 |publisher=Health Service Journal |date=4 October 2021}}

File:Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner meets Metro Mayors (53844225472) (cropped).jpg, Sadiq Khan and Tracy Brabin, on a visit to 10 Downing Street]]

In August 2023, she was selected as Labour and Co-operative candidate to be the first mayor in the 2024 East Midlands mayoral election.{{Cite web |last=Neame |first=Katie |date=2023-08-04 |title=Former MP Claire Ward chosen as Labour candidate for East Midlands mayor |url=https://labourlist.org/2023/08/east-midlands-mayor-labour-candidate-claire-ward/ |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=LabourList |language=en-GB}} In May 2024 she was elected to this position.{{Cite news |last=Belam |first=Martin |last2=Sparrow |first2=Andrew |last3=Lowe |first3=Yohannes |last4=Belam (now) |first4=Martin |last5=Lowe (earlier) |first5=Yohannes |date=2024-05-03 |title=Labour's Claire Ward elected first mayor of East Midlands as Sunak celebrates Tees Valley mayoral victory – live |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2024/may/02/local-elections-2024-latest-results-live-tory-conservative-labour-lib-dem-green-south-blackpool-mayor-london-west-midlands-tees-valley |access-date=2024-05-03 |work=the Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite news |date=2024-05-03 |title=East Midlands Mayor: Labour's Claire Ward wins first-ever election |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-derbyshire-68950935 |access-date=2024-05-03 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}

She subsequently announced that she would stand down as chair of the Hospitals Trust. At the same time, she said her first few months would involve building partnerships with those who could help her make changes over her massive region, using the £1.14 billion devolution deal covering 30 years, for transport, housing, skills, education, the economy and net-zero strategy in the huge East Midlands region. 'We have been massively underfunded and under-invested in as a region, and it is really important we take those new powers and that funding from Westminster, we bring it in to this region and we decide our own priorities.'{{Cite news |title=Claire Ward: East Midlands Mayor to stand down as hospital chair |url=https://westbridgfordwire.com/claire-ward-east-midlands-mayor-to-stand-down-as-hospital-chair |date=2024-05-07 |access-date=2024-05-08 |work=West Bridgford Wire}}

When she was aged 28, Claire Ward met John Simpson, a plumber four years older than her, with his own business in Wembley, at a birthday party in Watford. They announced their engagement two years later. She married in 2003, and her first child, in 2005, was stillborn.{{Cite news |title=The Blair babe and the plumber |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/the-blair-babe-and-the-plumber-7295962.html |access-date=2024-05-08 |work=The Standard}} She has subsequently had two further children.{{cite web |last=Ward |first=Claire |date=21 May 2009 |title=MP's expenses |url=http://www.hearfromyourmp.com/view/message/791 |url-status=dead |access-date=8 May 2024 |publisher=mySociety |archive-date=28 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728050836/http://www.hearfromyourmp.com/view/message/791 }}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-5389,00.html Guardian Unlimited Politics – Ask Aristotle: Claire Ward MP]
• [https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/claire_ward/watford TheyWorkForYou.com – Claire Ward MP]
• {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20070913123413/http://www.claire-ward.org.uk/ Claire Ward's website]}}
• {{Hansard-contribs | ms-claire-ward | Claire Ward }}

{{S-start}}

{{S-par|uk}}

{{S-bef

| before = Tristan Garel-Jones }}

{{S-ttl

| title = Member of Parliament for Watford

| years = 1997–2010 }}

{{S-aft

| after = Richard Harrington }}

{{S-off}}

{{Succession box

|title = Vice-Chamberlain of the Household

|years = 2008–2009

|before = Liz Blackman

|after = Helen Jones

}}

{{Succession box

|title = Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Justice

|years = 2009–2010

|before = Shahid Malik

|after = Crispin Blunt
Jonathan Djanogly

}}

{{S-bef

| before = Office established}}

{{S-ttl

| title = Mayor of the East Midlands

| years = 2024–present}}

{{S-aft

|after = Incumbent}}

{{s-ppo}}

{{succession box|title=Youth representative on the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party|years=1992–1995|before=Alun Parry|after=Catherine Taylor}}

{{S-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ward, Claire}}

Category:UK MPs 1997–2001

Category:UK MPs 2001–2005

Category:UK MPs 2005–2010

Category:Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies

Category:Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies

Category:Politics of Watford

Category:Alumni of Brunel University London

Category:Alumni of the University of Hertfordshire

Category:Alumni of the University of Law

Category:People from Borehamwood

Category:People from North Shields

Category:Politicians from Tyne and Wear

Category:1972 births

Category:Living people

Category:Councillors in Hertfordshire

Category:Labour Party (UK) councillors

Category:Labour Party (UK) mayors

Category:Women councillors in England

Category:Women mayors of places in England

Category:20th-century British women politicians

Category:21st-century British women politicians

Category:Labour Co-operative combined authority mayors and deputy mayors

Category:Mayors of the East Midlands