Dari Taylor: Difference between revisions

Dari Taylor
MP
Dari Taylor MP
Member of Parliament; for Stockton South
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 1 May 1997
Preceded by	Tim Devlin
Majority	6,139 (13.7%)
Personal details
Born	13 December 1944 (age 79); Rhondda, Wales
Political party	Labour
Spouse	David Taylor
Relations	Dan Jones (father)
Alma mater	University of Nottingham; University of Durham
Website	daritaylormp.co.uk

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Dari Jean Taylor ( born 13 December 1944, in Rhondda, Wales) is a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom; and MP for Stockton South.

Biography

She was born into a staunch Labour Party family in South Wales in December 1944. She originally attended Ynyshir Girls' School before moving to Burnley Municipal College when her father, Daniel Jones, was elected to Parliament as the Labour MP for Burnley in 1959. He remained the MP for Burnley until 1983. She attained a BA from the University of Nottingham and an MA from the University of Durham, then lectured at a number of colleges of Further Education.

She was active in the Trade Union movement, becoming the Regional Educational Officer for the GMB Union in the Northern Region. At the same time she was an elected member of Sunderland Metropolitan Council between 1986 and the time of her election to Parliament in 1997.

She married David Taylor in July 1970 and they have one daughter. She enjoys classical music, walking and travelling. She has a particular interest in issues relating to women, health, the economy, industry, defence, international development, disabilities, drugs and crime and all aspects of child welfare, especially adoption.

Parliamentary career

Member of Parliament for Stockton South since 1997 and Chair of the North East Regional Select Committee.

Committees:

Member, House of Commons Defence Select Committee from 1997-2001,
Member of the House of Commons Intelligence and Security Committee,
Treasurer of the All-Party Chemicals Group,
Vice-Chair of the All-Party Adoption Group,
Member of the All-Party All Cancers Group and the All-Party Breast Cancer Group,
Member of the All-Party Opera Group and All-Party Child Abduction Group,
Member of the GMB Group of MPs and Vice-Chair of the Labour Women’s Forum,
Secretary of the All-Party Cardiac Risk in the Young Group,
Chair of the All-Party Infertility Group.

Political Career

Parliamentary Private Secretary to Hazel Blears, Home Office minister 2003-05,
Parliamentary Private Secretary to Lewis Moonie and Lord Bach (Ministry of Defence) 2001-03.
Councillor, Sunderland Metropolitan Council 1987-97.

Special political interests: Domestic violence, drugs and crime, child welfare and adoption.
Profession/Trade: FE lecturer.
Education: Ynyshir Girls School, Burnley Municipal College, University of Nottingham, BA (Hons), University of Durham, MA.
Affiliations: General Municipal and Boilermakers Union (GMB).
Hobbies: Choral singing, tap dancing, walking, travelling.

Criticism

In early November 2008 it was revealed that Dari Taylor had misused House of Commons stationary for political purposes. The problem arose from her use of envelope with a red Commons crest with the Portcullis logo which are not allowed to be used but ones with a green crest are. Dari had also mentioned the term 'Labour government' in the letters and also said there had been an increase in funding for pupils since 1997. ^[1] This was the second time that Dari Taylor had committed such as offence, having been already been forced to repay for misused stationary and postage in April 2007.

A House of Common standards and privileges committee stated:

"we are surprised that an experienced Member has repeated previous breaches of the rules and has failed to act in accordance with advice given by the House authorities. We particularly regret the fact that Ms Taylor has continued to dispute parts of the Commissioner's findings and we are very disappointed that she has offered no apology. We conclude that Ms Taylor should pay the House authorities the sum of £500 and submit an unequivocal written apology.^[2]"

MPs are allowed a communication allowance of around £10,000 per annum to communicate with their constituents, usually in the form of writing letters to help address problems or concerns that are raised with the MP. The allowance is designed to offset the cost of postage of non-politcal letters. There are strict limits of the wording and content of such letters, the following terms are not allowed: Labour Government, 1997, Labour MP, at the next election, since 1997, 2010 and any other terms that could be considered as campagning.

