Dawn Butler

Dawn Butler
Member of Parliament for Brent South
In office 5 May 2005 – 6 May 2010
Preceded by	Paul Boateng
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Majority	17,501 (58.8%)
Personal details
Born	3 November 1969 (1969-11-03) (age 42) Forest Gate, London
Nationality	British
Political party	Labour
Website	http://www.dawnbutlermp.com

Dawn Petula Butler (born 3 November 1969) is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Brent South from 2005 to 2010, and was Minister for Young Citizens and Youth Engagement ^[1] in the Cabinet Office. After her seat was abolished in boundary changes she went on to fight the new Brent Central constituency which she lost to Liberal Democrat Sarah Teather polling 18,681 votes to Teather's 20,026.

Early life

Butler was born in London to Jamaican immigrant parents into a large family with a sister and four brothers.^[2] She worked as an officer of the GMB Union, including time as a national race and equality officer. She was also an adviser to the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone on employment and social issues.^[2]

Parliamentary career

Butler's first attempt at entering Parliament was in Hackney South where she featured on a Labour All Women Shortlist but was unsuccessful ^[3] Butler put herself forward for selection for West-Ham but was not selected.^[4][5] Following the retirement of Paul Boateng to become British High Commissioner to South Africa she was selected as the Labour candidate in Brent South^[6] and won the subsequent election with a majority of 11,326. She is the third black woman to become a British MP, the others being Diane Abbott and Oona King.

Butler made her maiden speech on 24 May 2005^[7] in which she described her constituency as a “shining example of integration at its best”, highlighted the importance of the Warwick Agreement with the Trade Unions, paid tribute to other sitting and former black MPs and said she would be a voice for youth.

Interest in youth services has continued as one of her main interests in Parliament. On 24 October 2006 she was appointed Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Youth Affairs, and she is an Honorary Vice President of the British Youth Council. After Gordon Brown became Prime Minister, on 27 June 2007, Butler was made one of the Labour Party's six Vice Chairs, with particular responsibility for Youth issues.^[8]

She was appointed to the Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons shortly after her election, and has also served on standing committees (notably on the Violent Crime Reduction Bill 2006). In November 2007 she was appointed to the Children & Families Select Committee. Earlier (in November 2005), she had been promoted to Parliamentary Private Secretary to the health minister Jane Kennedy, but decided to stand down from this post in early 2006.

On 6 November 2007, Butler was chosen to second the Queen’s Speech.^[9] Her voting record shows she has largely been loyal to the government. She was promoted to Assistant Whip on 12 September 2008.^[10]

Butler was named female MP of the year at the 2009 Women in Public Life awards, beating fellow Labour MPs Margaret Moran and Sharon Hodgson.^[11][12] Following her appointment as Minister for Young Citizens and Youth Engagement, Butler became the first black woman to speak from the Despatch Box in the House of Commons during question time on 9 December 2009.

Expenses Controversy

In March 2009 she came under criticism for claiming almost the full £23,000 annual second home allowance, despite her other home in Stratford being the same distance from Parliament as her Brent South home.^[13][14]

Boundary changes

Butler's constituency of Brent South was abolished at the 2010 general election. Its territory was mostly divided between two new constituencies: Brent Central and Brent North. Butler was selected as the Labour candidate in Brent Central but lost to Sarah Teather (Liberal Democrats) who was the MP for Brent East which was also abolished at the general election.

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Paul Boateng	Member of Parliament for Brent South 2005 - 2010	Constituency abolished

References

1. ^ "Cabinet Office homepage". Cabinetoffice.gov.uk. 2010-04-06. http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk. Retrieved 2010-04-13. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Dawn Butler Biography". dawnbutlermp.com. http://www.dawnbutlermp.com/biography. 
3. ^ "Operation Black Vote - Dawn Butler, MP". Obv.org.uk. http://www.obv.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=439&Itemid=115. Retrieved 2010-04-13. 
4. ^ Stratford &amp Newham Express (2005-03-30). "Two more candidates named as general election looms". Stratford and Newham Express. http://www.stratfordandnewhamexpress.co.uk/content/newham/express/news/story.aspx?brand=SNEOnline&category=news&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newssne&itemid=WeED30%20Mar%202005%2013%3A10%3A10%3A253. Retrieved 2010-04-13. 
5. ^ Hugh Muir (21 March 2005). "All-black Labour shortlist in Brent | Politics". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2005/mar/21/uk.race1. Retrieved 2010-04-13. 
6. ^ "MPs welcome Commons moment of history". ePolitix.com. 2009-12-09. http://www.epolitix.com/latestnews/article-detail/newsarticle/mps-welcome-commons-moment-of-history/. Retrieved 2010-04-13. 
7. ^ "Dawn Butler in Parliament". parliament.uk. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm050524/debtext/50524-18.htm#50524-18_spnew1. 
8. ^ "New Job for Dawn Butler MP". dawnbutlermp.com. http://www.dawnbutlermp.com/?PageId=032e6be2-b624-ce64-fda4-510052bb14a5. 
9. ^ Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons, Westminster. "Hansard - 6 November 2007". Publications.parliament.uk. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm071106/debtext/71106-0002.htm#0711067000346. Retrieved 2010-04-13. 
10. ^ "The Public Whip - Voting Record for Dawn Butler MP". http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpn=Dawn_Butler&mpc=Brent+South. 
11. ^ "Shortlist | Women in Public Life Awards 2009". Womeninpubliclifeawards.co.uk. http://www.womeninpubliclifeawards.co.uk/shortlist.html. Retrieved 2010-04-13. ^{[dead link]}
12. ^ "Women in Public Life Awards Winners 2009". Womeninpubliclifeawards.co.uk. http://www.womeninpubliclifeawards.co.uk/winner2009.html. Retrieved 2010-04-13. ^{[dead link]}
13. ^ MP with two homes minutes from Commons claims £37,000 expenses - The Evening Standard 24 March 2009
14. ^ Another minister, Dawn Butler, attacked over second-home allowance - The Times 24 March 2009

External links

• Dawn Butler official Website
• Dawn Butler MP's Website
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Dawn Butler MP
• Guardian: Ask Aristotle - How they voted: Dawn Butler MP

Online interviews

• WPRadio Talking to Women's Parliamentary Radio about her new role and career in parliament
• WPRadio face to face video

Persondata
Name	Butler, Dawn
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	3 November 1969
Place of birth	Forest Gate, London
Date of death
Place of death