Anna McMorrin

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Anna McMorrin
MP
Official portrait, 2024
Assistant Government Whip
Incumbent
Assumed office
10 July 2024
Prime MinisterKeir Starmer
Shadow Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean
In office
7 September 2023 – 5 July 2024
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byFabian Hamilton
Shadow Minister for Victims and Youth Justice
In office
14 May 2021 – 7 September 2023
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byPeter Kyle
Succeeded byKevin Brennan
Shadow Minister for International Development
In office
9 April 2020 – 14 May 2021
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byPreet Gill
Succeeded byYasmin Qureshi
Member of Parliament
for Cardiff North
Incumbent
Assumed office
8 June 2017
Preceded byCraig Williams
Majority6,982 (13.3%)
Personal details
Born (1971-09-24) 24 September 1971 (age 53)[1]
Brecon, Wales
Political partyLabour
Children2
Alma materUniversity of Southampton
Cardiff University
Websitewww.annamcmorrin.co.uk

Anna Rhiannon McMorrin[2] (born 23 September 1971) is a Welsh politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cardiff North since 2017.[3][4][5] A member of Welsh Labour, she has served as Assistant Government Whip since 2024.

She was previously Shadow Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean from 2023 to 2024, Shadow Minister for Victims and Youth Justice from 2021 to 2023 and Shadow Minister for International Development from 2020 to 2021.

Early life

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McMorrin grew up in Glasbury near Brecon. Her father, Ian McMorrin, worked for the British Antarctic Survey and is the eponym of the McMorrin Glacier.[6][7] Having joined the Labour Party as a student, McMorrin graduated from the University of Southampton in 1994 with a BA in French and Politics. In 1997, she graduated from Cardiff University, with a post-graduate diploma in journalism.[3]

Career

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After graduating, McMorrin worked in public relations and communications. After working as a part-time communications officer for the Labour Party between 1996 and 1997, she worked for public affairs consultancy for Hill and Knowlton. In 2006, McMorrin became Campaigns and Communications Director for Friends of the Earth Cymru.

In 2008, she joined the Welsh Government as an appointed Specialist Advisor,[8] working with Ministers including Jane Hutt AM, John Griffiths AM and Alun Davies AM. In February 2016 she unsuccessfully sought the Labour nomination for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney Assembly constituency, losing out to Dawn Bowden.[9]

McMorrin left the Welsh Government to become Director of Llais Ltd, and joining Invicta Public Affairs in October 2016.[10]

Parliamentary career

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On 8 June 2017, McMorrin was elected as the Member of Parliament for Cardiff North.[11]

Shortly after becoming an MP, McMorrin asked leader of the House of Commons, Andrea Leadsom, for an urgent debate about the 1,100 Tesco job losses in Cardiff North. McMorrin strongly opposed the decision, and asked for it to be reviewed.[12] McMorrin was successful in gaining an urgent debate in the House of Commons on 19 July 2017, and in her speech said she wished to "highlight the way in which Tesco has acted; secondly, describe the human impact of these actions; and finally, explore how we respond to these things and the next steps.".[13]

McMorrin is a member of the Environmental Audit Select Committee[14] and joined the Welsh Affairs Select Committee on 24 October 2017 [15] following criticism of both an unfilled committee[16] and an all-male lineup.[17]

McMorrin served as the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Barry Gardiner, Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade, until her resignation in 2018.[18][19] On 13 June 2018, McMorrin and five other Labour MPs resigned their roles as frontbenchers for the Labour Party in protest at Labour's Brexit position. Leader Jeremy Corbyn had instructed his MPs to abstain in a vote which Britain would remain in the single market by joining the European Economic Area (EEA). The MPs resigned and voted in favour of the EEA.[20][21] McMorrin voted against the Labour Party whip and in favour of an amendment tabled by members of The Independent Group for a second public vote on EU membership in March 2019.[22]

On 12 December 2019, McMorrin was re-elected as the Member of Parliament for Cardiff North with a slightly increased majority of 6,982.[23] Upon Keir Starmer's election as Labour leader in April 2020, she was appointed as a Shadow Minister for International Development.

