Yvonne Fovargue
CBE MP
Official portrait, 2020
Member of Parliament
for Makerfield
Assumed office
6 May 2010
Preceded byIan McCartney
Majority4,740 (10.7%)
2017–2019Local Government
2015–2016Consumer Affairs and Science
2015–2015Defence
2014–2015Further Education and Skills
2013–2014International Security Strategy
2013–2013Transport
2011–2013Whip
Member of Warrington Council
for Fairfield and Howley
In office
10 June 2004 – 6 May 2010
Personal details
Born
Yvonne Helen Fovargue

(1956-11-29) 29 November 1956 (age 67)
Sale, Cheshire, England
Political partyLabour
Alma materUniversity of Leeds (BA)
Websiteyvonnefovargue.com

Yvonne Helen Fovargue[1] CBE (born 29 November 1956[2]) is a British Labour Party politician serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Makerfield in Greater Manchester since 2010.

Early life and career

Fovargue attended Sale Grammar School and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Leeds. In the 1980s, she worked as a housing officer on the Moss Side estate, before becoming the Chief Executive of St Helens Citizens Advice Bureau, a role she held for over 20 years.

She also served as a local councillor in Warrington from 2004 until her election as an MP in 2010.[3]

Parliamentary career

Fovargue was elected with a majority of 12,490 at the 2010 general election. She was appointed as an Opposition Whip in 2011 and served as Shadow Transport Minister and Shadow Defence Minister.[4]

Fovargue was elected with a majority of 12,490 at the 2010 general election. She was appointed as an Opposition Whip in 2011 and served as Shadow Transport Minister and Shadow Defence Minister.[5]

She was then appointed as a Shadow Education Minister with responsibility for Further Education and Skills in October 2014 following resignation of Rushanara Ali.[6] She resigned from this role in March 2019 after voting against the Labour whip in a vote on a second Brexit referendum.[7]

She supported Owen Smith in the failed attempt to replace Jeremy Corbyn in the 2016 Labour Party (UK) leadership election.[8]

Yvonne Fovargue is a member of the Unite trade union and the Co-operative Party.[3]

Fovargue supported neighbouring MP Lisa Nandy in the 2020 Labour Party leadership election.[9]

Fovargue is UK Trade Envoy to Libya and Tunisia.

She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2024 New Year Honours for political and public service.[10]

Personal life

Fovargue is married to Paul Kenny and has a daughter.[11] She is a member of Mensa and an avid reader of crime fiction.[12]

References

  1. ^ "No. 59418". The London Gazette. 13 May 2010. p. 8737.
  2. ^ "Yvonne Fovargue MP". BBC Democracy Live. Archived from the original on 21 May 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Yvonne Fovargue". Politics.co.uk. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  4. ^ "Yvonne Fovargue". UK Parliament. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  5. ^ "Yvonne Fovargue". UK Parliament. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  6. ^ Whittaker, Freddie (21 October 2014). "Yvonne Fovargue gets shadow education post in Labour's mini-reshuffle (in an alternate universe? or timeline idk)". FE Week. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  7. ^ Wearmouth, Rachel (14 March 2019). "3 Shadow Ministers Resign Over Vote To Block Second Brexit Referendum". HuffPost. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  8. ^ "Full list of MPs and MEPs backing challenger Owen Smith". LabourList. 21 July 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  9. ^ "Here are the 23 MPs backing Wigan's Lisa Nandy in the Labour Party leadership contest". www.wigantoday.net. 10 January 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  10. ^ "No. 64269". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2023. p. N10.
  11. ^ Register of Members' Financial Interests
  12. ^ "Profile – Yvonne Fovargue". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 7 May 2010.

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom Preceded byIan McCartney Member of Parliament for Makerfield 2010–present Incumbent
Labour Party MPs in the North West
Authority control databases: People
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