Gill Furniss

Gill Furniss
MP
Shadow Minister for Steel, Postal Affairs, and Consumer Protection
Assumed office
8 October 2016
Preceded by position established
Member of Parliament
for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough
Assumed office
6 May 2016
Preceded by Harry Harpham
Majority 19,143 (45.7%)
Personal details
Born (1957-03-14) 14 March 1957
Sheffield, England
Political party Labour
Spouse(s) Harry Harpham (deceased 2016)
Alma mater Leeds Beckett University

Gillian Furniss (born 14 March 1957) is a British Labour Party politician and the member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough.

Early life and education

Furniss is the daughter of a Sheffield steel worker. She has lived in Sheffield for most of her life, working as a librarian and as an administrator at the Northern General Hospital.[1] She was educated at the Chaucer School, Sheffield, and graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University with a BA in Library and Information Studies as a mature student in 1998.

Political career

She was elected as a councillor on Sheffield City Council in 1999, representing the Southey ward.[2] She stood for Labour in Sheffield Hallam in the 2001 general election and finished in third place.[3]

She is the widow of Harry Harpham, MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, who employed her as a part-time researcher after his election in the 2015 general election.[4]

After her husband's death in February 2016, she was selected as the Labour candidate at the Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough by-election which was held on 5 May 2016.[2] She won the by-election with an increased share of the vote and a majority of 9,590 (42.5%) over the second-placed candidate representing UKIP.

References

  1. ↑ Perraudin, Frances (4 May 2016). "Antisemitism row makes no mark in Sheffield as voters focus on cuts". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Gill Furniss to contest Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough by-election". BBC News. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  3. ↑ Pidd, Helen (3 March 2016). "Three women in running to be Labour candidate in Sheffield byelection". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  4. ↑ Hope, Christopher; Wilkinson, Michael (29 June 2015). "One in five MPs employs a family member: the full list revealed". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Harry Harpham		 Member of Parliament
for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough
2016–present		 Incumbent
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