In a minor reshuffle in May 2021, McMorrin succeeded Peter Kyle as the Shadow Minister for Victims and Youth Justice.[24]

At the 2024 United Kingdom general election, McMorrin was re-elected, following boundary changes to the constituency, with a reduced majority.[25]

Personal life

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McMorrin has two daughters with her ex-husband.[26] In 2014, she moved from her position in the Welsh Government Ministry for Natural Resources after starting a relationship with then Minister, Alun Davies,[26][3] separating from him in 2020. She is a Welsh language learner, and speaks French and Spanish.[27]

McMorrin is a member of the Unison and GMB trade unions, LGBT Labour, Labour Women's Network and the Cooperative Party.[27]

References

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  1. ^ Dale, Iain; Smith, Jacqui (14 November 2019). The Honourable Ladies: Volume II: Profiles of Women MPs 1997–2019. Biteback Publishing. ISBN 9781785904479 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ "No. 61961". The London Gazette. 19 June 2017. p. 11787.
  3. ^ a b c Mosalski, Ruth (9 June 2017). "Who is Cardiff's new Labour MP Anna McMorrin?". WalesOnline. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  4. ^ "Labour's Anna McMorrin takes Cardiff North from the Tories". BBC News. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  5. ^ "Anna McMorrin MP". parliament.uk. Parliament UK.
  6. ^ Hall, Rachel (21 January 2024). "Labour MP stirred by disappearing Antarctic ice and her father's legacy". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  7. ^ "McMorrin Glacier". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  8. ^ "McMorrin, Anna Rhiannon". Who's Who. Vol. 2018 (February 2018 online ed.). A & C Black. Retrieved 13 February 2018. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  9. ^ Sands, Katie (22 February 2016). "Labour unveil all-women shortlist for South Wales candidate". walesonline.
  10. ^ "Anna McMorrin". linkedin.com. LinkedIn.
  11. ^ "Labour takes Cardiff North from Tories". BBC News. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  12. ^ Mosalski, Ruth (22 June 2017). "Tesco staff found out on Facebook that they were losing their jobs". walesonline. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  13. ^ "Tesco House, Cardiff: Job Losses – Hansard Online". hansard.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  14. ^ "Environmental Audit Committee". UK Parliament.
  15. ^ Committee, Welsh Affairs (24 October 2017). "Welcome @LSRPlaid & @SKinnock onto the Welsh Affairs Committee.pic.twitter.com/QwN6owIDAc".
  16. ^ "'Apathetic' Welsh Labour MPs blasted for lack of interest in scrutiny role". 10 September 2017.
  17. ^ Cornock, David (11 September 2017). "MPs resist lure of Welsh forum". BBC News.
  18. ^ "Anna McMorrin MP | in parliament". www.annamcmorrin.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  19. ^ "Two Welsh resignations from shadow team, 10 Welsh MPs in Labour Brexit revolt". ITV News. 13 June 2018.
  20. ^ Culbertson, Alix (14 June 2018). "Six Labour MPs quit frontbench roles over key Brexit vote". Sky News. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  21. ^ Morris, Nigel (13 June 2018). "Six Labour frontbenchers resign in protest at Labour's Brexit position". i News. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  22. ^ Mosalski, Ruth (14 March 2019). "Brexit latest: The Welsh MPs who voted for a second referendum". Wales Online.
  23. ^ "Cardiff North 2019 Election Result". UK Parliament.
  24. ^ Rodgers, Sienna (14 May 2021). "Reshuffle: Keir Starmer's new Labour frontbench in full". LabourList. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  25. ^ "Cardiff North Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  26. ^ a b Shipton, Martin (20 May 2014). "Revealed: Concern over Minister, his specialist adviser and their relationship". WalesOnline. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  27. ^ a b "Anna McMorrin MP | about Anna". www.annamcmorrin.co.uk. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
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