Danielle Rowley

Danielle Rowley was born on 25 February 1990{{cite book|last1=Carr|first1=Tim|last2=Dale|first2=Iain|last3=Waller|first3=Robert|title=The Politicos Guide to the New House of Commons 2017|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8cXADgAAQBAJ&pg=PT154|date=7 September 2017|publisher=Biteback Publishing|isbn=978-1-78590-278-9|page=154}} and grew up on a council estate{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/40278624/meet-the-four-new-mps-who-are-still-in-their-20s|title=Meet the four new MPs who are still in their 20s|work=BBC Newsbeat|last=Moore|first=Hannah|date=21 June 2017|accessdate=20 January 2018}} in Dalkeith.{{cite news|url=https://www.holyrood.com/articles/inside-politics/profiles-new-scottish-mps|title=Profiles of the new Scottish MPs|work=Holyrood|date=21 June 2017|accessdate=20 January 2018|archive-date=27 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190627232032/https://www.holyrood.com/articles/inside-politics/profiles-new-scottish-mps|url-status=dead}} Her father is Scottish Labour politician Alex Rowley and her late mother{{cite web|url=https://www.daniellerowleymp.uk/rt-hon-emily-thornberry-mp-pays-visit-to-midlothian-to-open-danielle-rowley-mps-office/|title=Rt Hon Emily Thornberry MP pays visit to Midlothian to open Danielle Rowley MP's office|publisher=Danielle Rowley|accessdate=20 January 2018|archive-date=13 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613061348/https://www.daniellerowleymp.uk/rt-hon-emily-thornberry-mp-pays-visit-to-midlothian-to-open-danielle-rowley-mps-office/|url-status=dead}} was a trade unionist. Both her grandfathers were Labour Party activists and miners.{{cite news|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/staggers/2017/06/labour-mp-midlothian-danielle-rowley-i-get-my-politics-my-mum-well-my-dad|title=Labour MP for Midlothian Danielle Rowley: "I get my politics from my mum as well as my dad"|work=New Statesman|date=26 June 2017|accessdate=20 January 2018|last=Rampen|first=Julia}} She was educated at Dalkeith High School{{cite news|url=https://www.midlothianadvertiser.co.uk/news/young-dalkeith-politician-in-running-for-award-1-837620|work=Midlothian Advertiser|date=28 January 2011|accessdate=20 January 2018|title=Young Dalkeith politician in running for award|archive-date=21 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121072344/https://www.midlothianadvertiser.co.uk/news/young-dalkeith-politician-in-running-for-award-1-837620|url-status=dead}} and graduated from Edinburgh Napier University with a journalism degree in 2014. Rowley supported Scotland staying part of the union during the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, and worked as former Prime Minister Gordon Brown's constituency media manager during the campaign.

Before her election to parliament, Rowley worked as the Campaigns and Public Relations Officer for housing charity Shelter Scotland and was also a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament.

Rowley was selected in April 2017 as the official Labour Party candidate, for the Midlothian constituency at the snap general election held on 8 June.{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15260391.Scottish_Labour_deputy_denies_nepotism_as_daughter_named_candidate/|work=The Herald|title=Scottish Labour deputy denies nepotism as daughter named candidate|date=3 May 2017|accessdate=20 January 2018|last=Gordon|first=Tom}} She went on to be elected as the Member of Parliament for the constituency with a majority of 885 votes over the sitting Scottish National party MP Owen Thompson. Rowley was the first female MP to represent Midlothian. In her maiden speech in the House of Commons in July 2017, she commented that she would fight to reduce the need of food banks in her constituency.{{cite news|url=https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/labour-mp-uses-maiden-speech-to-attack-foodbank-disgrace-1-4500251|work=The Scotsman|date=11 July 2017|last=Swanson|first=Ian|title=Labour MP uses maiden speech to attack foodbank 'disgrace'|accessdate=20 January 2018}} Shortly after her election, Rowley was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry.{{cite tweet|number=886999609519857664|title=Delighted to be appointed as PPS to @EmilyThornberry – looking forward to working with her & Shadow Foreign and Commonwealth team.|date=17 July 2017|accessdate=4 November 2019|user=DaniRowley}} She sat on the Scottish Affairs Select Committee from September 2017 to November 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/danielle-rowley/4628|publisher=Parliament of the United Kingdom|accessdate=4 November 2019|title=Danielle Rowley MP}}

