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Laura Parker (born 6 September 1970) is a British Labour Party activist who is currently the National Coordinator of the British political organisation Momentum.
She was also previously a Labour Party candidate for the 2019 European Parliament Elections in the London Region.
Early Life
[edit]Parker was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire where she attended the non-selective comprehensive, Roundhay School. Her father and mother worked as a university professor and a school teacher.[1]
In 1994 she graduated from the University of Liverpool with a BA in Latin American Studies before earning a Masters in Public Administration at the University of Liverpool.[2]
Whilst at the university she also served as president of the student union, the Liverpool Guild of Students (1991-1992)[3]
Political Career
[edit]Early Career
[edit]Having worked in the UK as a member of the European Fast Stream of the Civil Service, Parker was seconded to the Cabinet (team) of the European Trade Commissioner, Leon Brittan before moving to work in the European Commission’s Trade Department (DG Trade) on trade and environment policy. She subsequently became social policy advisor for the European Commission delegation to Bulgaria.[4]
Parker then began working for children's charities in Bulgaria, including for Voluntary Services Overseas, Save the Children UK[5] and the charity ARK.[6]
After over 15 years abroad, Parker returned to the UK in 2014 to become CEO of Children and Families Across Borders.[5]
Labour Party and Momentum
[edit]Parker joined the Labour Party under Ed Miliband but says ‘It was the the 2015 Labour leadership campaign that really excited her.’[7]
She volunteered for Jeremy Corbyn’s campaign in the 2015 Labour Leadership Election.
She described her attraction to Corbynism by saying ‘We all had a very explicitly anti-austerity agenda. We all believed we needed a party which took on inequality more head on. We believed we wanted a party that was more vociferous in standing up for the many not the few’.[7]
She became the Private Secretary to Corbyn[8] during a period which included the 2016 EU Referendum, a challenge to Corbyn’s leadership during the 2016 Labour Leadership Election and the 2017 UK General Election.
In 2017, she left Corbyn’s team and became National Coordinator of the pro-Corbyn campaign organisation[9], Momentum. As part of this role she has lead Momentum’s national campaigns such as their efforts during the 2018 and 2019 United Kingdom Local Elections and the establishment of their climate campaign.
Currently she still serves as the National Coordinator of Momentum.
European Parliament Elections
[edit]In 2019, Parker was chosen to be one of the Labour Party candidates for the European Parliament Elections in the London Region where she was placed 4th on the party’s regional list.[10]
Parker campaigned on a platform of ‘Remain and Reform’ supporting calls for a 2nd referendum whilst being critical of the EU in its current form.
However, after a significant decrease in Labour’s vote share compared to 2015, Labour only elected 2 MEPs in the London region and as such Parker was not elected.
Political Views
[edit]Parker is strongly opposed Brexit and has frequently voiced support for a 2nd referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU and for the rights of EU citizens. [11]
She has also been vocally supportive of the group the Labour Campaign for Free Movement.[12]
Parker supports calls for a Green New Deal and spoke at a rally calling for the UK to declare a climate emergency. She has since appeared at the parliamentary launch of the group Labour for A Green New Deal.[13]
Parker supports democratisation of the Labour Party and has campaigned for the open selection of Labour MPs. [14]
Personal Life
[edit]Parker, whose husband is Italian,[8] now lives in Vauxhall.[8]
She can speak Italian, French, Spanish, Bulgarian, Portugese and Romanian.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ "Corbyn's former private secretary is Momentum militant". Mail Online. 2019-08-30. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
- ^ "Laura Parker's Linkedin". LinkedIn.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Past Guild Officers @ Liverpool Guild of Students". www.liverpoolguild.org. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
- ^ "LinkedIn". LinkedIn.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c Bennett, Owen (2019-08-30). "Momentum militant: The former Corbyn aide who wants anti-Brexit protesters to occupy the streets". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
- ^ "Absolute Return for Kids (ARK) | Devex". www.devex.com. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
- ^ a b Simons, Ned (2018-04-13). "Momentum's Laura Parker: 'Deeply Dispiriting' Anti-Semitism Row 'Not Labour's Greatest Moment'". HuffPost UK. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
- ^ a b c Williams, Zoe (2018-03-07). "Momentum's Laura Parker: 'There's a myth around the hard left's dirty tactics – it's not my experience'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
- ^ PoliticsHome.com (2017-09-22). "EXCL Top Jeremy Corbyn aide quits ... to work for Momentum". PoliticsHome.com. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
- ^ "Labour candidates for the European elections". The Labour Party. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
- ^ Owen Jones meets Labour MEP candidate Laura Parker | 'Farage winning would be our worst legacy', retrieved 2019-09-05
- ^ Labour for Free Mvmt [@labfreemvmt] (2019-06-07). "ONE MONTH TO GO / Join our big national event to discuss & organise for free movement and migrants' rights! / Speakers incl @ParkerCiccone @julie4nw @DocsNotCops @Project17UK @CloseCampsfield & more! / Fb event: https://bit.ly/2W8QKPY / Register: https://bit.ly/2Qy5ZvI pic.twitter.com/C4A8Q6Ke5E" (Tweet). Retrieved 2019-09-05 – via Twitter.
{{cite web}}: no-break space character in|title=at position 261 (help) - ^ "Ed Miliband chairs Labour for a Green New Deal launch joined by shadow ministers". LabourList. 2019-07-22. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
- ^ "No open selection conference debate would be a "great betrayal", says Momentum". LabourList. 2018-09-14. Retrieved 2019-09-05.