Jen Craft
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via Wikipedia: Jen Craft · see source
Jennifer Craft is a British Labour Party politician and former civil servant who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Thurrock since her election on 4 July 2024. She is one of at least three disabled MPs first elected in that year, alongside Labour's Marie Tidball and Liberal Democrat Steve Darling. Craft has spoken openly about living with obsessive–compulsive disorder and bipolar disorder, both diagnosed by her 20s, and she also serves as a full-time caregiver for one of her children who has Down syndrome. Her path to Parliament included managing Margaret Hodge's 2010 campaign in Barking and narrowly losing a council seat in 2019 before winning the Thurrock constituency with a majority of 6,474 votes.
Early life and career
Craft was born at Orsett Hospital in Orsett, Thurrock, England, in 1985 or 1986. She grew up in Grays, Thurrock, and attended Grays Convent High School and Palmer's College before studying politics and history at university. Her early career was as a civil servant, a role she left to care for one of her children who has Down syndrome.
In a 2023 interview, Craft credited her mother—a GMB shop steward—and her children for sparking her interest in politics. She served as Labour MP Margaret Hodge's campaign manager during the 2010 general election, managing the effort to defeat the British National Party in Barking. In the 2019 Thurrock Council election, Craft stood as the Labour candidate for the Stifford Clays ward, finishing second behind Jennifer Smith of the Thurrock Independents by 188 votes.
Member of Parliament
In 2022, Craft was selected as Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate for Thurrock through a ballot of local party members, defeating Thurrock Council Labour leader John Kent, former Basildon Council Labour leader Jack Ferguson, and Ealing Council member Miriam Rice. Her husband Alastair convinced her to run, and she applied for financial support from the organisation MotheRed. Her bid was backed by former Thurrock Council Labour leader Jane Pothecary, former Thurrock mayor Carl Morris, and John Biggs, former mayor of Tower Hamlets, and endorsed by trade unions GMB, Community, and USDAW.
After Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the 2024 general election in May 2024, Craft said it was an opportunity for Labour to 'unleash a decade of national renewal' and criticised the Conservatives for presiding over Thurrock Council's bankruptcy, which she said reflected the national situation. She launched Labour's six pledges with leader Keir Starmer and campaigned in the constituency with Starmer, Liz Kendall, and Yvette Cooper. On 4 July 2024, she defeated incumbent Conservative MP Jackie Doyle-Price with 16,050 votes, winning a majority of 6,474 votes (17.2%) over Reform UK candidate Sophie Preston-Hall.
She was sworn in on 11 July 2024 and made her maiden speech on 4 September 2024. Since 2024, Craft has served as a member of the Health and Social Care Select Committee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where was Jen Craft born?
Jen Craft was born in Orsett, Thurrock, Essex, England.
Where did Jen Craft study?
Jen Craft studied at Grays Convent High School and Palmer's College University of Leicester.
More in People with Obsessive–compulsive Disorder
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Jen Craft (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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