Glenis Willmott

Willmott was born in the mining village of Horden, County Durham, but moved to Mansfield with her family at the age of 10. She was educated in Mansfield and at Trent Polytechnic where she obtained an HNC in medical science. She worked as a medical scientist for the National Health Service at King's Mill and Mansfield Hospitals from 1969 to 1990.{{cite web|url=http://www.gleniswillmott.eu/about/drop-down-page/|title=About me|work=Glenis Willmott MEP|access-date=12 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231203302/http://www.gleniswillmott.eu/about/drop-down-page/|archive-date=31 December 2013|url-status=dead}}

She was chair of Mansfield Constituency Labour Party and a member of Nottinghamshire County Council for the Leeming and Forest Town division from 1989 to 1993.{{cite web|url=http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/dms/Elections/tabid/71/ctl/ViewCandidates/mid/399/ID/433/Default.aspx|title=1989 election results: Leeming and Forest Town|work=Nottinghamshire County Council|access-date=19 September 2014}} She also worked as an assistant to Alan Meale (Member of Parliament for Mansfield) from 1987 to 1990.

In 1990, she became political officer for the GMB trade union's Midland and East Coast region. She served as chair of the East Midlands Regional Labour Party and was second on the Labour Party list of candidates for the East Midlands region at the 2004 elections to the European Parliament. According to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, as of 2010 Willmott was a member of the Labour Friends of Israel and has served as vice-chair.{{cite web|url=https://www.palestinecampaign.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Palestine-News-2010-Spring.pdf|title=Where Do They Stand?|work=PSC|access-date=10 April 2018}}{{better source|date=June 2024}}

On 1 January 2006, she replaced Phillip Whitehead as a member of the European Parliament for the East Midlands following his death.{{cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-140733808.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924133550/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-140733808.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 September 2015|title=GLENIS WILLMOTT NAMED AS NEW LABOUR MEP|work=European Report |via=HighBeam Research|date=11 January 2006|access-date=1 December 2014}} Along with other Labour MEPs, she was part of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament.

In July 2006, she was elected to the position of Chief Whip of the Labour MEPs, a position she held until January 2009, when she was elected as the Leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party (EPLP), replacing Gary Titley who had resigned the post.{{cite web|url=http://centralvillageslabourparty.org/Member-of-the-European-Parliament|title=Member of the European Parliament:Glenis Willmott|work=CENTRAL VILLAGES LABOUR PARTY|access-date=1 December 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208051808/http://centralvillageslabourparty.org/Member-of-the-European-Parliament|archive-date=8 February 2015|df=dmy-all}}{{cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/35743/GLENIS_WILLMOTT_home.html|title=MEP Profiles: Glenis Willmott|work=European Parliament|access-date=9 July 2014}} She was the longest serving leader of the EPLP, surpassing Barbara Castle and Gary Titley.

In September 2014, she was appointed rapporteur for changes to medical devices legislation primarily triggered by scandals involving PIP breast implants and 'metal-on-metal' hip replacements.{{cite web|url=http://www.gleniswillmott.eu/labour-mep-to-lead-medical-devices-overhaul/|title=Medical devices rapporteur|work=Glenis Willmott MEP|access-date=17 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715091947/http://www.gleniswillmott.eu/labour-mep-to-lead-medical-devices-overhaul/|archive-date=15 July 2015|url-status=dead}} In October 2014, Willmott received the Outstanding Leadership Award from the Belgian Association of Clinical Research Professionals for her work on clinical trials legislation.{{cite web|url=http://www.acrp.be/late-breaking-clinical-trial-news-2014/|title=Outstanding Leadership Award|work=Belgian Association of Clinical Research Professionals|access-date=29 August 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140920003632/http://www.acrp.be/late-breaking-clinical-trial-news-2014/|archive-date=20 September 2014|df=dmy-all}} She also hosted an S&D event at the Espace Léopold focused on improved labelling of alcoholic drinks.{{cite web|url=http://www.ias.org.uk/News/2014/10-September-2014-Event-explores-European-Commission-decision-to-exempt-alcohol-from-EU-labelling-legislation.aspx|title=Event explores European Commission decision to exempt alcohol from EU labelling legislation|work=Institute of Alcohol Studies|date=10 September 2014|access-date=1 December 2014|archive-date=6 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806195441/http://www.ias.org.uk/News/2014/10-September-2014-Event-explores-European-Commission-decision-to-exempt-alcohol-from-EU-labelling-legislation.aspx|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.gleniswillmott.eu/labour-mep-leads-discussion-on-better-alcohol-labelling/|title=Better alcohol labelling event|work=Glenis Willmott MEP|access-date=19 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215214514/http://www.gleniswillmott.eu/labour-mep-leads-discussion-on-better-alcohol-labelling/|archive-date=15 February 2015|url-status=dead}}

Following the 2014 election, Willmott sat (or was a substitute) on the following Committees and Delegations:

• Member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety.
• Member of the Delegation for relations with Canada.
• Substitute on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs.
• Substitute on the Delegation for relations with Switzerland, Norway and Iceland.

