Rosie Duffield

Duffield was elected to parliament in the 2017 general election with a majority of 187, defeating the incumbent Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Julian Brazier.[9] Brazier had been its MP since 1987 and the constituency had been represented by a Conservative since its creation in 1918.[10]

On her election, she was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Dawn Butler, the Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities. On 13 June 2018, Duffield was one of six MPs to resign from the Opposition frontbench to vote in favour of remaining in the single market by joining the European Economic Area, as the party had instructed its MPs to abstain.[11] In parliament, she has sat on the Women and Equalities Committee, and sits on the Work and Pensions Select Committee since June 2018.[12]

Duffield is opposed to new grammar schools, and Eleven-plus exams. She was criticised for this stance after it emerged that both her children had gone to grammar schools.[13][14]

Duffield voted for the UK remaining within the EU in the 2016 UK EU membership referendum. In the indicative votes on 27 March 2019, she voted for a customs union with the EU and a referendum on a Brexit withdrawal agreement, but abstained on single market membership.[15]

In July 2017, she appeared on RT, a television network funded by the Russian government. Duffield apologised to the LGBT+ community for her appearance.[16]

In September 2018, Duffield attended a march protesting at Labour's stance on antisemitism and said that MPs could strike if the party did not endorse the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)'s definition of antisemitism.[17] She was criticised by some local party members for her attendance.[18] In July 2019 the chair of her constituency Labour Party said her language was "incredibly reckless" after she agreed with a remark by the Chair of the Jewish Labour Movement that Labour "probably is" institutionally anti-Semitic.[19]

In October 2019, Duffield succeeded Jess Phillips as Chair of the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party.[20][21]

On 14 April 2020, Duffield was appointed a Labour whip by new Labour leader Keir Starmer.[22] In May 2020, she resigned from the position after breaking COVID-19 lockdown rules when she met her married partner whilst they were living in separate households. Duffield apologised and said she accepted her actions constituted a breach of the guidance at the time.[23][24][25]

In July 2020, Duffield voiced to parliament concerns over the sale to and recreational use of Nitrous Oxide among young people, calling for tighter restrictions on its sale. Duffield said that use of the drug had become "much more prevalent" during the 2020 coronavirus lockdown and cited health concerns over its use.[26]

In August 2020, Duffield was criticised by several organisations, including Pride Canterbury and the Canterbury Constituency Labour Party, for stating on Twitter that "only women have a cervix",[27][28][29] with LGBT+ Labour calling on Labour leader Keir Starmer to "take action".[30] Duffield locked her Twitter account after a fake tweet attributed to her was circulated.[31] Labour MPs Jess Phillips,[32] Rachel Reeves and Wes Streeting supported Duffield, as did the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who tweeted that "she does not seek to demean others".[30]

On 14 August 2020, a lesbian woman, reported to be her only LGBT staff member, quit Duffield's team, saying that her stance was "transphobic" and had brought an influx of transphobic and homophobic mail to the MP's office in support of the remarks.[33] Duffield reasserted her commitment to reforming the Gender Recognition Act and to being a supporter of trans rights following the staff member's resignation.[34] In October 2020, a second member of Duffield's staff resigned citing the "overtly transphobic views" of the MP. Rosie Duffield was criticised by the GMB trade union for attempting to dox her former staff member by "attempting to reveal her identity on social media".[35]