Jon Ashworth

Jon Ashworth
MP
Shadow Secretary of State for
Health and Social Care
Health (2016-2018)
Assumed office
7 October 2016
Leader Jeremy Corbyn
Shadowing Jeremy Hunt
Matt Hancock
Preceded by Diane Abbott
Shadow Minister without Portfolio
In office
14 September 2015 – 7 October 2016
Leader Jeremy Corbyn
Shadowing Robert Halfon
Preceded by Jon Trickett
Succeeded by Andrew Gwynne
Deputy Chair of the Labour Party
Assumed office
11 July 2013
Leader Ed Miliband
Harriet Harman (Acting)
Jeremy Corbyn
Preceded by Tom Watson
Member of Parliament
for Leicester South
Assumed office
5 May 2011
Preceded by Peter Soulsby
Majority 26,261 (52%)
Personal details
Born (1978-10-14) 14 October 1978
Salford, Greater Manchester, England
Political party Labour and Co-operative
Spouse(s)
Emilie Oldknow (m. 2010)
Children 2
Alma mater Durham University
Website Official website Edit this at Wikidata

Jonathan Michael Graham "Jon" Ashworth (born 14 October 1978) is a British Labour and Co-operative Party politician, who has served as the Member of Parliament for Leicester South since 2011, and is the current Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Ashworth was first elected at a by-election on 5 May 2011, following the resignation of his predecessor Peter Soulsby, and was re-elected at the 2015 and 2017 general elections.

He previously worked an adviser to Gordon Brown and head of party relations for Ed Miliband.[1]

He is currently Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, shadowing Matt Hancock, having been appointed to the role by party leader Jeremy Corbyn in October 2016.

Education

Ashworth was born in Salford, raised in north Manchester and educated at Philips High School in Bury and Bury College[2] before studying at the University of Durham.[3] In 2000 he served as National Secretary of Labour Students.[4]

Political career

Labour Party officer

Ashworth began working for the Labour Party as a Political Research Officer in 2001, and was the Economics and Welfare Policy Officer from 2002-04.[5] In 2003, he was seconded to the Scottish Labour Party to work on the Scottish Parliament election campaign, where he worked closely with then-Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown. Following the election, Scottish Labour remained the single-largest party at Holyrood and were re-elected, but the coalition with the Scottish Lib Dems remained in place.

Special adviser

From 2004, he was appointed as Special Adviser to Chief Secretaries to the Treasury Paul Boateng, Des Browne[6] and Stephen Timms, but in practice he worked for Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown. His main job was liaising with the Labour movement and an Evening Standard profile said "his contact book was "stuffed with constituency officers and union organisers", and there was newspaper speculation that he would be Political Secretary at 10 Downing Street in a potential future Brown government.[7]

When Gordon Brown became Prime Minister in June 2007, Ashworth was appointed deputy Political Secretary with the role of linking the Government to the trade unions.[4] There was speculation later that year that Ashworth might be selected to replace John Prescott as the official Labour candidate for Kingston upon Hull East,[8] although it came to nothing. Ashworth spent most of the Crewe and Nantwich by-election campaign in the constituency.[9]

After the Labour Party were defeated at the 2010 general election, Ashworth became Political Secretary to the acting party leader Harriet Harman. He did not publicly support any candidate in the subsequent leadership election because of his role working for Harriet Harman but he was described as a "key member" of Ed Miliband's team on the day after Miliband won the Labour leadership election.[10] When Miliband was elected as Leader of the Labour Party, he asked Ashworth to join his office as Head of Party Relations.[1]

Parliamentary candidate

With a general election imminent, Ashworth was identified as someone who the Labour Party leadership wished to find a seat for. He was linked with a possible candidature in Mansfield should the sitting MP Alan Meale decide to stand down, but Meale decided to seek re-election despite widespread speculation he was to retire from Parliament. Ashworth was then identified as a potential candidate for Nottingham East when the sitting MP John Heppell retired,[11] but the selection went to former MP Chris Leslie when the Labour National Executive Committee chose to impose Leslie at the last minute.[12]

Ashworth sought selection in Leicester South in 2011 when the sitting MP Sir Peter Soulsby decided to resign to seek election as Mayor of Leicester. He was immediately identified as the front-runner for the selection and was backed by the major trade unions including his own Unite, GMB and UNISON.

Ashworth was also endorsed by the Co-Operative Party and is also a Co-Operative Party MP.[13] He was selected on the first ballot by the local party, and held the seat with an increased majority on 5 May 2011.[14]

Labour Party Selections

Following the row over alleged undue influence of trade unions in the Labour Party in the Falkirk Parliamentary Selection in 2013, Ashworth penned a piece for the Daily Telegraph claiming that it is ordinary people – not the unions – who choose Labour MPs.[15]

On 11 July 2013, Ashworth replaced Tom Watson on the National Executive Committee.[16]

Labour Opposition (2015–)

Ashworth speaking at the 2016 Labour Party Conference

Ashworth nominated Yvette Cooper to be Leader of the Labour Party following the resignation of Ed Miliband after the 2015 general election.[17] He nominated Tom Watson as Deputy Leader.[18]

Following his election as Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn appointed Ashworth to the Shadow Cabinet role of Shadow Minister without Portfolio.[19] Ashworth was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Health in October 2016. He has gone on record to say that a Labour government would not repeal the controversial Health and Social Care Act 2012 despite Labour's 2017 general election manifesto commitment to do so.[20]