In May 2009, Dari Taylor attracted some criticism for her expenses claims, in particular for claiming £18,100 over four years for food - the maximum possible claim. £54,329 for mortgage interest payments over four years on her two-bedroomed London apartment, £40 per month for a cleaner to perform light housekeeping duties and £310 for tiling a bathroom ^[3] She was 50th in the expenses scandal chart and was one of the 98 MPs who voted to keep MPs' expenses secret.^[4]

Dari Taylor also allowed two local newspapers access to her expenses over a month in advance of their being published so her name could be cleared of any wrongdoing.

Voting Preferences

28% Abortion, Embryology and Euthanasia- Against
100% Ban fox hunting
60% Climate Change Bill - Strengthen
100% Control Orders
50% Corporal punishment of children - Against
100% Crossrail - In favour
100% Foundation hospitals - In favour
10% Freedom of Information Bill 2000 - Strengthen
16% Gambling - Against permissiveness
98% Homosexuality - Equal rights
28% House of Lords reform - Elected
89% Identity cards - For introduction
99% Iraq 2003 - For the invasion
3% No detention without charge or trial
100% Nuclear power - For
16% Recreational drugs - Against legalization
74% Smoking ban - In favour
0% Termination of pregnancy - against
97% Terrorism laws - For
29% Transexuality - Against legal recognition
29% Transparency of Parliament
100% Trident replacement - In favour
72% Voting age - Reduce to 16

References

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom Template:Incumbent succession box

Template:UK-current-MP-stub

[1] ttp://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/3841584.Labour_MP_fined_by_watchdog_for_misuse_of_expenses/

[2] [1]

[3] ttp://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/2009/05/22/mum-speaks-out-over-mp-dari-taylor-s-spending-84229-23688653/

[4] ttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1816072.ece

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 67: / Line 67: @@
 Hobbies: Choral singing, tap dancing, walking, travelling.
+==Criticism==
+In early November 2008 it was revealed that Dari Taylor had misused House of Commons stationary for political purposes. The problem arose from her use of envelope with a red Commons crest with the Portcullis logo which are not allowed to be used but ones with a green crest are. Dari had also mentioned the term 'Labour government' in the letters and also said there had been an increase in funding for pupils since 1997. <ref>http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/3841584.Labour_MP_fined_by_watchdog_for_misuse_of_expenses/</ref> This was the second time that Dari Taylor had committed such as offence, having been already been forced to repay for misused stationary and postage in April 2007.
+A House of Common standards and privileges committee stated:
+<blockquote>"we are surprised that an experienced Member has repeated previous breaches of the rules and has failed to act in accordance with advice given by the House authorities. We particularly regret the fact that Ms Taylor has continued to dispute parts of the Commissioner's findings and we are very disappointed that she has offered no apology. We conclude that Ms Taylor should pay the House authorities the sum of £500 and submit an unequivocal written apology.<ref>[http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmstnprv/1188/118803.htm]</ref>"</blockquote>
+MPs are allowed a communication allowance of around £10,000 per annum to communicate with their constituents, usually in the form of writing letters to help address problems or concerns that are raised with the MP. The allowance is designed to offset the cost of postage of non-politcal letters. There are strict limits of the wording and content of such letters, the following terms '''are not''' allowed: Labour Government, 1997, Labour MP, at the next election, since 1997, 2010 and any other terms that could be considered as campagning.
+In May 2009, Dari Taylor attracted some criticism for her expenses claims, in particular for claiming £18,100 over four years for food - the maximum possible claim. £54,329 for mortgage interest payments over four years on her two-bedroomed London apartment, £40 per month for a cleaner to perform light housekeeping duties and £310 for tiling a bathroom <ref>http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/2009/05/22/mum-speaks-out-over-mp-dari-taylor-s-spending-84229-23688653/</ref> She was 50th in the expenses scandal chart and was one of the 98 MPs who voted to keep MPs' expenses secret.<ref>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1816072.ece</ref>
+Dari Taylor also allowed two local newspapers access to  her expenses over a month in advance of their being published so her name could be cleared of any wrongdoing.
 ==Voting Preferences==