About Joan
Joan at Brockley Common
Joan Ruddock has been the Labour MP for Lewisham Deptford since 1987. She attended Pontypool Grammar School for Girls in Wales, and later went on to study Botany and Chemistry at Imperial College, London.
The vision she has shown in championing a large number of causes has put her at the forefront of both the feminist and environmental movements in this country. She won her seat in Parliament after many years as an anti-poverty and equalities campaigner, having already gained national prominence as chairperson of CND in the early 1980s.
Early Parliamentary Career
Joan began her Parliamentary career in Opposition and held three frontbench portfolios. During this period she piloted a Private Members Bill on flytipping, which subsequently became the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989.
As Shadow Transport Minister (1989-1992), she was responsible for “greening” Labour’s roads policy and wrote the first comprehensive transport strategy for London. In her subsequent portfolio she led for Labour in all stages of the Environment Act 1995 and forged close links throughout the country with the major green organisations. As Shadow Minister for Home Affairs (1992-1994) her political vision led her to champion the cause of victims of racial violence.
Following Labour’s 1997 election victory Joan was appointed the first full-time Minister for Women (1997-1998). Over the next ten years she sat on several Select Committees (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Modernisation; International Development) and held a number of positions on Parliamentary groups, including the Parliamentary Labour Party’s Women’s Group, the All-Party Sustainable Development Group, the All-Party Compassion in Dying Group, the All-Party Sex Equality Group and the All-Party Group for the Future of Afghanistan.
The vision she has shown in championing a large number of causes has put her at the forefront of both the feminist and environmental movements in this country. She won her seat in Parliament after many years as an anti-poverty and equalities campaigner, having already gained national prominence as chairperson of CND in the early 1980s.
Early Parliamentary Career
Joan began her Parliamentary career in Opposition and held three frontbench portfolios. During this period she piloted a Private Members Bill on flytipping, which subsequently became the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989.
As Shadow Transport Minister (1989-1992), she was responsible for “greening” Labour’s roads policy and wrote the first comprehensive transport strategy for London. In her subsequent portfolio she led for Labour in all stages of the Environment Act 1995 and forged close links throughout the country with the major green organisations. As Shadow Minister for Home Affairs (1992-1994) her political vision led her to champion the cause of victims of racial violence.
Following Labour’s 1997 election victory Joan was appointed the first full-time Minister for Women (1997-1998). Over the next ten years she sat on several Select Committees (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Modernisation; International Development) and held a number of positions on Parliamentary groups, including the Parliamentary Labour Party’s Women’s Group, the All-Party Sustainable Development Group, the All-Party Compassion in Dying Group, the All-Party Sex Equality Group and the All-Party Group for the Future of Afghanistan.
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Joan was also a vice-president of the Family Planning Association and vice-chair of GLOBE UK, and remains a Vice-President of the Socialist Environment and Resources Association (SERA). Her interest in development issues extended to Zambia where she was twinned with a female MP under a British Council sponsored programme. Following 9/11 she set up the UK Afghan Women’s Link to champion human rights and visited Kabul twice.
Joan introduced a number of bills to Parliament, including the Organic Food and Farming Targets Bill, the Prophylactic Mastectomy Bill and a bill to amend the Sex Discrimination Act, which provided a blueprint for the Government’s Sex Discrimination (Election Candidates) Act. In November 2002 she again won a place in the Private Members ballot and took forward a bill which became the Household Waste Recycling Act 2003, making doorstep collections of recycled waste compulsory.
Joan introduced a number of bills to Parliament, including the Organic Food and Farming Targets Bill, the Prophylactic Mastectomy Bill and a bill to amend the Sex Discrimination Act, which provided a blueprint for the Government’s Sex Discrimination (Election Candidates) Act. In November 2002 she again won a place in the Private Members ballot and took forward a bill which became the Household Waste Recycling Act 2003, making doorstep collections of recycled waste compulsory.
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Meeting an eagle on a DEFRA visit to Scotland
Ministerial Responsibilities
In 2007 Joan was appointed as a minister in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). This was a huge privilege and she was delighted to be part of Gordon Brown’s government. Her DEFRA remit included climate change, waste and recycling and biodiversity.
In October 2008 she transferred to the newly-formed Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and was promoted to Minister of State with responsibility for climate change and energy efficiency following the June 2009 reshuffle.
In 2007 Joan was appointed as a minister in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). This was a huge privilege and she was delighted to be part of Gordon Brown’s government. Her DEFRA remit included climate change, waste and recycling and biodiversity.
In October 2008 she transferred to the newly-formed Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and was promoted to Minister of State with responsibility for climate change and energy efficiency following the June 2009 reshuffle.
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Answering questions as a DECC minister
Joan’s role at DECC focused on delivering a low carbon economy and ensuring a secure and affordable energy supply, with a focus on energy consumers.
She supported the Secretary of State in international negotiations on climate change and in promoting national debate, was part of the negotiating team at the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference (2009), and was also responsible for working with other government departments to support the climate change and energy agenda.
She supported the Secretary of State in international negotiations on climate change and in promoting national debate, was part of the negotiating team at the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference (2009), and was also responsible for working with other government departments to support the climate change and energy agenda.
After the 2010 General Election
Shortly after the last election Joan was appointed as a Privy Councillor and in 2012 she received a DBE in recognition of her public and political service.
Since Labour’s defeat in May 2010 Joan has focused her participation in Parliament on constituency issues - Lewisham Deptford sadly remains one of the most deprived areas in the UK and, in light of the cuts being made by the Coalition Government, people need her support more than ever.
Her regular advice surgeries provide individual contact, but she is also involved in constituency campaigns and has personally set up three groups to pursue local goals. One of them has just achieved its major ambition of getting a new station built in Deptford. See the Constituency section of the website, Latest News and News Archive for further details.
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Campaigning with Heidi Alexander MP
There is no doubt that the country is facing tough times, and that many of the advances made by the Labour Government in the provision of support for families and vulnerable people run the risk of being overturned by the Coalition.
However, in opposition Labour has recently enjoyed a number of successes, perhaps most notably the Government’s u-turn on the national forests sell-off which hundreds of local people had opposed. A partial climb down on education maintenance allowance was also achieved and the massive turnout for the TUC’s protest against public sector cuts may have slowed down some of the worst plans. Opposition to the NHS changes is ongoing.
However, in opposition Labour has recently enjoyed a number of successes, perhaps most notably the Government’s u-turn on the national forests sell-off which hundreds of local people had opposed. A partial climb down on education maintenance allowance was also achieved and the massive turnout for the TUC’s protest against public sector cuts may have slowed down some of the worst plans. Opposition to the NHS changes is ongoing.