Natascha Engel

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Natascha Engel MP
Member of the United Kingdom Parliament for North East Derbyshire
Incumbent
Assumed office  5 May 2005
Preceded by	Harry Barnes
Majority	10,065 (23.2%)
Born	9 April 1967 (1967-04-09) (age 42) Berlin, Germany
Nationality	United Kingdom (British Subject)
Political party	Labour
Spouse	David (Newton) Salisbury-Jones
Children	three
Residence	United Kingdom
Alma mater	King's College London, University of Westminster
Profession	Politician
Website	http://www.nataschaengelmp.org.uk/
Favorite album Dave Berry (musician) & Natascha Engel

Natascha Engel (born 9 April 1967) is a British politician. She was elected as the Labour Member of Parliament for North East Derbyshire in the 2005 general election. She has extensive involvement in the trade union movement and has close connections to Gordon Brown.

Contents 1 Personal life and education 1.1 Early life 1.2 Family life 2 Politics 3 Parliament 4 Work with Youth 5 Controversy 5.1 Alleges bus company fraud 5.2 Involvement in (UK) Parliamentary expense scandal 5.2.1 Use of expense categories 5.2.1.1 Additional costs allowance (ACA) 5.2.1.2 Incidental expenses provision (IEP) 5.2.1.3 Communications allowance (CA) 5.2.2 Among MPs offering least value for money 5.2.3 Meeting with constituents 5.2.4 The Kelly Inquiry 5.2.5 Ludicrous claims 6 See also 7 Affiliations 8 Publications 9 References 10 External links

[edit] Personal life and education

[edit] Early life

Natascha Engel was born in Berlin, Germany to a German father and an English mother. She was educated at the independent Kent College in Canterbury, and at The King's School, Canterbury, she trained as a linguist at King's College London (KCL) (German and Portuguese) and at the University of Westminster (UW) (MA in Technical and Specialised Translation). In addition to her political career, Engel has done postgraduate work in translation: she speaks German, Spanish, and Portuguese.

[edit] Family life

She married David (Newton) Salisbury-Jones,^[1] in Lambeth in 2001, a veterinary surgeon with a practice in Streatham,^[2] London, who served (1994-8)^[3] as a Labour councillor for Lambeth (Princes Ward^[4]) and fought^[5] Uxbridge in the 2001 General Election for the Labour Party. They have three children. They own houses in Barrow Hill,^[6] (constituency home base) near Eckington and Lambeth (Parliamentary home base).

[edit] Politics

While living in Madrid, Spain, Engel worked as a volunteer for two years in the local office of Amnesty International while earning a living as a teacher of English. After returning to Britain to work as a Teletext subtitler, Engel joined the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU). She was among the first join the Organising Academy of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), serving with the Graphical, Paper and Media Union (GPMU); she worked on political fund ballots in persuading trade union members to retain their financial backing for the Labour Party.

Engel joined the Labour Party staff as a Trade Union Liaison Officer organising marginal seats campaigning at the 2001 general election. She later became policy co-ordinator for the Trade Union Liaison Office, before leaving to work as programme director of the Smith Institute. Her work there included researching on skills and the needs of working women. In October 2002 through the Smith Institute she co-authored the book Age of Regions: Meeting the Productivity Challenge.

She was an assistant to John Healey in February 2003, and the two have co-written a pamphlet,^[7] published by the TUC, and an article,^[8] published by the New Statesman, arguing that unions should offer learning opportunities in order to recruit more members.

Despite the lack of local connections, she was selected^[9] as the Labour candidate for North East Derbyshire following the decision of the sitting Labour MP Harry Barnes not to stand in the 2005 general election. Her husband, Salisbury-Jones, was serving as the membership secretary to the North-East Derbyshire Labour Party^[10] at the time and her connections with allies of Gordon Brown were remarked upon. Engel took the seat, easily, with a majority of 10,065.

