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Tracy Brabin

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Mayor
Tracy Brabin
Official portrait, 2020
Mayor of West Yorkshire
Incumbent
Assumed office
10 May 2021
Preceded byOffice established
Member of Parliament
for Batley and Spen
In office
20 October 2016 – 10 May 2021
Preceded byJo Cox
Succeeded byKim Leadbeater
Shadow portfolios
Shadow Secretary of State
2020Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Shadow Minister
2020Cultural Industries
2017–2020Early Years
Personal details
Born (1961-05-09) 9 May 1961 (age 63)
Batley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Political partyLabour Co-op
Alma materLoughborough University (BA)
University of the Arts London (MA)
WebsiteOfficial Website

Tracy Lynn Brabin (born 9 May 1961) is a British politician who has been the Mayor of West Yorkshire since the office was established on 10 May 2021. She was previously the Member of Parliament (MP) for Batley and Spen from 2016 to 2021 under the Labour and Co-operative banner.[1]

Born in Batley, Brabin was an actress and television writer prior to entering politics, appearing in several British soap operas including Coronation Street, Doctors, EastEnders, Casualty and Emmerdale. She was elected for Batley and Spen in an October 2016 by-election after the murder of previous incumbent Jo Cox.

She was appointed as Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport by Jeremy Corbyn in January 2020, succeeding former Deputy Labour Leader Tom Watson. In April 2020, new Labour Leader Keir Starmer removed Brabin from the shadow cabinet and appointed her Shadow Minister for Cultural Industries.

She resigned as an MP after winning the 2021 West Yorkshire mayoral election. Her resignation triggered a by-election, which Labour's Kim Leadbeater won. She is the first ever woman to serve as a metro-mayor.

She won a second term in the 2024 West Yorkshire mayoral election.

Early life

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Brabin was born in Batley in the West Riding of Yorkshire, and educated at Heckmondwike Grammar School.[2] She studied drama at Loughborough University and gained a Master of Arts degree in screenwriting from the London College of Communication of the University of the Arts London in 2001.[3]

Arts career

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Television

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Brabin played clumsy waitress Sandra opposite David Jason in A Bit of a Do, Tricia Armstrong in Coronation Street from 1994 to 1997, and Ginny in three series of Richard Harris's Outside Edge. She appeared in EastEnders as Roxy Drake, The Ghost Hunter as Mrs Oliver, Love + Hate as Gaynor, and in an episode of Midsomer Murders ("Dead Letters", 2006).

In 2008, she appeared in a series of commercials for supermarket chain Sainsbury's playing Sarah, a mother-of-two and Sainsbury's employee who does her weekly shopping at the store.[4] In 2014, she appeared as Lyndsey Bernstein in Law & Order: UK, Pam in Undeniable, and as Carole in Emmerdale.[5][6]

Film

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In Charles and Diana: Unhappily Ever After (1992), Brabin played Sarah, Duchess of York. In 2012, she played Maggie, a mother who comes to realise she is one of a race of aliens, in artist Shezad Dawood’s first feature, the sci-fi art-house film Piercing Brightness.

Theatre

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Brabin played Linda, Sharon and Annie in Simon Beaufoy's play The Full Monty,[7] an adaptation of his screenplay for the film, directed by Sheffield Theatre's Daniel Evans. The play opened at the Sheffield Lyceum to excellent reviews, followed by a national tour and a West End run at the Noël Coward Theatre. The production was nominated for the Best New Comedy at the Laurence Olivier Awards in 2014. Brabin's previous theatre performances include the lead role in Shelagh Stevenson's The Long Road at Curve in Leicester directed by Adel Al Salloum and Joy in Meat written by Jimmy Osbourne for London's 503 Theatre.

Writing

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Brabin has written for Heartbeat, Family Affairs, Crossroads, The Story of Tracy Beaker, and Hollyoaks, on which she worked for two years. She has written for Shameless for Company Pictures and for three series of Seacht – nominated for Best Youth Programme Irish Film and Television Awards in 2011. With her mentor Elizabeth Karlsen, the producer of Made in Dagenham, she was involved on the romantic comedy feature Father August for the prestigious She Writes programme, with Minkie Spiro attached to direct. Brabin wrote an episode of Doctors which was screened in December 2012.

