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19 August 2015

150 women back Yvette Cooper to lead the Labour party

MPs, peers, and figures from throughout the Labour movement and public life have signed an open letter backing Yvette Cooper to lead the Labour party. 

By Stephen Bush

150 women from the Labour party and beyond have backed Yvette Cooper to lead Labour to victory in the 2020 general election in an open letter to the New Statesman. The signatories – which include Ivana Bartoletti,the chair of the Fabian Women’s Network, the comedians Arabella Weir and Sarah Solemani, Nicky Gavron, the former deputy mayor of London, Baroness Royall, Labour leader in the Lords from 2008 to 2015, and Doreen Lawrence, mother of Stephen Lawrence and Labour peer. 

The signatories say that they support Cooper “because we want a radical revolution in childcare”, a world where women “can’t be harrassed outside abortion clinics”, but “most importantly, we believe Yvette gives us the best chance of winning the general election for Labour in 2020”. 

The letter will give Cooper a boost as the Labour leadership race enters its final days. 

 

We’re backing Yvette because she’s the best person to lead our party, to take on the Tories, to stand up for the equality we believe in and be Labour’s next Prime Minister.
As well as being the best person to do the job, Yvette is the candidate who has been fighting for women’s equality all her life.
We support Yvette because we want a radical revolution in childcare, and to see work fit around families, not the other way round. We support Yvette because we want a world where women can’t be harassed outside abortion clinics. We support Yvette because we want decent jobs and secure, affordable homes to live in. And because there are a lot of women across Britain, who have been badly affected by Tory policies which are hitting women far harder than men and who really need a Labour Government and a Labour Prime Minister.
We want to see Yvette take on David Cameron, and then George Osborne, Boris Johnson or Theresa May in the Commons. We have the opportunity to elect a leader who will fight for the policies that women and men across this country need, and to inspire a generation of young women, in and outside of the Party.
And it would also mean we smash the glass ceiling and elect a woman leader of the Labour Party for the first time in our history.
Women have fought for equality and social justice through the Labour Party from its very foundation – fighting for suffrage, equal pay, and against discrimination and violence. And yet we have never before had an elected woman Leader.
Most importantly, we believe Yvette gives us the best chance of winning the general election for Labour in 2020.
 
Baroness Doreen Lawrence            

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THANK YOU

Baroness Sue Nye

Arabella Weir, Comedienne, Actress and Writer

Sarah Solemani, Comedienne, Actress and Writer

Fiona Millar, Journalist and Education Campaigner

Ivana Bartoletti, Chair of Fabian Women’s Network             

Michelle Agostino, Secretary, North Swindon CLP

Cllr. Eugenia Alexander, Oldham Council

Cllr. Azra Ali, Lead Member for Intergenerational Issues, Manchester City Council

Kathleen Allen, PPC, Sutton and Cheam

Lauren Allpress, Hammersmith CLP

Caroline Arnold, Liverpool Riverside CLP

Cllr. Lucy Atkinson, Lancaster City Council

Cllr. Caroline Badley, Birmingham City Council

Louise Baldock, PPC, Stockton South                    

Pamela Baldwin, Chair, Caerphilly CLP

Sarah Banwell, Chair, Newport East CLP

Rachel Barker, Youth Rep, London Regional Board                                             

Lora Bedford, Acting Chair, Scottish Young Labour

Anne Begg, MP for Aberdeen South 1997-2015

Cllr. Christine Bennett, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council

Cllr. Judi Billing, Leader, North Herts District Council

Roberta Blackman-Woods MP, City of Durham

Cllr. Rachel Blake, Cabinet Member, London Borough of Tower Hamlets

Cllr. Nikki Bond, Sheffield City Council    

Lyn Brown MP, West Ham

Cllr. Karen Bruce, Leeds City Council

Karen Buck MP, Westminster North

Ruth Cadbury     MP, Brentford and Isleworth

Cllr. Barbara Cannon, Allerdale Borough Council         

Cllr. Jackie Connal, Watford Borough Council

Sarah Cook, Secretary, Dewsbury CLP

Cllr. Maureen Cook, Hertfordshire County Council, Secretary, Welwyn Hatfield CLP

Cllr. Leonie Cooper, Deputy Group Leader, Wandsworth Council

Cllr. Jane Corbett, Cabinet Member for Fairness, Social Inclusion & Equalities, Liverpool City Council

Cllr. Maggie Cosin, Dover District Council

Cllr. Yvonne Crewe, Wakefield District Council

Cllr. Stephanie Cryan, Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Financial Inclusion, Southwark Council

Noni Csogor, Chair elect, Oxford Labour club              

Cllr. June Cully, Gosport Borough Council

Judith Cummins MP, Bradford South

Cllr. Nosheen Dad, Kirklees Council

Cllr. Emma Daniel, Brighton and Hove Council

Cllr. Deborah Davies, Newport City Council

Kate Dearden, Chair, Edinburgh Labour Students

Thangam Debbonaire MP, Bristol West                    

Cllr. Feryal Demirci, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Hackney Council        

Anneliese Dodds MEP, South East     

Esther Dominy, Vice Chair, Edinburgh Labour Students

Cllr. Jayne Dunn, Cabinet Member for Housing, Sheffield City Council

Cllr. Katherine Dunne, Cabinet Member, Hounslow Council

Maria Eagle MP, Garston & Halewood   

Cllr. Roxanne Ellis, Gedling Borough Council   

Emma Fallows, Westminster North CLP             

Cllr. Rokhsana Fiaz, Newham Council

Cllr. Judith Fisher, Glasgow City Council

Colleen Fletcher MP, Coventry North East

Barbara Follett, MP for Stevenage 1997-2010                         

Vicky Foxcroft MP, Lewisham Deptford                    

Deb Gardiner, Chair, Isle of Wight CLP

Cllr. Emma Garland, Newport City Council

Cllr. Joy Garner, Stoke-on-Trent City Council

Nicky Gavron AM, Greater London Assembly         

Neena Gill MEP, West Midlands                

Cllr. Christine Godwin, Lead Member for Cycling and Active Travel, Manchester City Council

