Liz Twist
MP
Official portrait, 2017
Shadow Minister for Scotland
In office
4 December 2021 – 5 September 2023
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byChris Elmore
Succeeded byGerald Jones
Shadow Lord Commissioner of HM Household
In office
12 February 2020 – 5 September 2023
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Keir Starmer
Preceded byPosition established
Member of Parliament
for Blaydon
Assumed office
8 June 2017
Preceded byDavid Anderson
Majority5,531 (12.1%)
Personal details
Born
Mary Elizabeth Twist

(1956-07-10) 10 July 1956
St Helens, Lancashire, England
Political partyLabour
Spouse
Charlie Dix
​
​
(m. 1983; died 2000)​
EducationNotre Dame High School
Alma materAberystwyth University
Websiteliztwist.co.uk

Mary Elizabeth Twist[1] (born 10 July 1956) is a British Labour Party politician.[2] She has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Blaydon since the 2017 general election. Before her parliamentary career, she was the head of health in the North-East for the trade union, UNISON, and a local councillor.

Early life and career

Twist was born in July 1956 in St Helens, Lancashire.[3] She attended the Notre Dame High School (now De La Salle School, St Helens) and studied at Aberystwyth University. Twist worked as a local government archivist.[4] She worked as a trade union official for UNISON and became their head of health in the North-East.[5]

She credits her grandfather's activism in the National Union of Mineworkers as her inspiration to enter politics.[6]

Political career

Twist was elected as a Labour Party councillor for Ryton, Crookhill & Stella ward in the Gateshead Council in 2012.[7] She was the cabinet member for housing on the council.[8] Twist was re-elected in 2016.[9]

She was elected as MP for Blaydon in the 2017 general election with a majority of 13,477 (28.0%) votes.[10] The seat has been represented by a Labour MP since 1935. Twist had worked in the constituency office of the previous MP David Anderson who chose to stand down for personal and health reasons.[6][11] In parliament, she sits on the Commons Select Committee on Standards, and the Commons Select Committee of Privileges since February 2019. Twist was a member of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee between September 2017 and May 2019.[12]

Twist supported the United Kingdom (UK) remaining within the European Union (EU) in the 2016 UK EU membership referendum. In the indicative votes on 27 March 2019, she voted for a referendum on a Brexit withdrawal agreement, for the Norway-plus model, and for a customs union with the EU.[13]

She supported Emily Thornberry in the 2020 Labour Party leadership election.[14]

She was appointed Shadow Scotland Minister in the November 2021 British shadow cabinet reshuffle.[15] In the 2023 British shadow cabinet reshuffle she returned to the backbenches.[16]

Personal life

She is a widow. Twist disclosed in her maiden parliamentary speech in 2017 that her husband had died of suicide, and called for action on suicide prevention.[17] She volunteers for the charity Samaritans.[18] She lives in Ryton in her constituency.[19]

References

  1. ↑ "No. 61961". The London Gazette. 19 June 2017. p. 11778.
  2. ↑ The Times guide to the House of Commons 2017. Ian Brunskill. London. 2017. p. 96. ISBN 978-0-00-826333-1. OCLC 1024165015.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. ↑ Dale, Iain; Smith, Jacqui (14 November 2019). The Honourable Ladies: Volume II: Profiles of Women MPs 1997–2019. Biteback Publishing. p. 807. ISBN 978-1-78590-447-9.
  4. ↑ "Who Runs the North East Now? Governance and Governing in an English Region" (PDF). St Chad's College, Durham. p. 26.
  5. ↑ "Union attacks private phones hospital plan". The Northern Echo. 25 May 2002. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  6. 1 2 Carr, Tim; Dale, Iain; Waller, Robert (7 September 2017). The Politicos Guide to the New House of Commons 2017. Biteback Publishing. pp. 409–410. ISBN 978-1-78590-278-9.
  7. ↑ "Local election results 2012". Gateshead Council. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  8. ↑ "Here & Now Winter 2016" (PDF). Gateshead Housing. p. 2.
  9. ↑ "Local election results 2016". Gateshead Council. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  10. ↑ "Blaydon". parliament.uk. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  11. ↑ Graham, Hannah (9 June 2017). "Blaydon constituency General Election results 2017: Full standings, MP and reaction". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  12. ↑ "Liz Twist MP". parliament.uk. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  13. ↑ "How MPs voted on May's withdrawal deal defeat". Financial Times. 29 March 2019. Archived from the original on 2 September 2019.
  14. ↑ "Rolling list: MP/MEP nominations for Labour leadership candidates". LabourList. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  15. ↑ Rodgers, Sienna (4 December 2021). "Keir Starmer unveils new frontbench team after wider reshuffle". LabourList. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  16. ↑ Jones, Tom Belger, Morgan (4 September 2023). "Labour reshuffle news: Full shadow cabinet and frontbench as shakeup unfolds". LabourList. Retrieved 11 September 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ↑ "New MP Liz Twist says her husband committed suicide as she calls for action to reduce deaths". Chronicle Live. 20 July 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  18. ↑ ""It's so important to talk": MP who lost husband to suicide urges everyone to open up". Chronicle Live. 11 December 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  19. ↑ "Retail Sector".
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