Debra Shipley


Debra Ann Shipley is a politician in the United Kingdom. She was Labour Party Member of Parliament for Stourbridge from 1997 until the 2005 general election, when she stood down for reasons of ill health. She was succeeded by Lynda Waltho, also from the Labour Party.

Parliament

Shipley was selected to stand for election for Labour through an all-women shortlist. As an MP, Shipley's most significant initiative was the Protection of Children Act, which passed with cross-party support, it requires that childcare organizations now check new staff against a newly created registry of child abusers. Shipley was also responsible for the Children's Food Bill, which called for the removal of "unhealthy" food from school vending machines and improvements to school meals. The latter bill attracted the support of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver.
Shipley served on the Culture Media and Sport Select Committee and she was Parliamentary Ambassador to the NSPCC, in which capacity she fronted the "Full Stop" Campaign in Parliament. Shipley generally voted along with her party.