Emma Hardy

Emma Ann Hardy[1] (born 17 July 1979) is a British Labour Party politician. She has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle since the 2017 general election.[2] Until May 2019, she was also a member of Hessle Town Council focusing on NHS and education.[3] Hardy is a member of Labour's National Policy Forum and was an education union employee.[4]

For the wife of English writer Thomas Hardy, see Emma Gifford.

Emma Hardy

MP
Hardy in 2020
Shadow Minister for FE & Universities
Assumed office
7 January 2020
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Keir Starmer
Preceded byGordon Marsden
Member of Parliament
for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle
Assumed office
8 June 2017
Preceded byAlan Johnson
Majority2,856 (9.0%)
Personal details
Born (1979-07-17) 17 July 1979
North Newbald, Humberside, England
NationalityBritish
Political partyLabour
ResidenceHessle, East Riding of Yorkshire, England
Alma materUniversity of Liverpool
University of Leeds
OccupationTeacher
ProfessionPolitician
Websitehttps://www.emmahardy.org.uk/

Early life and education

Emma Hardy was born and brought up in North Newbald, Humberside, a few miles from the Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle constituency she now represents in Parliament. She attended Wyke Sixth Form College to study her A-Levels before studying for an undergraduate degree in Politics at the University of Liverpool, graduating in 2001. She then completed a PGCE at the University of Leeds in 2004, and taught for over ten years at Willerby Carr Lane Primary School.[5]

Hardy became politically active in 2011, after joining a campaign protesting against school cuts and meeting Alan Johnson, the then-MP for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle. She left teaching in 2015 to become a full-time organiser for the National Union of Teachers,[5] and served as Deputy General Secretary of the Socialist Educational Association before being elected to Parliament.[6]

Parliamentary career

Hardy was selected as the Labour Party's prospective parliamentary candidate for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle after the then-MP, Alan Johnson, announced his retirement just weeks before the general election in 2017.[7] She was one of 256 women candidates put forward by the Labour Party at that election,[8] and was elected on 9 June 2017, with a majority of 8,025.

Since her election, Hardy has sat on the House of Commons Education Select Committee.[9] There, she has challenged the Government to ban informal exclusions, voiced support for the teaching of oracy (fluency in spoken communication), and promoted the benefits of a broad curriculum which includes the arts, music and sports. In September 2018, Hardy began to work closely with the women's health charity Endometriosis UK to push for "menstrual wellbeing" to be included as part of the sex and relationship education in schools.[10] On 25 February 2019, the UK government announced that menstrual wellbeing would be included in the curriculum going forward.[11]

Hardy is also the Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Mesh,[12] and campaigned to suspend the use of vaginal surgical mesh in the NHS. In October 2018, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) declared that vaginal mesh surgery should only be used as a "last resort" to treat pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence.[13] According to Hardy's website this will spare thousands of women from the horrific side effects of vaginal mesh surgery that women have endured since 2003.[5]

From 2017 to 2020, Hardy served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to current Labour leader Keir Starmer in his previous role as Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union.[5]

Hardy has campaigned locally in her constituency to secure the funding for the A63 Castle Street development, prevent any further delays and ensure a bridge was built as soon as possible. Following delays to the project, building of the bridge started in October 2018,[14] and was expected to be open in early 2021.[15] Meanwhile, preparation for the A63 road development commenced in October 2020 with the exhumation of 19,000 bodies from the Trinity Burial Ground,[16] and the deconstruction of the Earl de Gray public house.[17] Hardy has also lobbied successfully to bring money to Hull for a new Children and Adolescent Mental Health Unit. The money was agreed by the Government in July 2018[18] and the project was finally completed in January 2020.[19]

Hardy is a patron for Articulacy which strives to improve lives by inspiring all people regardless of age or abilities to become confident and articulate individuals.

In January 2020, Hardy was appointed to Labour's frontbench as a Shadow Education Minister, succeeding Gordon Marsden, who lost his seat in the 2019 general election.[20]

Hardy nominated Keir Starmer in the 2020 Labour Party leadership election and Angela Rayner in the deputy leadership election.[21][22]

Personal life

Hardy lives in Hessle with her partner James, her two daughters Olivia and Isabelle and two cats.[5]

References
  1. "No. 61961". The London Gazette. 19 June 2017. p. 11781.
  2. "Election 2017: Hull West & Hessle". BBC News. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  3. "Labour's Emma Hardy on why she wants to be Hull's next MP". Hull Daily Mail. 28 April 2017. Archived from the original on 28 April 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  4. Bean, Emma (26 April 2017). "Councillor and GMB officer chosen for two Labour strongholds in Yorkshire". LabourList. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  5. "Biography – Emma Hardy MP". www.emmahardy.org.uk. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  6. "Congratulations to SEA Deputy General Secretary Emma Hardy selected as Labour candidate for Hull West and Hessle". Socialist Educational Association. 2 May 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  7. Daly, Patrick (13 June 2017). "Emma Hardy on her whirlwind start to life as Hull's newest MP". Hull Daily Mail. Archived from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  8. Lowther, Ed (18 May 2017). "Election 2017: How many women might win power?". BBC News. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  9. "Membership – Education Committee". UK Parliament. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  10. "Model claims 'horrible' doctors at Hull hospital 'accused her of lying about agonising pain'". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  11. "Menstrual wellbeing to be taught in schools by 2020". Endometriosis UK. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  12. "Mesh Surgery Failure is costing the NHS Millions of pounds – Emma Hardy MP". www.emmahardy.org.uk. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  13. "Vaginal mesh surgery should be a last resort, says NICE". nhs.uk. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  14. Young, Angus (3 September 2018). "New images show £11.5m A63 footbridge as work to start VERY soon". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  15. "Covid delays Hull A63 footbridge opening again". BBC News. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  16. "Hull A63 Castle Street scheme: Huge tents erected for exhumation". BBC News. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  17. "Earl de Grey, Hull: Deconstruction of historic pub starts". BBC News. 19 October 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  18. Young, Angus (5 July 2018). "Hull is finally getting a mental health unit for young people". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  19. Young, Angus (10 January 2020). "Inside Hull's stunning new unit for teenagers with mental health issues". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  20. Parker, Kate (7 January 2019). "Emma Hardy appointed shadow FE and HE minister". Tes. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  21. "Labour Party Leader – Current Nominations". Labour Party. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  22. "Labour Party Deputy Leader – Current Nominations". Labour Party. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Alan Johnson		 Member of Parliament
for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle
2017–present		 Incumbent
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