Helen Clark (British politician)

{{Infobox officeholder

| image =

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Helen Clark

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|12|23|df=y}}

| birth_place = Derby, England

| birthname = Helen Rosemary Dyche

| office = Member of Parliament
for Peterborough

| parliament =

| majority =

| predecessor = Brian Mawhinney

| successor = Stewart Jackson

| term_start = 1 May 1997

| term_end = 11 April 2005

| party = Labour (1992–2005, 2010–present)

| nationality =

| otherparty = Independent (2005–2010)

| spouse = {{marriage|Ian Brinton||1999|end=divorced}}
{{marriage|Alan Clark|2001}}

| partner =

| relations =

| children = 2

| residence = Eastfield, Peterborough

| alma_mater = University of Bristol

| occupation = Teacher

| profession =

}}

Helen Rosemary Clark (née Dyche; born 23 December 1954) is an English politician.[https://books.google.com/books?id=0JaIAAAAMAAJ&q=%22helen+brinton%22+1954 Dod's parliamentary companion] She was the Labour Member of Parliament for the Peterborough constituency from 1997 until the 2005 general election, when she lost her seat to Conservative Stewart Jackson. She was elected to Parliament as Helen Brinton in the elections of 1997 and 2001, before taking her married name in the latter year.

Early life

Clark was born in Derby. She went to Spondon Park Grammar School (became Spondon School in 1971 when merged with Spondon House School, and became West Park Community School in 1989) in Spondon, Derby. Clark was educated at the University of Bristol gaining a Hons 2/1 in English Literature, then an MA in Medieval Literature and a PGCE. She worked as a teacher for several years as an assistant English teacher at Katherine Lady Berkeley Comprehensive in Wotton-under-Edge from 1979 to 1982, then Deputy Head of English at Harrogate Ladies' College from 1983 to 1988. She was a lecturer at North Thanet FIE College from 1992 to 1993, then an English teacher and Head of Year 8 at the Rochester Grammar School for Girls from 1993 until her election in 1997. From 1985 to 1987 she worked as an Examiner, Assessor, Moderator and Team Leader in English Literature for the Northern, Southern, London and Cambridge Examination Boards.

Parliamentary career

Clark had previously stood unsuccessfully as the Labour candidate for Faversham in Kent in the 1992 general election. For the subsequent 1997 general election she was selected, from an all-women shortlist.,{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/seats-with-labour-candidates-from-allfemale-shortlists-1323052.html|title=Seats with Labour candidates from all-female shortlists|work=The Independent|date=9 January 1996|access-date=12 February 2010|location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102100013/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/seats-with-labour-candidates-from-allfemale-shortlists-1323052.html|archive-date=2 November 2012|url-status=live}} as the Labour candidate for Peterborough in Cambridgeshire. She was elected to parliament with a majority of 7,323, defeating; two future Members of the European Parliament; Jacqueline Foster and David Howarth.

Whilst in Parliament, Clark had an interest in wildlife issues and was a leading Labour voice in opposition to violent animal rights protests. She was a member of the Environmental Audit Select Committee and Broadcasting Select Committees; completed the NCVO parliamentary scheme with secondments to ASBAH and MIND and founded the All Party Wildlife Group. The Bill committees she sat on included Finance Bill, Water Bill and Countryside & Rights of Way Bill.

Early on in her parliamentary career, Clark was considered loyal to her party leaders,{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/mpdb/html/347.stm|title=Helen Brinton|publisher=The BBC|date=10 February 2005|access-date=12 February 2010}} but later opposed the Iraq War.{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1331032/Labour-backs-MP-in-domestic-fracas.html | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | first=Sarah | last=Womack | title=Labour backs MP in domestic fracas | date=21 May 2001 | access-date=2 April 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160228105511/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1331032/Labour-backs-MP-in-domestic-fracas.html | archive-date=28 February 2016 | url-status=live }}{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1311427/Neighbours-attack-MPs-hypocrisy-over-noise.html | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | first=Sarah | last=Womack | title=Neighbours attack MP's 'hypocrisy' over noise | date=5 June 2001 | access-date=2 April 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160228071744/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1311427/Neighbours-attack-MPs-hypocrisy-over-noise.html | archive-date=28 February 2016 | url-status=live }}

She was defeated for re-election in the 2005 general election by Conservative candidate Stewart Jackson. Three days after her defeat, she resigned from the Labour Party. In a letter to Labour Leader Tony Blair, she was critical of policies such as top-up fees and the Iraq War. Clark suggested that were Kenneth Clarke to win the Tory leadership she might be tempted to switch sides.{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cambridgeshire/4527565.stm | publisher = The BBC | title = Ousted MP defects to the Tories | date = 5 August 2005 | access-date = 12 February 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130907010252/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cambridgeshire/4527565.stm | archive-date = 7 September 2013 | url-status = live }}{{cite news|url=http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=845&ArticleID=1021345|title=A slap in the face|publisher=Peterborough Evening Telegraph|date=9 May 2005|access-date=12 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060629171620/http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?sectionid=845|archive-date=29 June 2006|url-status=dead}} However, it was subsequently reported she had not joined the Conservative Party, and did not intend to. She re-joined the Labour Party in 2010 and is a member of UNISON.{{cite news | url = http://politics.guardian.co.uk/election/story/0,15803,1496352,00.html | title = Thrown out of the house | work = The Guardian | date = 1 June 2005 | access-date = 12 February 2010 | location = London | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060925230917/http://politics.guardian.co.uk/election/story/0,15803,1496352,00.html | archive-date = 25 September 2006 | url-status = live }}

After parliament

In April 2007, Clark was interviewed by The Observer. This was for an article about the female Labour MP's elected in the 1997 general election, known as Blair's Babes. She criticised the treatment of newly elected MPs by the Parliamentary Labour Party.{{cite news|url=http://politics.guardian.co.uk/women/story/0,,2062995,00.html|title=Blair's babes 10 years on|work=The Guardian|date=22 April 2007|access-date=12 February 2010|location=London|first=Rachel|last=Cooke|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010033748/http://politics.guardian.co.uk/women/story/0,,2062995,00.html|archive-date=10 October 2007|url-status=live}}

Since 2005 she has worked as Head of Policy & Campaigns for the Multiple Sclerosis Society;[http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/environment/health_former_mp_campaigns_for_specialist_nurses_1_64904 Former MP campaigns for specialist nurses] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004051145/http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/environment/health_former_mp_campaigns_for_specialist_nurses_1_64904 |date=4 October 2012 }} Peterborough Today, 3 August 2006. Interim Climate Change Advisor for the Association of British Insurers; Associate Consultant for the National Youth Agency and Assessor for the OCR examination board in addition to writing. Clark campaigns of availability of Alzheimers Drugs on the NHS. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Assessors.

Clark was involved in an incident in 2008 when video footage of her complaining to bar staff about their refusal to serve her was posted on YouTube. After Clark threatened legal action over the availability of the video, she was charged with public order offences.{{cite web|url=http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/Former-MP-Clark-in-court.4759128.jp|title=Former MP Clark in court over hotel YouTube video|publisher=Peterborough Evening Telegraph|date=4 December 2008|access-date=28 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207073843/http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/Former-MP-Clark-in-court.4759128.jp|archive-date=7 December 2008|url-status=live}} Clark was found guilty of using threatening words and behaviour. However, the conviction was quashed upon appeal.{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cambridgeshire/7953736.stm | title = Ex-MP guilty of threatening words | publisher = The BBC | date = 19 March 2009 | access-date = 12 February 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180912022059/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cambridgeshire/7953736.stm | archive-date = 12 September 2018 | url-status = live }}{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6935410.ece |archive-url=https://archive.today/20100526064954/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6935410.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 May 2010 |title=Former Labour MP cleared of harassment after bar row |work=The Times|date=28 November 2009|access-date=12 February 2010 | location=London | first=Sam | last=Coates}}

Personal life

She married Alan Clark, a political journalist with Meridian television, in August 2001. Clark has two children from her previous marriage.{{cite web|url=http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/LOVE-IN-THE-AIR-AS.422095.jp|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130505041255/http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/LOVE-IN-THE-AIR-AS.422095.jp|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 May 2013|title=Love in the air as city MP weds|publisher=Peterborough Evening Telegraph|date=6 August 2001|access-date=11 February 2010}}

References

External links

{{cite web | url = https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/helen_clark/peterborough | work = Parliamentary voting record | publisher = TheyWorkForYou | title = Helen Clark, former MP, Peterborough }}
{{Hansard-contribs | ms-helen-brinton | Helen Clark }}

{{succession box

| title = Member of Parliament for Peterborough

| years = 1997–2005

| before = Brian Mawhinney

| after = Stewart Jackson

}}

Category:1954 births

Category:Living people

Category:Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies

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

Brinton, Helen

Category:UK MPs 2001–2005