Political career

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Brabin publicly endorsed the Labour Party at the 1997 general election, writing an article for the Labour-supporting Daily Mirror newspaper explaining that her father-in-law had died on a hospital trolley while waiting to see a doctor.[8] In May 1998 she appeared in a party political broadcast for the Labour Party, appealing for people to join it.[9] In March 2005, Brabin was the lead member of a group of nine actors to write to The Observer explaining that while they continued to oppose the Blair government's military intervention in Iraq, they still "strongly support the re-election of a Labour government".[10] She canvassed for the Labour Party in the Kirklees council election in 2012.[11]

When Jo Cox was selected as Labour candidate for Batley and Spen, Brabin joined her campaign against the closure of libraries in the constituency.[12]

Parliamentary career

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Brabin's constituency office in Gomersal

In August 2016, Brabin said that she was considering standing in the Batley and Spen by-election, caused by Cox's murder.[13] On 19 September, she was shortlisted along with Labour activist Jane Thomas.[14] Brabin was selected at a meeting on 23 September.[15] The Conservative Party, Liberal Democrats, Green Party and UKIP did not field candidates as a mark of respect to Cox.[16] On 20 October 2016, Brabin was elected with an increased majority of around 10,000.[17] She was then sworn in on 24 October.[18]

Brabin made her maiden speech in the House of Commons on 2 November, paying tribute to her predecessor, whom she described as "inspirational". The speech won applause from fellow MPs.[19]

Brabin retained the seat in the 2017 general election, with a majority of just under 9,000 over the Conservative Party candidate.[20] On 3 July 2017 she was appointed as Shadow Early Years Minister by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.[21]

Brabin was re-elected as the MP for Batley & Spen in the 2019 General Election, with a majority of 3,525.[22] She was appointed as Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in January 2020 after the previous holder, Tom Watson stood down at the 2019 general election.[23] She was replaced as Shadow Culture Secretary in Keir Starmer's Shadow frontbench announcement but made Shadow Minister for Cultural Industries.[24]

In March 2021, a teacher at Batley Grammar School showed cartoons depicting Muhammad, the founder of Islam, from the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo during a religious studies lesson.[25] This led to protests. The school apologised and suspended the teacher involved.[26] The teacher was allegedly placed in police protection after receiving death threats.[27] Brabin responded to this by stating that she condemned the threats towards the teacher, welcomed the apology given by the school, and urged "all involved to work together and calm the situation".[28]

Mayor of West Yorkshire

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Brabin with Ben Houchen, at a meeting of metro mayors, at 10 Downing Street

Brabin was the Labour Party's nomination for the inaugural Mayor of West Yorkshire in the 2021 election.[29] As a result, she stood down from her frontbench role to focus on her mayoral campaign, with Alison McGovern taking over her responsibilities.[30] The mayoralty includes powers over transport, crime and planning in the region of 2.3 million people, which includes the cities of Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield.[31]

In the election, held on 6 May 2021, Brabin won 43% of the first-round vote, failing to secure a majority, and 59.8% of transfer second-round votes, with the closest challenger being Matthew Robinson of the Conservative Party. This made her the first woman to be elected as a metro mayor.[32] Upon taking office, she became entitled to the style of Mayor.[33] Brabin follows two former Labour MPs – Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram in Greater Manchester and the Liverpool City Region respectively – representing their regions as mayor, while Dan Jarvis, mayor of the Sheffield City Region, has concurrently remained the member of parliament for Barnsley Central. However, Brabin had to resign her Batley and Spen seat, triggering a by-election,[1] as Electoral Commission rules make the police and crime responsibilities in the role incompatible with being an MP.[31]

Brabin stood for a second term in the 2024 West Yorkshire mayoral election,[34] and retained the position.[35]

Filmography

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Television credits

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Year Title Role
1989 A Bit of a Do Sandra Pickersgill
1989 Hale and Pace Various characters
1989 Coronation Street Chloe (2 episodes)
1991 Riff-Raff Singer
1992 El C.I.D. Fran
1992 Charles and Diana: Unhappily Ever After Sarah, Duchess of York
1994 Peak Practice Lou Clarke
1994–1997 Coronation Street Tricia Armstrong (193 episodes)
1994–1996 Outside Edge Ginnie Willis (9 episodes)
1995 Mayday Mayday Sylvia Redpath
1999 Sunburn Sheila Adams
2000 The Ghost Hunter Mrs. Oliver
2000 Where the Heart Is Stella Taylor
2000 The Bill Mrs. Sanderson
2000 Doctors Lucy Carlton
2001 EastEnders Roxy Drake (7 episodes)
2001 Holby City Lucy Gartside
2002 Nice Guy Eddie Stephanie
2002 Silent Witness Nina Palmer
2002 The Bill Pam
2003 Is Harry on the Boat? Isobel
2004 Bodies Karen Taylor
2004 Heartbeat Sandra Tetley
2005 Coronation Street: The Duckworth Family Album Herself
2005 Love + Hate Gaynor
2005 Holby City Stella Howard
2006 An Audience with Coronation Street Herself
2006 Rosemary & Thyme Nicola Spicer
2006 Midsomer Murders Ruth Chalk
2006 Strictly Confidential Tina Roebottom
2006 Doctors Tina Machin
2007 Casualty Veek Kitching
2007 The Real Extras Herself
2007 The Good Samaritan Gloria
2008 Doctors Amanda Webster
2008 The Bill Isabel Edgar
2009 Casualty April
2014 Emmerdale Carole (7 episodes)
2014 Law & Order: UK Lindsey Bernstein
2014 Casualty Roz Conlon

