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Holly Lynch

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Holly Lynch (born 8 October 1986), also known as Holly Walker-Lynch, is a British Labour Party politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Halifax from 2015 to 2024.

Holly Lynch
Official portrait, 2020
Member of Parliament
for Halifax
In office
7 May 2015 – 30 May 2024
Preceded byLinda Riordan
Succeeded byKate Dearden
Personal details
Born (1986-10-08) 8 October 1986 (age 38)
Halifax, West Yorkshire, England
Political partyLabour
Alma materLancaster University (BA)

Early life

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Lynch was born in Halifax, Calderdale, West Yorkshire and grew up in Northowram. Her mother was a nurse, and her father a police sergeant.[1] She attended Brighouse High School and was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and History from Lancaster University.[2]

Lynch worked in a fast food outlet in Halifax town centre and a chemist in Savile Park before joining a small business involved in exporting goods from Halifax.[3][2] She also worked for Linda McAvan MEP in her constituency office.

Political career

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Lynch was given just over six weeks to retain the marginal seat of Halifax for Labour having been selected as the party's candidate only at the end of March 2015.[4] Labour's search for a new candidate was triggered by the decision of sitting MP Linda Riordan in February to stand down on health grounds.[5] Her decision, and Lynch's subsequent selection, set up one of the most closely fought contests in Yorkshire in the election. Riordan had held Halifax for Labour in 2010 by a majority of just 1,472 votes, and the seat was considered a key target for the Conservative Party.[6][7] Lynch was successful on election night and held the Halifax seat for Labour with a majority of only 428 votes over the Conservative candidate.[8]

Lynch made her maiden speech in the House of Commons on 9 June 2015.[9] She stated her priorities as being human rights, the UK's relations with Europe and the protection of services at Calderdale Royal Hospital.[10]

In the 2017 general election, Lynch increased her majority to 5,376 (11.1% of those voting) over the Conservative candidate, Chris Pearson.[11]

 
Lynch in 2017

Lynch was a member of the Environmental Audit Committee from July to October 2015 and was appointed to the Procedure Committee in February 2016.[12] Lynch was appointed as an Opposition Whip in the Commons on 18 September 2015. Lynch is the chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Fairtrade[13] and a Co-Chair of the British Museum group and of the Population, Development and Reproductive Health group.[10] Lynch has also been a member of All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Migration, Art and Health, Kashmir, Policing and Rugby Union.[10]

She supported Owen Smith in his attempt to replace Jeremy Corbyn in the 2016 Labour leadership election.[14]

Following the October Shadow Cabinet reshuffle and the firing of Dame Rosie Winterton as Chief Whip, Lynch resigned as a whip.[15] She was reappointed to the front bench by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on 3 July 2017, taking on the role of Shadow Flooding & Coastal Communities Minister within the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs team.[16][17]

In 2018, Lynch led the Protect the Protectors campaign to secure harsher sentences for people convicted of assaulting emergency service workers.[18] In the House of Commons chamber, she spoke about the experience of her parents, both of whom were emergency service workers who had faced violence whilst on the job.[19] She also spoke about her experience shadowing a police constable from the West Yorkshire Police when he was involved in an altercation when attempting to make an arrest.[19] Following this, she sponsored the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Bill, alongside colleague Chris Bryant, which became law in September 2018.[20]

In the 2019 general election, Lynch was re-elected to the Halifax constituency with 21,496 votes out of 46,458 cast, and a majority of 2,569.[21]

Lynch endorsed Keir Starmer in the 2020 Labour Party leadership election,[22] and was appointed as the Shadow Minister for Immigration following his victory in April 2020.[23] She held this position until the minor reshuffle in May 2021, when she swapped roles with Bambos Charalambous to become the Shadow Minister for Crime Reduction and Courts.[24]

In the November 2021 British shadow cabinet reshuffle she was made Shadow Minister for Security.[25] Since her appointment, she has focused on issues such Boris Johnson's relationship with Alexander Lebedev, hostile state threats, Martyn's Law and the effectiveness of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).[26][27] She also led the Labour Party's scrutiny of the National Security Bill from its introduction to Parliament in May 2022 to it becoming law in July 2023.[27]

