Emily was elected to Parliament as Islington South & Finsbury's MP in the General Election on 5 May 2005.
Emily has lived in Islington for 16 years and has three young children who attend state schools. Raised by a single parent living on a council estate, her early experiences as a child have always motivated her both personally and politically. Her mother has been a lifetime Labour supporter and Emily joined the Labour Party aged 17.
Emily has a strong sense of justice and traditional Labour values. She has been active in anti-racist campaigns across London. She campaigned successfully at the national level with trade unions and parents’ groups for more family-friendly employment policies and access to childcare – particularly for women. Emily successfully secured half a million pounds of funding for the Women’s Resource Centre based in Clerkenwell. Emily’s strong record on equality issues is reflected by her recent nomination as Stonewall MP of the year. She is backed by the TGWU and has strong links with other trade unions.
As a human rights lawyer in the chambers of Mike Mansfield QC, she has many years’ experience of representing people as a criminal lawyer, working to achieve greater justice, equality and human rights. Emily successfully defeated the Government proposals to increase the time suspects could be held without evidence first to 90 days and then to 42 days. Emily brought through the Law Commission Act which became law this autumn and greatly strengthens the hand of the Commission.
Emily has a strong interest in climate change and environmental issues and co-sponsored the original Climate Change Bill. She is currently PPS in the Department for Energy and Climate Change where she has been involved with the campaign for a strong deal at the climate change negotiations in Copenhagen. Her work in schools promoting marine conservation was recognised when she won the award of Environment MP of the year in 2006.
Most of all, Emily cares about poverty and disadvantage in Islington and across London. Her Private Members Bill which sought to give greater local accountability to Housing Associations was largely adopted by the Government in its Housing and Regeneration Act 2008. Since being elected Emily has taken on a number of roles in Parliament. She is Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group (APPCG). She has sat on the Environmental Audit Committee and until recently sat on the Communities and Local Government Committee.
In the constituency Emily has taken up a large number of issues for individual constituents. Emily has taken up many local issues including:
- Championing the cause of the 12,000 families on the housing waiting list.
- Saving Essex Road Post Office.
- Campaigning for action to prevent knife crime and for stronger sentencing for those caught carrying a knife.
- Securing Government funding for the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children.