She (together with her husband) bought a house in her constituency^[11] in Barrow Hill in July 2006.

[edit] Parliament

When the Select Committees were established in this Parliament, Engel was appointed to the Work and Pensions Committee. She made her maiden speech^[12] on 20 October 2005, the last of the incoming Labour MPs to do so, paying tribute to her predecessor Harry Barnes for his work. Engel concentrated on constituency affairs. She supported the devolution of power and resources to local communities, highlighting examples in Staveley and Grassmoor.

Engel referred to socialism as "the simple idea that if someone helps their neighbour, their neighbour will help them".

Engel has not broken the Labour whip in her time in Parliament.^[13] However, asked in an interview, in 2005, "If you were an MP at the time, how did you vote on military action in Iraq?", Engel answered, "Against".^[14] After entering Parliament, Engel has voted, consistently, (31 October 2006, 11 June 2007, 25 March 2008), with the government, against motions calling for an independent inquiry on the Iraq war.^[15][16][17] With the announcement that there will now be an inquiry 'independent of the government',^[18] Engel voted with the government again (24 June 2009) this time to block moves to full public disclosure.^[19]

She has complained, publicly, over the lack of a free vote offered to Labour MPs, by the government, over policy on parental rights with child discipline (smacking).^[20]

In 2006, Engel's name was included on a list of 15 up and coming Labour MPs compiled for News Corporation.^[21] She backed^[22][23] Peter Hain^[24] for deputy leader of the Labour Party in the 2007 leadership contest and served as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Hain from 16 July 2007 (Hain resigned his Cabinet posts on 24 January 2008^[25][26]). She stood down down from the Work and Pensions Committee on 7 November 2007.^[27]

Engel was instrumental in trying to arrange, ultimately unsuccessfully, the construction of what would have been the world's largest sundial in her constituency.^[28][29]

Through to the summer recess 2008 she was on maternity leave with her third child^[30][31] but was occasionally attending the Commons, voting with the government.^[19]

In October 2008 Engel was appointed PPS to Liam Byrne who was the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster now made Chief Secretary to the Treasury in the June 2009 ministerial reshuffle.^[32][33]

She was a signatory to Richard Burden's letter^[34] condemning the escalated conflict in Gaza and calling for an immediate ceasefire on all sides. Engel did not openly back Burden's subsequent early day motion (EDM)^[35] criticizing the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Sky TV for refusing to broadcast the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Gaza Crisis Appeal.^[36]

Engel nominated John Bercow for Speaker in the wake of Michael Martin's resignation.^[37]

[edit] Work with Youth

Engel represents the Labour Party on the Board of Trustees of the UK Youth Parliament^[38] and she has worked to encourage local and national democratic thought in youngsters and advocates the lowering of the voting age to sixteen.^{[39][40][41][42]} She has shown special interest in the sexual health of youth, including the free supply, on the National Health Service, (NHS) of condoms,^[43] advocating, through the Fabians, that youth sexual health should find special attention in the next Labour Party manifesto.^[44]

Engel has been recognized for her work with the UK Youth Parliament^[45][46] and she is an Honorary President of the British Youth Council.^[47]

She supports an outright ban on the smacking of children by parents.^[20]

[edit] Controversy

[edit] Alleges bus company fraud

In her first question to the Prime Minister (Brown) (PMQ) in 2009,^[48] Engel alleged that 'some unscrupulous bus companies' (in her constituency),^[49] and thus, by implication, the bus drivers, are complicit in wide-scale fraud by issuing tickets for concessionary travellers - primarily the over-60s - for 'far longer journeys' than those being made at the time. Such overcharging, said to happen by Engel, is then passed on to the local authorities empowered to provide concessionary travel, at the cost to the taxpayer, to those eligible for such benefits.

Stagecoach, by far the largest service provider of concessionary travel in the North East Derbyshire area,^[50] rejected^[51] Engel's allegations as ignorant of the facts of the contractual arrangements between them, the co-operatives, such as TM,^[52] and local authorities for the provision of these services, such contracts being 'fixed-price'.