In May 2014, Willmott launched her East Midlands campaign for the 2014 European Parliament election in Derby "promising to help people struggling with the cost of living".{{cite news|url=http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Labour-pledges-tackle-cost-living-crisis/story-21065325-detail/story.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140509120949/http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Labour-pledges-tackle-cost-living-crisis/story-21065325-detail/story.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 May 2014|title=Labour launches East Midlands European election campaign in Leicester|work=Leicester Mercury|author=Dan Martin|date=7 May 2014|access-date=9 May 2014}} She said the Conservatives wanted to help energy companies and bankers. "Nearly 340,000 East Midland jobs depended on continued membership but the Tories hadn't said what aspects of EU membership they wanted to renegotiate or when they would do it. An EU referendum would just be a distraction when Britain was trying to improve its economy". She also claimed UKIP's stated objective of "cutting red tape" were really about "cutting people's rights at work". In the East Midlands where five seats were contested, Labour retained Willmott's seat and increased their share of the vote by 8%, narrowly missing out on gaining a second seat in the region.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/eu-regions/E15000004|title=East Midlands European election results, 2014|work=BBC News|access-date=30 May 2014}}

Although she opposed David Cameron's decision to call the referendum on the UK's membership of the EU, Willmott played a prominent role in Labour In for Britain, Labour's campaign for Britain to remain in the EU. She was critical of Cameron's proposed reforms to the EU, including changes to legislation on workers' rights, product standards and environmental protections.{{citation|title=When it comes down to it, this referendum is going to be about working people|url=https://labourlist.org/2016/01/when-it-comes-down-to-it-this-referendum-is-going-to-be-about-working-people|access-date=9 November 2017|work=LabourList|author=Glenis Willmott|date=22 January 2016}} She argued that the five key arguments for remaining a member of the EU were on job protection and creation, employment rights, protections for consumers, cross-border security and increased influence on the world stage.{{citation|title=Five key facts to win the argument on the EU|url=http://labourlist.org/2016/02/glenis-willmott-five-key-facts-to-win-the-argument-on-the-eu|access-date=9 November 2017|work=LabourList|first=Glenis|last=Willmott|date=23 February 2016}}

Following the UK's vote to leave the EU, Willmott has argued that if the deal reached during the Brexit negotiations leads to extensive deregulation and weakening of social and workers' rights, then Labour should oppose it.{{citation|title=If the Tory Brexit deal with the EU is not right, we must fight it|url=http://press.labour.org.uk/post/150954159159/if-the-tory-brexit-deal-with-the-eu-is-not-right|access-date=9 November 2017|work=Labour Press|date=26 September 2016}} In the aftermath of the referendum result, she wrote a letter on behalf of the EPLP to Jeremy Corbyn calling for his resignation as Leader of the Labour Party after a party briefing document appeared to promote the work of Kate Hoey and Gisela Stuart, two key MPs in the rival Labour Leave campaign.{{cite news|title=Labour MEPs call for Jeremy Corbyn to resign as leader|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2016/06/exclusive-labour-meps-call-jeremy-corbyn-resign-leader|access-date=9 November 2017|work=New Statesman|author=George Eaton|date=29 June 2016}}

Willmott announced in July 2017 that she would stand down in October and was formally replaced as MEP for the East Midlands by Leicester city councillor Rory Palmer on 3 October.{{cite news|title=Leicester Deputy Mayor Rory Palmer to become an MEP|url=http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/leicester-deputy-mayor-rory-palmer-to-become-an-mep/story-30426111-detail/story.html|access-date=6 July 2017|work=Leicester Mercury|author=Ciaran Fagan|date=5 July 2017}}{{cite news|title=Leicester's deputy mayor Rory Palmer leaves city council and becomes an MEP|url=http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/leicesters-deputy-mayor-rory-palmer-564805|access-date=9 November 2017|work=Leicester Mercury|author=Dan Martin|date=2 October 2017}} She was replaced as Leader of the EPLP by her colleague Richard Corbett.{{cite news|title=Richard Corbett named Labour's new leader in Brussels and takes NEC place|url=https://labourlist.org/2017/10/richard-corbett-named-labours-new-leader-in-brussels-and-takes-nec-place|access-date=9 November 2017|work=LabourList|author=Peter Edwards|date=25 October 2017}} She was honoured with a 'thank you' dinner on 4 November 2017 which celebrated her career and contribution to the Labour Party and European politics; the dinner was attended by Corbyn and former leader Ed Miliband.{{cite web|url=http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/jeremy-corbyn-ed-miliband-coming-624316|title=Jeremy Corbyn and Ed Miliband are coming to Leicester for a 'fun-filled' party|work=Leicester Mercury|author=Dan Martin|date=13 October 2017|access-date=9 November 2017}}

Willmott lives in Leicestershire with her husband Ted. She was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2015 Dissolution Honours on 27 August 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dissolution-honours-2015|title=Dissolution Honours 2015|work=Gov.uk|author=Prime Minister's Office|date=27 August 2015|access-date=30 August 2015}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/35743/GLENIS_WILLMOTT_home.html European Parliament profile]

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{{succession box|title=Leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party|years=2009–2017|before=Gary Titley|after=Richard Corbett}}

{{succession box|title=European Parliamentary representative on the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party|years=2012 – 2017|before=Michael Cashman|after=Richard Corbett}}

{{succession box|title=Chair of the Labour Party|years=2016 – 2017|before=Paddy Lillis|after=Andy Kerr}}

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Category:1951 births

Category:Alumni of Nottingham Trent University

Category:British trade unionists

Category:Labour Friends of Israel

Category:Living people

Category:Labour Party (UK) MEPs

Category:People from County Durham (district)

Category:People from Mansfield

Category:Politicians from Leicestershire

Category:Politics of Lincolnshire

Category:MEPs for England 2004–2009

Category:MEPs for England 2009–2014

Category:MEPs for England 2014–2019

Category:21st-century women MEPs for England

Category:Members of Nottinghamshire County Council

Category:Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Category:Women councillors in England