Julie Hilling

Julie Hilling
Member of Parliament for Bolton West
In office 6 May 2010 – 30 March 2015
Preceded by	Ruth Kelly
Succeeded by	Christopher Green
Personal details
Born	29 April 1955 Oxford, Oxfordshire, England
Political party	Labour
Website	www.juliehilling.org.uk

Julie Ann Hilling^[1] (born 29 April 1955) is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolton West until the general election in May 2015.

Background

Hilling was born in Oxford and lived there until the age of 9 when her family moved to Leighton Buzzard. She attended The Cedars School before studying Chemistry at Nottingham University and then attaining a Diploma in Youth and Community Work at Manchester Polytechnic. She has lived in Atherton, which became part of the Bolton West constituency at the 2010 General Election, for 24 years.

Early career

Hilling has worked as a Youth Worker in Nottingham, St Helens and Wigan, the latter for 18 years. She became President of the Community and Youth Workers' Union in 1991, a post she held until 1999. Ms Hilling was a North West Learning Organiser for the NASUWT 2004–2006 and, before entering politics, worked as a Senior Regional Organiser for the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA).

Political career

Hilling was elected as the Member of Parliament for Bolton West in May 2010 with a majority of just 92 votes (0.19%), in a seat the Conservatives had targeted since the previous incumbent Ruth Kelly had become embroiled in the expenses scandal.^[2]

She was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Yvette Cooper in her role as Shadow Women's and Equalities Minister in October 2010, the same month that she became a member of the Transport Select Committee. Ms. Hilling was appointed Chair of the all-party Rail in the North group of MPs.^[3]Julie also served on the Standards and Privileges Select Committee ^[4] and is a member of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Rail, Youth Affairs, Children, Community & Voluntary Sector and Save The Pub. Hilling was promoted to join the Whips office in June 2012.^[4]

Hilling launched a campaign to promote Emergency Life Skills (ELS) and pressed the Government to introduce it into the national curriculum. She linked up with Bolton Wanderers Community Trust, North West Ambulance Service as well as the British Heat Foundation to push for every school leaver in Bolton West to become trained in CPR and ELS. Throughout 2013, Hilling actively campaigned on dangerous dogs, following the death of 14-year-old constituent Jade Lomas-Anderson, in Atherton. She helped present a petition alongside Jade's parents to 10 Downing Street, before presenting it in the House of Commons. She also sought to make amendments to the recent Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill to include preventative measures such as Dog Control Notices and to control the number of dogs in a household.

In her Bolton West Constituency, Hilling lead campaigns against the Bedroom Tax, campaigning for lower Energy Bills and calling for better conditions on Bolton's Railways alongside the Bolton News and fellow Labour Bolton MPs David Crausby and Yasmin Qureshi

Hilling lost her seat in the 2015 election.

References

1. The London Gazette: no. 59418. p. 8737. 13 May 2010.
2. Bunyan, Nigel (7 May 2010). "General Election 2010: Bolton West stays Labour despite Ruth Kelly's expenses scandal". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
3. "Labour surge ahead in North West". Johnston Publishing Ltd. (Diss Express). 13 May 2010. Retrieved 13 May 2010. Labour held on to Bolton West with a wafer-thin majority of 92 following a recount. Jubilant Labour supporters cheered as Julie Hilling was declared winner with 18,327 votes in the seat formerly held by Cabinet Minister Ruth Kelly, who stood down.
4. "Julie HIlling". UK Parliament. Retrieved 28 March 2015.

External links

• Julie Hilling MP official constituency website
• Voting record at Public Whip
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
• Profile at Westminster Parliamentary Record
• Profile at BBC News Democracy Live