In December 2015, Ashworth voted against the resolution to authorise RAF bombing of Syria.[21]

Views

Ashworth is critical of problems in the NHS. Ashworth stated, “The 4.3 million patients on waiting lists and the nearly 27,000 patients who waited over 62 days for cancer treatment last year will feel sorely let down that reducing waiting lists and stamping out rationing isn’t the first priority of the new health secretary. Investment in technology is welcome but years of Tory austerity has seen hospitals build up a £5,000,000,000 repair backlog, resulting in clinicians nationwide using hundreds of pieces of equipment that are years out of date, as recently revealed by Labour. And commitments to prevention will ring hollow without reversing the substantial cuts to public health budgets, which are set to reach £800,000,000 by 2020/21."[22][23]

Ashworth is also concerned about closure of maternity units, Ashworth stated, “Expectant mothers deserve reassurance that the local maternity unit will be there for them when needed. It is a disgrace that almost half of maternity units in England had to close to new mothers at some point in 2017. The uncertainty for so many women just when they need the NHS most is unthinkable. Under this government, maternity units are understaffed and under pressure. Labour is committed to making child health an absolute priority with our ambition of the healthiest children in the world. That means giving every child the best start in life, including proper investment in maternity services.”[24]

Personal life

Ashworth became engaged to Emilie Oldknow, the East Midlands Regional Director for the Labour Party, in 2008. She was the official Labour candidate for Sherwood at the 2010 general election, but was not elected.[25] Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah attended the couple's wedding on 3 July 2010 in Derbyshire.[26] They have a daughter, Gracie, born in May 2011 shortly after his by-election victory,[27] and a second daughter.

References

  1. 1 2 Troughton, Adrian (21 March 2011). "Labour candidate Ashworth promises to be a 'champion' for city if he wins by-election". Leicester Mercury. Archived from the original on 23 April 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
  2. ↑ "Ashworth, Jonathan Michael Graham". Who's Who 2012 (online ed.). A & C Black. 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
  3. ↑ "Your Strong Voice for Leicester South: Jon Ashworth: Standing to be your new MP". Jonashworth.org. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  4. 1 2 "Bright young things beavering away for Team Brown". London Evening Standard. 27 June 2007.
  5. ↑ "Jon Ashworth MP". BBC Democracy Live. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  6. ↑ "The Times guide to the Government". The Times. London. 13 May 2005.
  7. ↑ "Gordon gets his team prepared to take over No 10". London Evening Standard. 6 September 2006.
  8. ↑ "Who's in the running to succeed Prescott?". Hull Daily Mail. 22 August 2007.
  9. ↑ Hinsliff, Gaby (25 May 2008). "Labour in Turmoil: Is this the beginning of the end for Brown?". The Observer. London.
  10. ↑ Elliott, Francis; Smyth, Chris (27 September 2010). "Dallas and demand management: what really does it for Ed". The Times. London.
  11. ↑ Walker, Charles (3 April 2010). "MP calls it a day after a royal time". Nottingham Evening Post.
  12. ↑ Brady, Brian (11 April 2010). "Activists threaten rebellion as Brown helps secure seat for ally". Independent on Sunday. London. p. 10.
  13. ↑ "Labour is to reveal MP candidates". Leicester Mercury. 17 March 2011.
  14. ↑ Troughton, Adrian (7 May 2011). "Great day for Labour capped by victory in by-election". Leicester Mercury.
  15. ↑ Ashworth, Jon (4 July 2013). "Labour's links to the trade unions? I'm proud of them". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 7 July 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  16. ↑ Ferguson, Mark (11 July 2013). "Jonathan Ashworth to replace Tom Watson on Labour's NEC". LabourList. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  17. ↑ Martin, Dan (9 June 2015). "Jon Ashworth backs Yvette Cooper over city neighbour Liz Kendall in Labour leadership race". Leicester Mercury. Archived from the original on 17 September 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  18. ↑ "Who nominated who in the 2015 Labour deputy leadership election?". New Statesman. London. Archived from the original on 25 December 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  19. ↑ Martin, Dan (14 September 2015). "Leicester South MP Jon Ashworth becomes Jeremy Corbyn's shadow minister without portfolio". Leicester Mercury. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  20. ↑ "Labour Will not Roll Back Health and Social Care Act – Healthcare Times". healthcaretimes.co.uk. Archived from the original on 1 October 2017.
  21. ↑ Martin, Dan (3 December 2015). "Jon Ashworth the only MP from Leicester and Leicestershire to vote against Syria air strikes". Leicester Mercury. Archived from the original on 25 December 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  22. ↑ NHS to receive £487m technology boost The Guardian
  23. ↑ Low NHS morale is 'heartbreaking' says Matt Hancock BBC
  24. ↑ NHS maternity units were forced to close 287 times last year The Guardian
  25. ↑ Parsons, Rob (8 May 2010). "Farmer Mark in a thriller at dawn". Nottingham Evening Post.
  26. ↑ "Guest Appearance". The Sunday Telegraph. London. 4 July 2010.
  27. ↑ "Oh baby! Joy for city's new MP as Gracie born". Leicester Mercury. 23 May 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Peter Soulsby		 Member of Parliament
for Leicester South
2011–present		 Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by
Tom Watson		 Deputy Chair of the Labour Party
2013–present		 Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Jon Trickett		 Shadow Minister without Portfolio
2015–2016		 Succeeded by
Andrew Gwynne
Preceded by
Diane Abbott		 Shadow Secretary of State for Health
2016–present		 Incumbent
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