Helen Goodman MP, Bishop Auckland             

Kate Green MP, Stretford and Urmston             

Catherine Hanson, Hackney South and Shoreditch CLP

Cllr. Patricia Harrison, Brent Council    

Maggie Hattersley    

Sue Hayman MP, Workington

Cllr. Katherine Henig, Durham County Council

Cllr. Joanne Hepworth, Wakefield District Council                                  

Cllr. Chris Herries, Norwich City Council

Cllr. Emma Hoddinott, Rotherham Borough Council

Cllr. Jansev Jemal, Enfield Council  

Diana Johnson MP, Hull North                

Helen Jones MP, Warrington North                   

Cllr. Mariam Khan, Birmingham City Council                          

Cllr. Kate Lewis, Cabinet Member for Housing and Social Inclusion, Bolton Council

Cllr. Celia Loughran, Wakefield District Council

Shabana Mahmood MP, Birmingham Ladywood

Seema Malhotra MP, Feltham and Heston

Linda Marshall, Chair, North Durham CLP

Léonie Mathers, PPC, Sherwood

Beth Miller, Women’s Officer, Young Labour National Committee                

Cllr. Pat McFall, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council             

Angela McGinley, Secretary, Clydebank and Milngavie CLP                       

Cllr. Cara-Kim McGuinness, Newcastle City Council             

Cllr. Nicole Meardon, Cabinet member for Children and Families, Cheshire West and Chester Council       

Ellen Mee, Secretary, Bassetlaw CLP                      

Clare Moody MEP, South West                

Madeleine Moon MP, Bridgend

Yvonne Mosquito, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, West Midlands                        

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Cllr. Jane Mudd, Newport City Council    

Sophie Nash, Chair, Kings College Labour Club             

Julia Neal, Secretary, Torbay CLP

Cllr. Nathalie Nicholas, Liverpool City Council

Cllr. Ann Norman, Mansfield District Council          

Cllr. Ann O’Byrne, Deputy Mayor, Liverpool City Council

Melanie Onn MP, Grimsby

Kate O’Rourke, Chair, Society of Labour Lawyers                             

Cllr. Lana Orr, Lead for Primary Schooling, Liverpool City Council         

Cllr. Reema Patel, Barnet Council

Toni Pearce, Former President, National Union of Students

Cllr. Caroline Penn, Brighton and Hove City Council

Hannah Phillips, Glasgow Kelvin CLP

Jessica Phillips MP, Birmingham Yardley

Bridget Phillipson MP, Houghton and Sunderland South

Cllr. Victoria Pite, Associate Cabinet Member, Enfield Council

Cllr. Josephine Potts, Chair of Labour Group, Bassetlaw District Council             

Kathryn Priestley, Secretary and Treasurer, Cheadle CLP

Cllr. Marie Pye, Waltham Forest Council       

Cllr. Marlene Quinn, Cabinet Member for Adult Health and Social Care, St Helens Borough Council   

Cllr. Jennifer Raynor, Cabinet Member for Education, Swansea City and County Council

Frances Rehal MBE, PPC, Thanet North                    

Jacqueline Reilly, Secretary, Castle Point CLP

Cllr. Sioned-Mair Richards, Sheffield City Council    

Marie Rimmer MP, St Helens South and Whiston

Rachel Rogers, PPC, West Dorset

Cllr. Candida Roland, Tower Hamlets Council

Baroness Jan Royall, Former Leader of House of Lords        

Cllr. Rosalind Scott, Colchester Council                

Naz Shah MP, Bradford West

Cllr. Reshima Sharma, Stroud District Council  

Paula Sherriff MP, Dewsbury

Cllr. Frances Shone, Manchester City Council             

Cllr. Alice Smart, Leeds City Council          

Ruth Smeeth MP, Stoke-on-Trent North & Kidsgrove

Cllr. Zoe Smith, Northampton Borough Council

Karin Smyth MP, Bristol South

Cllr. Emily Spurrell, Liverpool City Council   

Cllr. Danielle Stone, Labour Group Leader, Northampton Borough Council          

Cllr. June Tandy, Labour Group Leader, Warwickshire County Council             

Cllr. Sharon Taylor, Council Leader, Stevenage Council         

Krishnaa Thakkar, Secretary, Brent North CLP

Emily Thornberry MP, Islington South and Finsbury

Amelia-Rose Tighe, Youth Officer, Leeds Central CLP

Eileen Walsh, Womens Officer, Liverpool Wavertree CLP

Ann Wardle, Secretary, Southampton and Romsey Labour Party         

Tashi Warr, Campaigns Organiser, South Dorset CLP

Pippa Weaver, Chair, Dundee Labour Students; Women’s Officer, Scottish Labour Students

Cllr. Joanna White, Deputy Leader, Bassetlaw District Council          

Meg Whitelaw, SEC Youth Rep and Vice Chair of Glasgow University Labour Club                

Kay Wilcox, Women’s Officer, South Dorset CLP

Cllr. Jo Williams, Carlisle City Council    

Cllr. Miranda Williams, Cabinet Member for Culture and Creative Industries, Greenwich Council

Cllr. Susan Woodward, Deputy Group Leader, Staffordshire County Council

Jill Wright, Treasurer, Gosport CLP

Cllr. Julie Young, Labour Group Leader, Essex County Council