Claudia Webbe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Claudia Webbe
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2019
|
|
| Member of Parliament for Leicester East |
|
| In office 12 December 2019 – 30 May 2024 |
|
| Preceded by | Keith Vaz |
| Succeeded by | Shivani Raja |
| Member of Islington London Borough Council for Bunhill | |
| In office 6 May 2010 – 6 May 2021 |
|
| Preceded by | Donna Boffa |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Claudia Naomi Webbe
8 March 1965 Leicester, England |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations |
Labour (until 3 November 2021) |
| Residences | London, England Leicester, England |
| Alma mater | Lanchester Polytechnic (BSc) De Montfort University (BA) University of Birmingham Birkbeck, University of London (MSc) University of Nottingham (PgDip) |
Claudia Naomi Webbe (born 8 March 1965) is a British politician. She served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Leicester East from 2019 to 2024.
She was first elected as a Labour MP in 2019. From 2021, she served as an Independent MP. She lost her seat in the 2024 General Election.
Before becoming an MP, Webbe was a councillor in Islington London Borough Council in London. She served there from 2010 until 2021. She was also a member of the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party. Claudia Webbe was the first female MP for Leicester East.
Early Life and Education
Claudia Webbe was born on 8 March 1965 in Leicester, England. Her parents came to the UK from Nevis around the time of the Windrush generation.
She went to King Richard III Secondary school. This school is now called Fullhurst Community College. She also attended Gateway Sixth Form College.
Webbe studied at Lanchester Polytechnic from 1983 to 1986. She earned a degree in Mathematics, Statistics, and Computers. She also studied Social Science at Leicester Polytechnic. Later, she gained qualifications from the University of Birmingham, University of Nottingham, and Birkbeck, University of London.
Webbe helped start and was the first chair of Operation Trident. This group began in the 1990s. Its aim was to help tackle the serious effects of gun violence on black communities. In 2013, Operation Trident changed its focus. Webbe disagreed with this change, calling it "a backwards step."
Early Political Career
Claudia Webbe worked as a policy director and adviser for Ken Livingstone. He was the Mayor of London at the time.
In 2010, Webbe was elected as a Labour councillor. She represented the Bunhill ward in Islington London Borough Council. She was re-elected in 2014 and 2018. As a councillor, she was in charge of environment and transport matters for the council. She stepped down as an Islington councillor in March 2021.
Webbe was a close supporter of Jeremy Corbyn, who was then the leader of the Labour Party. In 2016, she was elected to the Labour Party's National Executive Committee (NEC). The NEC is a key group that helps run the Labour Party. She was supported by the Momentum group. She was re-elected to the NEC in 2018.
Parliamentary Career
In 2019, Claudia Webbe was chosen as the Labour candidate for Leicester East. The previous MP, Keith Vaz, had stepped down. Some people in the local area were unhappy with her selection. However, Webbe was elected as the MP for Leicester East. She won with 50.8% of the votes.
As an MP, Webbe served on several important committees. These included the Environmental Audit Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee. She was also part of the UK group for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. From January 2020, she was a member of the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs.
In February 2021, Webbe apologized for registering some payments late. This was after an investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. In April 2021, she made a comment on Twitter about wealth and the climate crisis.
In March 2023, a man was found guilty of sending abusive messages to Webbe. He was sentenced to prison for his actions.
In December 2023, Webbe supported South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. She also asked the UK government and Labour Party to support a ceasefire.
In May 2024, Webbe announced she would run as an independent candidate for Leicester East. This was for the 2024 General Election. The Workers Party of Britain supported her campaign. However, Webbe was not re-elected. She finished fourth in the election. The seat was won by Shivani Raja from the Conservative Party.
Images for kids
-
Official portrait, 2019
