Anne Begg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dame Anne Begg DBE
Begg in 2008
Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee
In office 10 June 2010 – 30 March 2015
Preceded by	Terry Rooney
Succeeded by	Frank Field
Member of Parliament for Aberdeen South
In office 1 May 1997 – 30 March 2015
Preceded by	Raymond Robertson
Succeeded by	Callum McCaig
Personal details
Born	Margaret Anne Begg (1955-12-06) 6 December 1955 (age 69) Brechin, Angus, Scotland
Political party	Labour
Alma mater	University of Aberdeen

Dame Anne Begg is a Scottish politician born on December 6, 1955. She was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Aberdeen South from 1997 to 2015. An MP is someone elected to represent people in the UK Parliament. Anne Begg was part of the Labour Party. She also led a special group called the Work and Pensions Select Committee from 2010 to 2015.

When she was first elected, Anne Begg made history. She became the first person to use a wheelchair full-time in the House of Commons since the 1800s.

Early Life and Education

Margaret Anne Begg grew up in Brechin, Angus, Scotland. She went to Damacre Primary School and Brechin High School. Later, she studied History and Politics at the University of Aberdeen. In 1978, she earned a teaching certificate from Aberdeen College of Education.

After finishing her studies, Anne Begg became a teacher. She taught English and History at Webster's High School in Kirriemuir. In 1988, she became the main English teacher at Arbroath Academy.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

Anne Begg joined the Labour Party in 1983. She had been involved in teaching unions before this. She was chosen to be the Labour candidate for Aberdeen South. This was through a special process called an "all-women shortlist."

At the general election in 1997, she won the seat. She defeated the Conservative MP, Raymond Robertson. This made her the second person to use a wheelchair full-time in the House of Commons.

Re-elections and Leaving Parliament

Anne Begg was re-elected as MP for Aberdeen South several times. She won again in 2001, 2005, and 2010. She was the first Labour MP to hold this seat for more than one term. In the 2015 general election, Anne Begg lost her seat. The new MP for Aberdeen South became Callum McCaig from the SNP.

Work in Parliament

Anne Begg gave her first speech in Parliament on May 21, 1997. She was involved in many different groups. She was secretary of the All-party parliamentary group (APPG) on the BBC. She also chaired APPGs for Equalities, the Oil and Gas Industry, Chronic Pain, and Commercial Radio.

She was a member of the Panel of Chairs. This group helps manage debates in Parliament. She also served as Vice Chair of the Speaker's Conference. This conference looked at how to get more people from disadvantaged groups into the House of Commons. From June 2010 until 2015, Anne Begg was the Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee. This committee looks at government policies on work and pensions.

Political Views and Votes

Anne Begg voted on many important issues during her time as an MP.

• In 2003, she voted to ban smoking in restaurants.
• She supported allowing unmarried heterosexual and homosexual couples to adopt children.
• She voted in favour of the Civil Partnership Bill. This bill allowed same-sex couples to have legal partnerships.
• In 2002, she voted to ban hunting wild mammals with dogs.
• She voted against replacing the Trident nuclear weapons system.
• In 2003, she voted against declaring war on Iraq.
• She also voted against calls for an independent inquiry into the Iraq War in 2003 and 2007.

In 2008, Anne Begg was one of 18 MPs who supported a Team GB football team for the 2012 Olympics. She believed young British players should be able to play on the world stage.

During the 2009 MPs expenses scandal, Anne Begg was one of the first Scottish MPs to share all her expense claims online. She felt it was important for people to see how MPs spent public money.

In 2011, Anne Begg debated with another MP, Philip Davies. He suggested that disabled people should be allowed to work for less than the minimum wage to get a job. Anne Begg strongly disagreed. She believed this would be unfair to disabled people.

National Campaigns

Anne Begg has been a strong supporter of using embryonic stem cells for research. This research aims to find treatments for diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. She also worked to prevent a complete ban on the pain-relief drug co-proxamol. Many people with long-term pain conditions use this medicine.

She also campaigned on issues like the Seafarer's Earnings Deduction. This affects how much tax sailors pay. She also sought compensation for trawlermen who lost their jobs during the Cod Wars. In 2009, she helped win a change in the budget. This change meant that grandparents who care for children could get National Insurance Credits. This helps them qualify for a basic state pension.

Anne Begg also spoke out against fraudsters. She criticized people who trick vulnerable individuals through mail scams and pyramid schemes.

Local Campaigns

Anne Begg was critical of Aberdeen City Council's budget cuts in 2008. She called their actions "draconian" when they used a debt collection agency against an 80-year-old partially sighted woman for a small amount of money.

She also wrote to the Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond. She asked for changes to the house buying system in Scotland. She also spoke out against plans to close an Aberdeen school. This school had been saved from closure just 18 months earlier.

Personal Life and Honours

Anne Begg lives with Gaucher's disease. She has used a wheelchair since 1984. In 1988, she won the Disabled Scot of the Year award.

In November 1999, she was in a road accident outside Aberdeen Airport. She was knocked from her wheelchair and broke her leg and wrist. She had to stay in the hospital for three months.

In 2011, Anne Begg was given a special honour. She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). This award was for her 'services to disabled people and to equal opportunities'.