Brown, after underlining continuing government commitment, which Engel queried in the face of her allegations of corruption, told her to talk to Geoff Hoon (at Transport ^[53]) about her concerns.^[54]

[edit] Involvement in (UK) Parliamentary expense scandal

[edit] Use of expense categories

[edit] Additional costs allowance (ACA)

In the context of the UK Parliamentary expense scandal,^[55] Engel has begun to provide an accounting^[56][57] for her use of her expenses, particularly the most controversial: the additional costs allowance (ACA),^[58] made available from the public purse to support 'secondary housing' so that Parliamentary duties may be satisfied.

She was named in the Daily Telegraph of 21 May 2009 as having claimed for many household items including a £2,900 sofa (she was reimbursed £2000), champagne flutes (£30) and 'cookie cutters' (£4).^[59][60][61]

While asserting to be 'within the letter' of the law (Parliamentary rules [PR]^[62]), she has admitted to not being 'in the spirit' of the law (PR) with respect to her ACA claims.^[63]

However, she has already declared that she will not be paying any ACA money back ^[63] and denies any involvement in the practise of flipping.^[64]

[edit] Incidental expenses provision (IEP)

Engel has used money from the incidental expenses provision (IEP) to claim taxpayer money for, among other things, ten copies of the DVD (£117.50) from the Parliamentary Recording Unit showing her maiden speech in Parliament (as above: she was the last to address Parliament after her election). She also claimed for office posters (£28.95), May Day greetings cards, another set of cards on the theme of the 'Solidarity of Labour' by Walter Crane (cost unknown) and a book, The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann (£12).

Contacted by the Sunday Telegraph 31 May 2009, Engel admitted that these charges to the public purse were 'inappropriate' and that she would be paying this IEP money back.^[65]

[edit] Communications allowance (CA)

Introduced between the Parliamentary period 2007/8, Engel has been one of the highest users (59th ^[66]) of the most recent category created in the expenses allowances breakdown.

Much of this money was used to pay for production and distribution of largely photo opportunities of Engel opening 'galas and fairs' (exemplified by her 'last' constituency report [see External Links]).

Within her latest maternity break, this format was abandoned and there remains just a 'minimalist' official web site, (said site also dropping all assertions as to where the Engel/Salisbury-Jones family actually 'live' [there had been no independent analysis of the pattern of 'primary' and 'secondary' housing until The Daily Telegraph disclosed that ACA usage through 2008 showed that Engel and Salisbury-Jones considered Chesterfield (Barrow Hill) to be 'secondary' (and thus London to be 'primary') despite their claims to constituents to 'live' in Barrow Hill]).^{[67][68][69][70][71]}

During this time capital equipment (D-TEK HF-220) to fold stationary (publications) was acquired at the cost to the taxpayer of £2579.13.

[edit] Among MPs offering least value for money

The Sunday Telegraph, in an analysis of 'work done' for expenses claimed, says that Engel is among those MPs who offer 'least value for money.'^[65] The Guardian journalist Madeleine Bunting though, has pointed out that Engel was on maternity leave twice during the parliament elected in 2005.^[72]

[edit] Meeting with constituents

In the light of the continuing revelations of her claims together with the reactions,^[73] Engel held meetings with constituents in Clay Cross (12 June 2009) and Dronfield (13 June 2009) to help her determine whether she should stand down as the MP for NE Derbyshire.^[64]

Subsequently to these meetings Engel has been accused of 'careful stage management' and using the tactic of divide and conquer to 'thwart' any real public judgement on her use of expense allowances by law lecturer and resident locally to Eckington (where Engel has her constituency office) Mark van Hoorebeek, member of Bradford University Law School.^[74][75]

Suggested that she should indeed stand down, Engel rejected the views expressed as representative of all her constituents.^[76][77] Counterexamples to Engel's contention on the wider views from the constituency have started to emerge.^[78]