She chaired Richard Leonard's successful 2017 Scottish Labour leadership campaign to become Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, following Kezia Dugdale's decision to resign.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/18/richard-leonard-voted-scottish-labour-leader|title=Richard Leonard wins Scottish Labour leadership in decisive victory|work=The Guardian|date=18 November 2017|last=Carrell|first=Severin}}

Rowley 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.{{cite news|url=https://ig.ft.com/brexit-exit-deal-vote/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190902092554/https://ig.ft.com/brexit-exit-deal-vote/|archivedate=2 September 2019|date=29 March 2019|title=How MPs voted on May's withdrawal deal defeat|work=Financial Times}}

On 21 June 2019, Rowley was appointed as Shadow Minister for Climate Justice and Green Jobs, a new role.{{cite news |last1=Cowburn |first1=Ashley |title=Jeremy Corbyn appoints Labour's first shadow minister for climate justice |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/climate-change-crisis-labour-minister-justice-corbyn-extinction-rebellion-a8967406.html |accessdate=21 June 2019 |work=The Independent |date=20 June 2019}} At the 2019 United Kingdom general election, Rowley lost her seat to Scottish National Party candidate Owen Thompson by a majority of 5,705. Thompson had previously held the seat from 2015 to 2017.{{cite news|url=https://www.midlothianview.com/news/midlothian-2019-general-election-result/|work=Midlothian View|date=13 December 2019|accessdate=20 November 2021|title=Owen Thompson SNP has been elected as the Midlothian MP}}

During the 2020 Labour leadership election, Rowley managed Emily Thornberry's unsuccessful campaign.{{cite news |last1=Murphy |first1=Joe |last2=Sleigh |first2=Sophia |title=Rebecca Long-Bailey and Emily Thornberry on the attack as they launch Labour leadership campaigns|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/rebecca-long-bailey-emily-thornberry-labour-party-leadership-a4337266.html |access-date=19 January 2021 |work=Evening Standard |date=17 January 2020}} In the same year, Rowley became the Head of Policy & Communications at the Scottish branch of the charity Samaritans.{{cite web|url=https://www.samaritans.org/wales/samaritans-in-scotland/about-samaritans-scotland/who-we-are/|title=Who we are|accessdate=20 November 2021|publisher=Samaritans}}

Rowley has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.{{cite tweet |user=DaniRowley |author=Danielle Rowley |number=1275010640105668609 |date = 22 June 2020 |title=At school/growing up I was always told I wasn't trying, wasn't applying myself, was letting people down. Thing is I was trying REALLY hard. I constantly felt guilty. I was diagnosed with #ADHD+ as an adult. Suddenly my 'personality' made sense. Early diagnosis is so vital! }} In January 2021, she had a son.{{cite tweet |author=Danielle Rowley |user=DaniRowley |number=1350893181542526981 |title=We're bringing something truly amazing home with us today. I can't say thank you enough to the @NHS_Lothian staff at the Edinburgh Simpsons Maternity Centre, who were so outstanding and dedicated in helping deliver and look after our wee boy. Welcome home baby Ronan!}}

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Category:1990 births

Category:Living people

Category:Scottish Labour MPs

Category:UK MPs 2017–2019

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

Category:People educated at Dalkeith High School

Category:Alumni of Edinburgh Napier University

Category:21st-century Scottish women politicians

Category:21st-century Scottish politicians

Category:People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder