Helen Hayes (politician)

Helen Hayes
MP
Official portrait, 2024
Shadow Minister for Children and Early Years
In office
4 December 2021 – 4 July 2024
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byTulip Siddiq
Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office
In office
9 April 2020 – 30 December 2020
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byChris Matheson
Succeeded byFleur Anderson
Opposition Whip
In office
7 January 2020 – 9 April 2020
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Member of Parliament
for Dulwich and West Norwood
Incumbent
Assumed office
7 May 2015
Preceded byDame Tessa Jowell
Majority18,789 (41.4%)
Personal details
Born
Helen Elizabeth Hayes

(1974-08-08) 8 August 1974 (age 50)
Liverpool, Merseyside, England
Political partyLabour
Alma materBalliol College, Oxford
Websitewww.helenhayes.org.uk

Helen Elizabeth Hayes (born 8 August 1974)[1] is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dulwich and West Norwood since 2015.[2] She was subsequently elected Chair of the House of Commons Education Select Committee in September 2024.[3][4]

Early life and career

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Helen Hayes was born on 8 August 1974 in Liverpool and attended Ormskirk Grammar School.[5] She was an undergraduate at Balliol College, Oxford.[6]

After university, Hayes worked as a town planner. She became managing partner of her own town planning company, Urban Practitioners, before becoming a partner at London architectural practice Allies and Morrison.[7]

Hayes is a Chartered Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute, a member of the King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and is also a trustee of Turner Contemporary art gallery in Margate.[7]

Before being elected as an MP, Hayes was elected as a Councillor for the college ward of Southwark Council[8] in 2010 and in 2014.[9][10] Following her election as an MP in 2015 she held both roles for 10 months before resigning as a Councillor in March 2016 to focus on her Parliamentary duties.[11]

Parliamentary career

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Hayes was elected to Parliament at the 2015 general election as MP for Dulwich and West Norwood with 54.1% of the vote and a majority of 16,122.[12][13][14]

Hayes has served on the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee since July 2015.[15]

She supported Remain in the EU referendum in June 2016 and voted against the triggering of Article 50 in February 2017.[16]

She was a critic of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and supported Owen Smith in the failed attempt to replace him in the 2016 leadership election.[17]

At the snap 2017 general election, Hayes was re-elected as MP for Dulwich and West Norwood with an increased vote share of 69.6% and an increased majority of 28,156.[18][19]

In 2018, Hayes criticised the closure of two Royal Mail delivery offices in her constituency.[20]

Hayes was again re-elected at the 2019 general election, with a decreased vote share of 65.5% and a decreased majority of 27,310.[21]

In the November 2021 British shadow cabinet reshuffle, she returned to the frontbench as Shadow Minister for Children and Early Years, replacing Tulip Siddiq.[22]

At the 2024 general election, Hayes was again re-elected with a decreased vote share of 60.3% and a decreased majority of 18,789.[23] She was subsequently elected Chair of the House of Commons Education Select Committee in September 2024.[24][25]

In November 2024, Hayes voted against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which proposes to legalise assisted dying.[26]

Personal life

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Hayes is married to Ben Jupp; the couple have two children.[5] Her sister-in law is Rachel Jupp, editor of the BBC current affairs series, Panorama.[27]

References

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  1. ^ Jamieson, Sophie (29 April 2015). "Female MPs: Parliament's future front bench stars". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  2. ^ "BBC News Election 2015 – Dulwich & West Norwood". BBC News Election 2015 website. BBC. 8 May 2015. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  3. ^ "Nominations open for the Education Committee Chair". UK Parliament. 5 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Select committee Chair elections". UK Parliament Website. 11 September 2024. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  5. ^ a b Duffy, Tom (12 May 2015). "Ormskirk mum wins Tessa Jowell's former seat in south London". Southport Visiter. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  6. ^ "Election 2015: Meet the future female front bench stars of the 2015 Parliament". The Daily Telegraph. 8 May 2015. Archived from the original on 10 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  7. ^ a b "Register of interests Councillor Helen Hayes". Southwark Council. 30 July 2013. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  8. ^ "Councillor Helen Hayes". Southwark Council. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  9. ^ "Southwark Council – Election Results for College Ward". Southwark Council Website. Southwark Council. 6 May 2010. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  10. ^ "2014 council elections – College". Southwark Council Website. Southwark Council. 22 May 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  11. ^ "SOUTHWARK MPS NEIL COYLE AND HELEN HAYES ANNOUNCE RESIGNATION FROM COUNCIL". Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  12. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  13. ^ "Election results for Dulwich and West Norwood, 7 May 2015". moderngov.lambeth.gov.uk. 7 May 2015.
  14. ^ "Dulwich & West Norwood parliamentary constituency - Election 2017" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  15. ^ "Helen Hayes MP". UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  16. ^ "How Labour MPs voted on article 50". LabourList. 1 February 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  17. ^ https://www.brixtonbuzz.com/2016/06/chuka-umunna-and-helen-hayes-vote-no-confidence-in-corbyn-with-kate-hoey-backing-the-labour-leader/
  18. ^ "Dulwich & West Norwood parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
  19. ^ "Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis" (PDF) (Second ed.). House of Commons Library. 29 January 2019 [7 April 2018]. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 November 2019.
  20. ^ Hayes, Helen (23 February 2018). "Helen delivers letter to Royal Mail opposing delivery office closures". Helen Hayes MP. Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  21. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated" (PDF). Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  22. ^ "Tweet announcing new role". Twitter. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  23. ^ "Dulwich and West Norwood - General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  24. ^ "Nominations open for the Education Committee Chair". UK Parliament. 5 September 2024.
  25. ^ "Select committee Chair elections". UK Parliament Website. 11 September 2024. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  26. ^ "Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Second Reading". Votes in Parliament. 29 November 2024.
  27. ^ Saner, Emine (5 February 2017). "Panorama editor Rachel Jupp: people want us to hold power to account". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
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