[edit] The Kelly Inquiry

A 'formal' inquiry into the Parliamentary expense scandal began on 16 June 2009, chaired by Sir Christopher Kelly of the Committee of Standards in Public Life.^[79]. The inquiry invited submissions from 'all-comers.' Engel has contributed to the inquiry already and has made public (12 June 2009) the details of her submission.^[80]

[edit] Ludicrous claims

Engel was named in the 'Complete Expense Files' in The Daily Telegraph supplement (20 June 2009) in the category of making 'Ludicrous Claims.'^[69]

[edit] See also

• Action Against Matlock Moor Windfarm Proposal (AMP [update].) March 30 2009
• Westminster Hall Debate. (Renewable Energy.) 31 March 2009
• Natascha Engel MP: Planning to go green. ePolitix.com. 31 March 2009
• Skinner is the third cheapest MP. Derbyshire Times. 2 April 2009
• Natascha Engel: It's no fun being an MP and a mother ... The Independent (Commentators). 29 May 2009
• Her Voice to Youth 2009
• Ivers, J. "Engel 'really glad' she went public". Derbyshire Times. 4 June 2009
• Natascha Engel expenses. Released by Parliament (heavily censored). 18 June 2009
• The Truth about MPs Expenses. YouTube

[edit] Affiliations

• British Youth Council (BYC) (Honorary President)
• Friends of Dronfield Station (President)
• The Centre Forum^[81]
• The Fabian Society
• The General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trade Union (GMB) ^[82]
• Sheffield Football Club ^[83]
• UK Youth Parliament (Trustee)

[edit] Publications

• Balls, E., Costley, N., Engel, N., (ed.), Gemmell, S., Healey, J., MP, Johnson, A., MP, Raynsford, N., MP, Riordan, T., Samuda, R., White, P.(Dr.), Age of Regions: Meeting the UK Productivity Challenge, 2002, ISBN 1-902-48850-4
• Engel, N., Right To Vote At 16?, School matters (Derbyshire's only Local Paper for Pupils, Parents and Staff ...), May 2008
• Engel, N., Smacking should be illegal, School matters (Derbyshire's only Local Paper for Pupils, Parents and Staff ...), July 2008
• Engel, N., A demand for high level skills, School matters (Derbyshire's only Local Paper for Pupils, Parents and Staff ...), October 2008
• Engel, N., Healey, J., (MP), Learning to organise, TUC, 2003, ISBN 1-850-06659-0
• Engel, N., Healey, J., (MP), Everybody out . . . for training!, The Skill Factor (Special Supplement), New Statesman, Vol. 132, March 10, 2003. p. xiv
• Engel, N., Sodha, S., Johnson, M., Moving on up : progression in the labour market, Politics for a New Generation: The Progressive Moment, (Pearce, N., Margo, J. eds.), Palgrave Macmillan, 2007, pp 191-214, ISBN 0-230-52493-1

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official site
• Profile (Parliament of the United Kingdom)
• BBC Politics
• Constituency Report 2008 (pdf). Hotlinkfiles.
• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle

• Profile (TheyWorkForYou)
• journalisted (Automated listing of Engel's journal articles)

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Harry Barnes	Member of Parliament for North East Derbyshire 2005 – present	Incumbent

v • d • e UK Youth Parliament Key people Andy Hamflett · Sam Ellis · Andrew Rowe · Kate Parish · Natascha Engel · Charles Hendry · Lynne Featherstone Partners Scottish Youth Parliament · Children and Young People's Assembly for Wales · Northern Ireland Youth Forum · UK Youth Climate Coalition · Democracy for Young People Ltd · Department for Children, Schools and Families

Persondata
NAME	Engel, Natascha
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Member of the United Kingdom Parliament for North East Derbyshire
DATE OF BIRTH	9 April 1967
PLACE OF BIRTH	Berlin, Germany
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH