Anderson became a campaigns organiser for the Parliamentary Labour Party, and then the northern regional organiser for the Shopping Hours Reform Council, campaigning to extend the Sunday trading laws. She also ran her own public relations company, with clients such as the Royal College of Nursing and Safeway plc.[7]
She was an opposition whip from 1994 to 1996, before being appointed Shadow Minister for Women. In October 1996, while in this role, she joked in an interview that women would become "more promiscuous" under a Labour Government.[10] Anderson later insisted that she did not mean it literally, and that her comment was intended to convey that women would have the "freedom to stay at home or have a career...it wasn't about sex or promiscuity."[5]
In May 1996, in response to campaigns to deal with the problem of stalking, she presented the Stalking Bill 1996 to Parliament under the Ten Minute Rule,[11] with support from 64 other MPs.[12] The bill failed to get government support, as it was felt that the proposed offence failed to distinguish between reasonable and unreasonable conduct.[13]
During her time as Minister for Tourism, rural tourism lost £100m a week at the height of the foot and mouth crisis.[16] Prior to the release of the 1999 James Bond filmThe World Is Not Enough, when MI6 tried to block filming around the exterior of their Headquarters, Anderson successfully appealed to the Foreign Secretary, who overruled them and allowed filming to commence.[17]
She was defeated in the 2010 General Election, by Conservative candidate Jake Berry in an 8.9% swing to the Conservatives. Berry overturned a Labour majority of 3,616 to win by 4,493 votes.[20]
Book
While serving as junior whip and Chamberlain of the Household under Tony Blair, Anderson was responsible for sending daily reports to the Palace about daily business in Parliament.[5] She decided to "spice up" her accounts of each day's debates by injecting them with Westminster gossip.[21][5] Anderson later published her letters, which were reportedly well appreciated by the Queen,[21][5] in a book titled Dear Queen.[21]
In May 2009, during the disclosure of expenses of British members of parliament over MPs' expenses, The Daily Telegraph alleged that Anderson had submitted and was paid a claim form including mileage equalling five round trips to her constituency each week parliament despite living in London during the week.[22] Her expenses for car journeys were £16,612 for 60,118 miles travelled. This was £4,500 more than the next highest claimant, Laurence Robertson.[23]
The Telegraph described her as "one of the most prolific expense claimers in Parliament".[24]
Other allegations included expenses for the upkeep of the home of her partner, fellow MP Jim Dowd MP, in his Lewisham constituency under her second home allowance despite Dowd claiming the London salary supplement intended to cover the additional cost of living in London.[22] Anderson was one of 98 MPs who voted in favour of legislation which would have kept MPs expense information undisclosed.[25]
Anderson claimed near the maximum Additional Costs Allowance between 2001 and 2008, ranking joint highest in 2002/03, 2004/05 and 2006/07 also 3rd in 2003/04.[26] In January 2010, Anderson was allowed to repay £5,750 in expenses for over-claimed petty cash.[27]
Personal life and death
Anderson married solicitor Vincent Humphreys in 1972; the couple had three children, daughters Kate and Dee and son, James. In 1998, she left, later divorcing Humphreys for her fellow Labour MP Jim Dowd, though she remained on good terms with her former husband.[5] She married Dowd in 2016.[1] She spoke fluent French.[28]
Anderson died on 6 February 2023, at the age of 73.[29]
^Dod, Charles Roger; Limited, Vacher Dod Publishing; Dod, Robert Phipps (12 January 2019). Dod's Parliamentary Companion. Dod's Parliamentary Companion, Limited. ISBN9780905702513 – via Google Books.
