Jessica Lee

The Lady Harrington of Watford
Member of Parliament
for Erewash
In office
6 May 2010 – 30 March 2015
Preceded byLiz Blackman
Succeeded byMaggie Throup
Personal details
Born (1976-04-07) 7 April 1976 (age 48)
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England
Political partyConservative
SpouseRichard Harrington
Alma materRoyal Holloway, University of London; College of Law
Websitewww.jessicaleemp.com

Jessica Katherine Lee, Lady Harrington of Watford[1] (born 7 April 1976)[2] is a British former Conservative Party politician. She was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Erewash in Derbyshire in 2010.[1] She served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Attorney General, Dominic Grieve, before stepping down for the 2015 general election.

Early life

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Lee was born in Nottingham on 7 April 1976,[2] educated at Loughborough High School and Royal Holloway, University of London, where she graduated with a degree in History & Politics in 1997[3] and served as Chair of the college's Conservative Students Society. She was the first person from her family to go to university.[4]

Lee went on to study at the College of Law. She was called to the Bar by the Middle Temple in 2000, and practised as a barrister specialising in family law.[4]

At the 2005 general election, Lee stood as a parliamentary candidate for the Conservative Party in Camberwell and Peckham, finishing third with 9.8% of the vote in a constituency won by the incumbent Labour Party MP Harriet Harman.[5]

Parliamentary career

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Lee was elected to the House of Commons as MP for Erewash in the 2010 general election with a majority of 2,501.[6] After her victory was confirmed, she said: "I feel privileged, honoured, slightly overwhelmed. I mean it when I say I will do my best to serve everyone in Erewash, whether they voted for me or not".[7] Lee campaigned enthusiastically for the opening of a railway station in Ilkeston, and raised the issue in the House of Commons.[8]

Following the formation of the Cameron Ministry in May 2010, Lee was appointed as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Attorney General, Dominic Grieve.[9]

In January 2014, Lee announced her intention to step down at the 2015 general election.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b "No. 59418". The London Gazette. 13 May 2010. p. 8740.
  2. ^ a b "Jessica Lee MP | Erewash". Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2012. Erewash Conservatives – Jessica Lee MP
  3. ^ Election highs for Royal Holloway alumni, accessed 24 November 2012
  4. ^ a b "Jessica Lee". The Conservative Party. Archived from the original on 30 November 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  5. ^ "Camberwell and Peckham". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  6. ^ "Erewash". BBC News. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  7. ^ Hemmett, Peter (7 May 2010). "Election results video: Jessica Lee wins Erewash back for the Conservatives". Ilkeston Advertiser. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  8. ^ "Erewash MP raises train battle in Houses of Parliament". www.ilkestonadvertiser.co.uk.
  9. ^ "Government publishes list of Parliamentary Private Secretaries (PPS)". GOV.UK.
  10. ^ "MP to stand down after five years". BBC News. 20 January 2014.
[edit]
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Erewash
20102015
Succeeded by