Danielle Rowley

Danielle Rowley (born 25 February 1990) is a Scottish Labour Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Midlothian from 2017 to 2019. She was a member of Jeremy Corbyn's Shadow Cabinet as the Shadow Minister for Climate Justice and Green Jobs from June 2019 to December 2019; when she lost her seat to Owen Thompson of the Scottish National party.

Danielle Rowley
Rowley in 2017
Shadow Minister for Climate Justice and Green Jobs
In office
21 June 2019 – 12 December 2019
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Member of Parliament
for Midlothian
In office
8 June 2017 – 6 November 2019
Preceded byOwen Thompson
Succeeded byOwen Thompson
Personal details
Born
Danielle Rowley

(1990-02-25) 25 February 1990
Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland
Political partyScottish Labour
Children1
Alma materEdinburgh Napier University
Websitedaniellerowleymp.uk

Early life and education

Danielle Rowley was born on 25 February 1990[1] and grew up on a council estate[2] in Dalkeith.[3] Her father is Scottish Labour Party politician Alex Rowley and her late mother[4] was a trade unionist. Both her grandfathers were Labour Party activists and miners.[5] She was educated at Dalkeith High School[6] and graduated from Edinburgh Napier University with a journalism degree in 2014.[3] Rowley supported Scotland staying part of the union during the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, and worked as former Prime Minister Gordon Brown's constituency media manager during the campaign.[3][5]

Before her election to parliament, Rowley worked as the Campaigns and Public Relations Officer for housing charity Shelter Scotland and was also a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament.[3]

Parliamentary career

Rowley was selected in April 2017 as the official Labour Party candidate, for the Midlothian constituency at the snap general election held on 8 June.[7] She went on to be elected as the Member of Parliament for the constituency with a majority of 885 votes over the sitting Scottish National party MP Owen Thompson.[3] Rowley was the first female MP to represent Midlothian. In her maiden speech in the House of Commons in July 2017, she commented that she would fight to reduce the need of food banks in her constituency.[8] Shortly after her election, Rowley was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry.[9] She sat on the Scottish Affairs Select Committee from September 2017 to November 2019.[10]

She chaired Richard Leonard's successful 2017 Scottish Labour leadership campaign to become Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, following Kezia Dugdale's decision to resign.[11]

Rowley supported the United Kingdom (UK) remaining within the European Union (EU) in the 2016 UK EU membership referendum. In the indicative votes on 27 March 2019, she voted for a referendum on a Brexit withdrawal agreement, for Norway plus, and for a customs union with the EU.[12]

On 21 June 2019, Rowley was appointed as Shadow Minister for Climate Justice and Green Jobs, a new role.[13]

Rowley lost her seat to Scottish National party candidate Owen Thompson in the 2019 United Kingdom general election by a majority of 5,705. Thompson regained the seat having previously held the seat from 2015 to 2017.

During the 2020 Labour leadership election, Rowley managed Emily Thornberry's unsuccessful campaign.[14][15]

Personal life

Rowley suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.[16] In January 2021, she gave birth to a son, Ronan.[17]

References
  1. Carr, Tim; Dale, Iain; Waller, Robert (7 September 2017). The Politicos Guide to the New House of Commons 2017. Biteback Publishing. p. 154. ISBN 978-1-78590-278-9.
  2. Moore, Hannah (21 June 2017). "Meet the four new MPs who are still in their 20s". BBC Newsbeat. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  3. "Profiles of the new Scottish MPs". Holyrood. 21 June 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  4. "Rt Hon Emily Thornberry MP pays visit to Midlothian to open Danielle Rowley MP's office". Danielle Rowley. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  5. Rampen, Julia (26 June 2017). "Labour MP for Midlothian Danielle Rowley: "I get my politics from my mum as well as my dad"". New Statesman. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  6. "Young Dalkeith politician in running for award". Midlothian Advertiser. 28 January 2011. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  7. Gordon, Tom (3 May 2017). "Scottish Labour deputy denies nepotism as daughter named candidate". The Herald. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  8. Swanson, Ian (11 July 2017). "Labour MP uses maiden speech to attack foodbank 'disgrace'". The Scotsman. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  9. @DaniRowley (17 July 2017). "Delighted to be appointed as PPS to @EmilyThornberry – looking forward to working with her & Shadow Foreign and Commonwealth team" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 November 2019 – via Twitter.
  10. "Danielle Rowley MP". Parliament of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  11. Carrell, Severin (18 November 2017). "Richard Leonard wins Scottish Labour leadership in decisive victory". The Guardian.
  12. "How MPs voted on May's withdrawal deal defeat". Financial Times. 29 March 2019. Archived from the original on 2 September 2019.
  13. Cowburn, Ashley (20 June 2019). "Jeremy Corbyn appoints Labour's first shadow minister for climate justice". The Independent. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  14. Murphy, Joe; Sleigh, Sophia (17 January 2020). "Rebecca Long-Bailey and Emily Thornberry on the attack as they launch Labour leadership campaigns". Evening Standard. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  15. Nutt, Kathleen (28 January 2020). "Rowley criticises Thornberry over her 'I hate the SNP' remark". The National. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  16. Danielle Rowley [@DaniRowley] (22 June 2020). "At school/growing up I was always told I wasn't trying, wasn't applying myself, was letting people down. Thing is I was trying REALLY hard. I constantly felt guilty. I was diagnosed with #ADHD+ as an adult. Suddenly my 'personality' made sense. Early diagnosis is so vital!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  17. Danielle Rowley [@DaniRowley] (17 January 2021). "We're bringing something truly amazing home with us today. I can't say thank you enough to the @NHS_Lothian staff at the Edinburgh Simpsons Maternity Centre, who were so outstanding and dedicated in helping deliver and look after our wee boy. Welcome home baby Ronan!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Owen Thompson		 Member of Parliament for Midlothian
2017–2019		 Succeeded by
Owen Thompson
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