Natascha Engel

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Natascha Engel MP
Member of the United Kingdom Parliament for North East Derbyshire
Incumbent
Assumed office  5 May 2005
Preceded by	Harry Barnes
Majority	10,065
Born	9 April 1967 (1967-04-09) (age 41) Berlin, Germany
Nationality	United Kingdom (British Subject)
Political party	(New) Labour
Spouse	David (Newton) Salisbury-Jones
Children	three (Malek, Anton, Lukas)
Residence	United Kingdom
Alma mater	King's College London, University of Westminster
Profession	Politician
Website	http://www.nataschaengelmp.org.uk/
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Natascha Engel MP (born 9 April 1967) is a British politician. She was elected as the Labour Member of Parliament for North East Derbyshire in the 2005 general election. Her background has included extensive involvement in the trade union movement and connections with allies of Gordon Brown.

Contents 1 Personal life and education 2 Politics 3 Parliament 4 Affiliations 5 Publications 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Personal life and education

Natascha Engel was born in Berlin, Germany to a German father and an English mother. She was educated at Kent College in Canterbury, and trained as a linguist at King's College London and at the University of Westminster. In addition to her political career, Engel has done postgraduate work in technical and specialised translation: she speaks German, Spanish, and Portuguese. She is married to David (Newton) Salisbury-Jones,^[1] a veterinary surgeon who served (1994-1998)^[2] as a Labour councillor for Lambeth (Princes Ward^[3]) and fought^[4] Uxbridge in the 2001 General Election for the Labour Party. They have three sons, Malek, Anton and Lukas.

[edit] Politics

While living in Madrid, Spain, Engel worked as a volunteer for two years in the local office of Amnesty International while earning a living as a teacher of English. After returning to Britain to work as a Teletext subtitler, Engel joined the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU). She was among the first join the Organising Academy of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), serving with the Graphical, Paper and Media Union (GPMU); she worked on political fund ballots in persuading trade union members to retain their financial backing for the Labour Party.

Engel joined the Labour Party staff as a Trade Union Liaison Officer organising marginal seats campaigning at the 2001 general election. She later became policy co-ordinator for the Trade Union Liaison Office, before leaving to work as programme director of the Smith Institute. Her work there included researching on skills and the needs of working women. In October 2002 through the Smith Institute she co-authored the book "Age of Regions: Meeting the Productivity Challenge".

She was an assistant to John Healey in February 2003, and the two have co-written a pamphlet,^[5] published by the TUC, and an article,^[6] published by The New Statesman, arguing that unions should offer learning opportunities in order to recruit more members. Despite the lack of local connections, she was selected^[7] as the Labour candidate for North East Derbyshire following the retirement of the sitting Labour MP Harry Barnes. Her connections with allies of Gordon Brown were remarked upon.

Her husband, Salisbury-Jones, was serving as the membership secretary to the the North-East Derbyshire Labour Party.^[8]

Engel won her seat with a majority of 10,065 in the 2005 general election. Less than a month later she gave birth to her second son. She (together with her husband) bought a house in her constituency^[9] at Barrow Hill^[10] near Dronfield in July 2006.

[edit] Parliament

When the Select Committees were established in the new Parliament, Engel was appointed to the Work and Pensions Committee. After being on maternity leave,^[11] she made her maiden speech^[12] on 20 October 2005, the last of the incoming Labour MPs to do so. As traditional, she paid tribute to her predecessor Harry Barnes for his work, and made a speech concentrating on her constituency. She supported the devolution of power and resources to local communities, highlighting examples in Staveley and Grassmoor; she referred to socialism as "the simple idea that if someone helps their neighbour, their neighbour will help them".

Engel has not broken the Labour whip in her time in Parliament.^[13] However, asked in an interview, in 2005, "If you were an MP at the time, how did you vote on military action in Iraq?", Engel answered, "Against".^[14] After entering Parliament, Engel has voted, consistently, (31 October 2006, 11 June 2007, 25 March 2008), with the government, against motions calling for an independent inquiry on the Iraq war.^[15][16][17]

In 2006, Engel's name was included on a list of 15 up and coming Labour MPs compiled for News Corporation.^[18] She backed^[19][20] Peter Hain^[21] for deputy leader of the Labour Party in the 2007 leadership contest and represents the Labour Party on the Board of Trustees of the UK Youth Parliament. Engel has worked to encourage local and national democratic thought in youngsters and advocates the lowering of the voting age to sixteen.^{[22][23][24][25]} She has shown special interest in the sexual health of youth, including the free supply, on the National Health Service, (NHS) of condoms,^[26] advocating, through the Fabians, that youth sexual health should find special attention in the next Labour Party manifesto.^[27] She was instrumental in trying to arrange, ultimately unsuccessfully, the construction of what would have been the world's largest sundial in her constituency.^[28][29]

Engel was Parliamentary Private Secretary to Hain from 16 July 2007 (Hain resigned his Cabinet posts on 24 January 2008^[30]).

Standing down from the Work and Pensions Committee on 7 November 2007,^[31] she has been recognised for her work with the UK Youth Parliament.^[32][33] Although recently on maternity leave with her third child, Lukas ^[34][35]she is occasionally attending the Commons and voting.^[36]

[edit] Affiliations

• The Centre Forum ^[37]
• The Fabian Society
• The General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trade Union (GMB) ^[38]
• Sheffield Football Club ^[39]

[edit] Publications

• Balls, E., Costley, N., Engel, N., (ed.), Gemmell, S., Healey, J., MP, Johnson, A., MP, Raynsford, N., MP, Riordan, T., Samuda, R., White, P.(Dr.), Age of Regions: Meeting the UK Productivity Challenge, 2002, ISBN 1-902-48850-4
• Engel, N., Healey, J., (MP), Learning to organise, TUC, 2003, ISBN 1-850-06659-0
• Engel, N., Healey, J., (MP), Everybody out . . . for training!, The Skill Factor (Special Supplement), New Statesman, Vol. 132, March 10, 2003. p. xiv

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Constituency Report 2008 (pdf): Natascha Engel MP
• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Natascha Engel MP
• Natascha Engel MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com: Natascha Engel MP

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Harry Barnes	Member of Parliament for North East Derbyshire 2005 – present	Incumbent