Elizabeth Anne McInnes was born on 30 March 1959 in Oldham, Lancashire. She was the fifth of the eight children to Margaret Elizabeth and George Frederick McInnes.[1] Her father was a sheet metal worker who died when she was 14 years-old, so her mother brought-up the family single-handedly. Margaret took on various jobs including running public houses.[citation needed]
Prior to her election to Parliament, McInnes was a senior biochemist at the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. She served as secretary of the Pennine Acute branch for Unite the Union,[2] chair of the National Health Sector Industrial Committee and a member of the Healthcare Science organising professional committee.[3]
She was elected as a Member of Rossendale Borough Council for Longholme in 2010, where she was health lead and Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee. McInnes stood down from the Council after her election to parliament,[4][5] but was re-elected to Longholme in the 2022 local elections.[6]
Parliamentary career
McInnes was elected to Parliament at the October 2014 Heywood and Middleton by-election, narrowly defeating UKIP candidate John Bickley with a majority of 617 votes.[7] Caused by the death of the incumbent Labour MP Jim Dobbin, she beat several candidates to win the Labour selection, including former BBC presenter Miriam O'Reilly.[4]
McInnes was re-appointed to the opposition front bench in October 2016, as Shadow Minister for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs responsible for Africa and Asia.[13]
Political views and campaigns
McInnes was awarded Parliamentarian of the Year in 2016 by the charity Brake, for her campaigning to obtain tougher sentences for those causing death and injury by dangerous driving.[14]
In 2019, she argued with ex-Labour MP Ian Austin in the House of Commons chamber whilst he criticised Jeremy Corbyn. She told Austin, "Why don't you go over there? You're not welcome here," directing him to sit alongside Conservative MPs on the government benches.[15] He was later appointed to the House of Lords by the Conservative Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.
^McInnes, Liz (9 July 2015). "Why I'm Backing Andy". lizmcinnes.org.uk. Liz McInnes MP. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
^McInnes, Liz (21 September 2015). "Liz joins Labour frontbench". lizmcinnes.org.uk. Liz McInnes MP. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015.