Hilary Armstrong

The Rt Hon Hilary Armstrong MP
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Minister for Social Exclusion
In office May 5, 2006 – June 27,2007
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	John Hutton
Succeeded by	Ed Milliband
Chief Whip and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
In office June 8, 2001 – May 5, 2006
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Ann Taylor
Succeeded by	Jacqui Smith
Member of Parliament for Durham North West
Incumbent
Assumed office 11 June 1987
Preceded by	Ernest Armstrong
Majority	13,443 (34%)
Personal details
Born	(1945-11-30) 30 November 1945 Sunderland
Nationality	British
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Paul Corrigan
Alma mater	University of Birmingham

Hilary Jane Armstrong (born 30 November 1945, Sunderland) is a British Labour Party politician. She has been Member of Parliament for North West Durham since 1987. On May 5, 2006 she was appointed as Minister for the Cabinet Office and Social Exclusion and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in the UK Government. She formally resigned from the UK Government on 27th June 2007 when Tony Blair resigned as Prime Minister.

Personal life and career

She was first promoted into the Cabinet of the United Kingdom as Chief Whip after the 2001 election, after spending four years as Minister for Local Government, in which time she was responsible for introducing controversial new local government structures. She was re-appointed as Chief Whip following Labour's third-term victory in the 2005 General Election.

Her promotion to the UK Cabinet was the high point of a career which has been low-key but inexorably successful; it had taken something of a knock with controversies over select committee membership and over allegations of strong arm tactics with Labour dissenters over military action in Afghanistan.

Armstrong also faced criticism after government defeats in the Commons over the length of time suspected terrorists can be detained without charge and incitement to religious hatred in the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005. Press commentators have speculated that in losing these votes through miscalculating government support and letting the Prime Minister off the "Whip", Armstrong's position had become vulnerable. Conservative Party leader David Cameron mocked Armstrong during an exchange with Tony Blair, saying “She must be the first Chief Whip in history to put the Prime Minister in the frame for losing a key vote — which is an interesting career move, to say the least.” This was the second time David Cameron had attacked her during Prime Ministers Questions, on his debut as leader of the opposition on 7th December 2005 she was singled out by him when he said "That's the problem with these exchanges - the chief whip on the Labour side shouting like a child. Is she finished? Are you finished?"[1]

In 2006 Armstrong launched a petition on behalf of the Bethnal Green and Bow Labour Party against Respect MP George Galloway's participation in Channel 4's Big Brother. She criticised Galloway for being paid as an MP during the time he was in the Big Brother house.

In 2007, Armstrong announced her decision to step down from government when Tony Blair formally resigned as Prime Minister. Following her resignation, UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown announced Armstrong's appointment as Chair of a Parliamentary Labour Party Manifesto Committee drawing up policy ideas covering children.

Armstrong was educated at Monkwearmouth School, West Ham College of Technology and the University of Birmingham. A former social worker and university lecturer, Armstrong worked for VSO in Kenya before entering politics. She was first elected as Durham County Councillor for Crook North Division in 1985.

The daughter of Labour MP Ernest Armstrong, she was shortlisted for the vacant Sedgefield constituency in 1983, only to lose out to Tony Blair. Four years later, she was elected to her father's North West Durham seat on his retirement.

Seen as a politician on the centre right of the Labour Party, Armstrong has remained close to her near neighbour Tony Blair and loyal to New Labour's agenda.

She was parliamentary private secretary to the late John Smith during his time as Labour leader, and played a large part in his successful fight to institute one member one vote at Labour's conference.

A member of the Amicus trades union (formerly MSF), her trades union links also came in useful when she helped to shore up support for the rewriting of Clause IV.

Armstrong is married to Paul Corrigan. She is a keen supporter of Sunderland F.C.. Prof Corrigan's enthusiastic championing of the role of the private sector in public service provision has long been a source of concern for some of Armstrong's trades union colleagues.

In the 2005 general election, Labour suffered a 6.8% swing to the Liberal Democrats in the North West Durham constituency.

External links

• Hilary Armstrong MP official site
• Cabinet Office
• 10 Downing Street - Hilary Armstrong official biography
• North West Durham Labour Party - Hilary Armstrong MP official site
• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Hilary Armstrong MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Hilary Armstrong MP
• Parliamentary Yearbook biography & latest election results