Rosie Winterton

Early life

Rosalie Winterton was born on 10 August 1958 to Gordon and Valerie Winterton. She was educated at St Mary's (now Hill House School, Doncaster), Ackworth School (an independent school), and Doncaster Grammar School on Thorne Road (now Hall Cross Academy). She then gained a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in history at the University of Hull, graduating in 1979. Winterton worked as John Prescott's constituency personal assistant from 1980 to 1986, and then as a parliamentary officer for Southwark Council for two years to 1988 and subsequently for the Royal College of Nursing for another two years to 1990.

After working for four years in the private sector, as managing director of Connect Public Affairs, she returned to politics to assist John Prescott in 1994; Prescott had been elected as the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, and Winterton worked as Head of Office for the Deputy Party Leader until 1997.

Parliamentary career

Winterton became an MP in the 1997 election, serving the safe Labour seat of Doncaster Central constituency with a vote share exceeding 50% in each general election until 2010, where her vote share fell to 39.7%.

She entered government in 2001, serving as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Lord Chancellor's Department, and became a Minister of State at the Department for Health in June 2003; in January 2006 her responsibilities were changed to Health Services, including responsibility for NHS dentistry. She presided over the introduction of the new NHS dental contract of April 2006.

In June 2007, she was appointed Minister of State at the Department for Transport by the new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. Winterton was subsequently appointed Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber in addition to her DfT responsibilities on 24 January 2008. She was promoted to Minister of State for Pensions at the Department for Work and Pensions in the October 2008 reshuffle, retaining her Ministerial brief for Yorkshire and the Humber.

In the June 2009 reshuffle, Winterton was moved to Minister of State for Regional Economic Development and Co-ordination at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Communities and Local Government and, in that role, was invited to attend cabinet when her responsibility was on the agenda.

In September 2010, she was nominated and elected unopposed as Labour Chief Whip and served until October 2016, when she was replaced by Nick Brown.

In June 2017, Winterton was elected to serve as Second Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means. From 2017 to 2024, she was the only one of the Speaker team to have previously served as a government minister.

On 27 February 2022, Winterton announced her intention to stand down at the 2024 general election.

Expenses scandal

Winterton was one of a number of Government Ministers who secretly repaid back some of expenses money which they had wrongly claimed. In the row over MPs' expenses, it was claimed she used taxpayers' cash to soundproof the bedroom of her south London flat. According to The Daily Telegraph, the minister claimed a total of £86,277 over four years in additional costs allowance – close to the total allowed under Parliament's green book.

Honours

In June 2006, she was appointed a member of the Privy Council, and she was sworn in on 19 July 2006.

She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours.

After standing down as an MP, Winterton was nominated for a life peerage in the 2024 Dissolution Honours. She was created Baroness Winterton of Doncaster, of Doncaster in the County of South Yorkshire, on 13 August 2024.

References

References

1. (28 June 2017). "Labour's Rosie Winterton elected as deputy Commons speaker". BBC News.
2. (28 June 2017). "Commons rejects Labour's amendment to Queen's speech - as it happened". The Guardian.
3. (2020). "Winterton, Rt Hon. Dame Rosalie, (Rt Hon. Dame Rosie)".
4. "About Rosie". Rosie Winterton.
5. (5 February 2007). "Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP : The Department of Health - About us: Ministers and department leaders".
6. "Voting Record - Rosie Winterton MP, Doncaster Central (10648)". The Public Whip.
7. [http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page12240.asp Her Majesty's Government] {{webarchive. link. (8 January 2009 Prime Minister's Office (Archived))
8. Bush, Stephen. (6 October 2016). "Jeremy Corbyn rewards loyalists in confident reshuffle". [[New Statesman]].
9. (28 June 2017). "Labour's Rosie Winterton elected as deputy Commons speaker". BBC News.
10. (27 February 2022). "Deputy Speaker Dame Rosie Winterton to step down at next election". BBC News.
11. Watt, Holly. (29 May 2009). "MPs' expenses: Rosie Winterton claimed for soundproofing bedroom". The Daily Telegraph.
12. [http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page9749.asp Norman Reginald appointed to the Privy Council] {{webarchive. link. (25 September 2006 Prime Minister's Office, 27 June 2006 (Archived))
13. {{London Gazette. (30 December 2015)
14. {{London Gazette. (7 August 2024)
15. "Dissolution Peerages 2024".
16. Whannel, Kate. (4 July 2024). "Theresa May and 'bionic' MP awarded peerages". BBC News.
17. {{London Gazette. (19 August 2024)