Writing credits

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Tracy Brabin chosen as Labour mayor candidate for West Yorkshire". BBC News. 11 December 2020. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  2. ^ Banerjee, Rohan (17 September 2021). "Tracy Brabin: How West Yorkshire's mayor came home". New Statesman. Archived from the original on 17 September 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  3. ^ Perraudin, Frances (30 September 2016). "Tracy Brabin: 'I hope I can build on Jo Cox's legacy'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  4. ^ "Sainsbury's ad for former Coronation Street star Tracy Brabin". Daily Mirror. 3 September 2008. Archived from the original on 22 November 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
  5. ^ "Emmerdale spoilers: ex-Coronation Street actress Tracy Brabin to play Ashley's new love interest". Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  6. ^ "Casting news: Tracy Brabin joins Emmerdale". Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  7. ^ "Tracy's West End dream will be fulfilled at last". Spenborough Guardian. 11 May 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  8. ^ Daily Mirror, 14 April 1997.
  9. ^ David Boothroyd (9 July 2017). "Party Political Broadcast: Join the Labour Party!". Archived from the original on 24 November 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2017 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ "Letters". The Observer. 3 April 2005. Archived from the original on 9 January 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  11. ^ "Labour's star turn". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. 27 April 2012. p. 4.
  12. ^ "Emmerdale actress against library cuts". Batley and Birstall News. 11 September 2014. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  13. ^ "Jo Cox MP death: Actress Tracy Brabin may stand in Batley & Spen by-election". BBC News. 24 August 2016. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  14. ^ Halliday, Josh (19 September 2016). "Former actor Tracy Brabin is frontrunner to win Jo Cox's seat". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  15. ^ "Soap star Tracy Brabin to stand in Jo Cox by-election". BBC News. 23 September 2016. Archived from the original on 23 September 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  16. ^ Halliday, Josh (19 September 2016). "Former actor Tracy Brabin is frontrunner to win Jo Cox's seat". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  17. ^ "Batley and Spen by-election: Tracy Brabin victory for 'hope and unity'". BBC News. 21 October 2016. Archived from the original on 23 October 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  18. ^ "Tracy Brabin and Robert Courts sworn in as MPs". BBC News. 24 October 2016. Archived from the original on 1 December 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  19. ^ "Tracy Brabin pays tribute to Jo Cox in maiden speech". BBC News. 2 November 2016. Archived from the original on 6 November 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  20. ^ "Batley and Spen Parliamentary Constituency". BBC News. 9 June 2017. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  21. ^ "Reshuffle 2: The Maintenance of the Malcontents". New Socialist. 8 July 2017. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  22. ^ "Batley & Spen parliamentary constituency – Election 2019". BBC News. 19 December 2019. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  23. ^ "PM renews push to get his Brexit deal through Parliament – live". Evening Standard. 7 January 2020. Archived from the original on 7 April 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  24. ^ Rodgers, Sienna (9 April 2020). "Shadow ministers appointed as Starmer completes frontbench". LabourList. Archived from the original on 10 April 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  25. ^ Airey, Tom (1 April 2021). "Batley Grammar School: Blasphemy debate leaves town 'at crossroads'". BBC News. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  26. ^ Adams, Richard (25 March 2021). "Teacher suspended over use of Charlie Hebdo cartoons". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  27. ^ Turner, Camilla; Mendick, Robert (26 March 2021). "Education Secretary condemns threats to Batley teacher amid Prophet Mohammed cartoon row". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.(subscription required)
  28. ^ @TracyBrabin (26 March 2021). "Please see below for my statement on the protests at Batley Grammar School" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  29. ^ Richmond, Tom. "Dr Who star Jodie Whittaker backs Tracy Brabin's West Yorkshire mayoral bid". The Yorkshire Post. Archived from the original on 14 October 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  30. ^ Rodgers, Sienna (16 December 2020). "Tracy Brabin steps down from Labour frontbench to focus on mayoral bid". LabourList. Archived from the original on 18 February 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  31. ^ a b Halliday, Josh; Mistlin, Alex (9 May 2021). "Labour's Tracy Brabin elected first mayor of West Yorkshire". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  32. ^ "Election results 2021: Tracy Brabin elected West Yorkshire mayor". BBC News. 9 May 2021. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  33. ^ Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, s 107A(5).
  34. ^ "Tracy Brabin to run for second term as Mayor of West Yorkshire". BBC News. 18 September 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  35. ^ "Leeds City Council: Mayoral Election". Leeds City Council. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
[edit]
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Batley and Spen
2016–2021 		Succeeded by
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