Anne Clarke (politician)

Anne Marie Bates Clarke is an American-born British Labour Party politician who became the London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden in 2021.[1] She represented Childs Hill ward on Barnet Council from 2018 to 2022,[2] and represented Cricklewood ward from 2022.[3] Clarke is a school governor at Hampstead School and is an active member of the Cricklewood Town team.

Anne Clarke
Clarke litter-picking with residents in 2021
Member of the London Assembly
for Barnet and Camden
Assumed office
8 May 2021
Preceded byAndrew Dismore
Councillor for Cricklewood
Assumed office
6 May 2022
Serving with Alan Schneiderman
Preceded byWard created
Councillor for Childs Hill
In office
4 May 2018 – 6 May 2022
Personal details
BornChicago, Illinois, U.S.
Citizenship
  • USA
  • UK
Political partyLabour & Co-operative
Children2
Residence(s)Cricklewood, London, England
Websitewww.anneclarke.co.uk

Early and personal life

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Clarke is from Winnetka, Illinois, a suburb north of Chicago in the United States. She studied at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and was a member of Alpha Xi Delta. Having moved to London to study in 1998, she became a naturalised British citizen in 2007. She lives in Cricklewood with her husband and two children.[4]

Political Career

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In 2021, Clarke was elected as the London Assembly Member for Barney and Camden, being subsequently elected in 2024. She won 70,749 votes, 19,143 more than Julie Redmond, the Conservative Party Candidate, who came second.[5]

Clarke is the Labour group spokesperson for Fire at the London Assembly, having lobbied for Londoners still living in homes with unsafe cladding and advocating for all recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry implemented.

She has also fought for firefighters' pay and conditions to ensure the London Fire Brigade has enough staff, advocating for staff throughout the Brigade's Culture Review and "engage" process, colloquially known as being in "special measures", which started in 2022 and concluded in 2024.[6]

Clarke has campaigned for better regulation of lithium-ion batteries,[7] obtaining data showing that they cause a fire every two days in London.

Anne also chaired the Assembly's Fire, Resilience and Emergency Planning Committee throughout 2022/23 and 2023/24.[8]

Currently, she serves as a member on the London Assembly Budget and Performance Committee, as well as the Economy, Culture and Skills Committee and the Fire Committee.[8]

She is a volunteer at Childs Hill foodbank in her constituency.

References

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  1. ^ Velleman, Liron. "Where's the Tory candidate gone? Why I'm backing Anne Clarke for City Hall". LabourList. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Local Government Election Results 2018". Barnet Council. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Local Government Election results May 2022". Barnet Council. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  4. ^ "About Me". Anne Clarke for Barnet and Camden. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Results 2024 | London Elects". www.londonelects.org.uk. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  6. ^ "London Fire Brigade taken out of special measures". BBC News. 6 March 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  7. ^ "London officials raise concerns over e-bike and e-scooter fires". BBC News. 18 September 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Anne Clarke | London City Hall". www.london.gov.uk. 6 May 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
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