In the 2023 British shadow cabinet reshuffle she was appointed Opposition Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Commons, with responsibility for legislation.[28]

Lynch announced in May 2024 that she would step down from Parliament at the forthcoming general election.[29][30]

Personal life

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Lynch married Chris Walker in December 2014.[31] She is a former rugby union player for both Lancaster University and the Halifax Vandals.[32]

References

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  1. ^ Bennett, Owen (11 June 2020). "Labour's new voice on immigration". TheArticle. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  2. ^ a b "About – Holly Lynch MP". hollylynch.org.uk. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  3. ^ "Hansard: Covid-19: Community Pharmacies, Volume 690: debated on Thursday 11 March 2021". Hansard. 11 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Thrown in at the deepend in one of country's key marginals". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  5. ^ "Halifax MP Linda Riordan to stand down at general election". BBC News. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  6. ^ "Halifax". BBC News. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  7. ^ "Halifax is 'Tories' key target seat'". Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  8. ^ "Labour retain Halifax seat... just". Halifax Courier. Archived from the original on 6 June 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  9. ^ "European Union Referendum Bill: Part of the debate – in the House of Commons". www.theyworkforyou.com. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  10. ^ a b c "In Parliament – Holly Lynch MP". hollylynch.org.uk. Archived from the original on 12 September 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  11. ^ "Halifax". BBC News. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  12. ^ "Holly Lynch MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
  13. ^ "House of Commons – Register Of All-Party Parliamentary Groups as at 3 February 2016: Fairtrade". www.publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
  14. ^ "Full list of MPs and MEPs backing challenger Owen Smith". LabourList. 21 July 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  15. ^ "Two Labour MPs resign as whips after Rosie Winterton sacking". The Guardian. 9 October 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  16. ^ "Reshuffle 2: The Maintenance of the Malcontents". New Socialist. 8 July 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  17. ^ "David Drew MP to oversee waste and recycling for Labour - letsrecycle.com". letsrecycle.com. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  18. ^ Lynch, Holly (8 March 2018). "Holly Lynch: Time to protect the protectors as Russian spy police officer exposed to nerve agent". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  19. ^ a b "Hansard: Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Bill, Volume 629: debated on Friday 20 October 2017". Hansard. 20 October 2017.
  20. ^ "Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018". UK Parliament. 14 September 2018.
  21. ^ Hirst, Ian (13 December 2019). "General Election 2019: Labour's Holly Lynch reflects on retaining her Halifax seat". The Halifax Courier. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  22. ^ "Calderdale and Kirklees Labour MPs give views on new leader". www.batleynews.co.uk. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  23. ^ Rodgers, Sienna (9 April 2020). "Shadow ministers appointed as Starmer completes frontbench". LabourList. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  24. ^ Rodgers, Sienna (14 May 2021). "Reshuffle: Keir Starmer's new Labour frontbench in full". LabourList. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  25. ^ Rodgers, Sienna (4 December 2021). "Keir Starmer unveils new frontbench team after wider reshuffle". LabourList. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  26. ^ "Holly Lynch MP". twitter.com. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  27. ^ a b "CT Insight interviews Holly Lynch MP, Shadow Minister for National Security - ctinsight.net". 4 July 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  28. ^ Belger, Tom (5 September 2023). "Labour reshuffle: Starmer unveils six new shadow ministers of state". LabourList. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  29. ^ Dillon, Gemma (23 May 2024). "Halifax MP Holly Lynch steps down". BBC News. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  30. ^ Lynch, Holly (22 May 2024). "Holly Lynch MP - X". X. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  31. ^ "Labour candidate Holly Walker-Lynch proud to be fighting for Halifax seat". Halifax Courier. Archived from the original on 11 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  32. ^ "VIDEO: World Cup comes to town – Halifax Courier". halifaxcourier.co.uk. Retrieved 10 September 2016.[permanent dead link]
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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Halifax
2015–2024 		Succeeded by
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