Candice Kathleen Atherton (21 September 1955 – 30 October 2017) was a British Labour politician and journalist. After serving as a

councillor A councillor is an elected representative for a local government council in some countries. Canada Due to the control that the provinces have over their municipal governments, terms that councillors serve vary from province to province. Unl ...

Islington Islington () is a district in the north of Greater London, England, and part of the London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the ...

, where she was mayor, she was

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house ...

(MP) for Falmouth and Camborne from 1997 to 2005. In later life she lived in

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlan ...

and was a member of Cornwall Council.

Early life

She attended the

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

all-girls Convent of the Sacred Heart (now

Woldingham School Woldingham School is an independent school for girls, located in the former Marden Park of outside the village of Woldingham, Surrey, in South East England. It is a Roman Catholic school and a member of the global Network of Sacred Heart School ...

) in Woldingham, Surrey, then Midhurst Grammar School in

West Sussex West Sussex is a county in South East England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the shire districts of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Horsham, and Mid Sussex, and the boroughs of Crawley and Worthing. Covering an a ...

. From the Polytechnic of North London (now

London Metropolitan University London Metropolitan University, commonly known as London Met, is a public research university in London, England. The University of North London (formerly the Polytechnic of North London) and London Guildhall University (formerly the City ...

), she graduated BA in Applied Social Studies in 1985.

Professional career

Atherton worked as a journalist from 1980. In 1984, she co-founded ''Everywoman'' – a " post-feminist"

women's magazine This is a list of women's magazines from around the world. These are magazines that have been published primarily for a readership of women. Currently published *'' 10 Magazine'' (UK - distributed worldwide) *''Al Jamila'' (Saudi Arabia) *'' All ...

– and later co-wrote a book on housing for single homeless people in North London. Atherton also worked with ex-offenders, and co-founded a

women's shelter A women's shelter, also known as a women's refuge and battered women's shelter, is a place of temporary protection and support for women escaping domestic violence and intimate partner violence of all forms. The term is also frequently used t ...

Political career

In 1982, she led protests within the Labour Party and the

CND The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is an organisation that advocates unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, international nuclear disarmament and tighter international arms regulation through agreements such as the Nu ...

movement against the Task Force sent to the

Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubou ...

. From 1986 to 1992, she served as a Labour

in the

London Borough of Islington The London Borough of Islington ( ) is a London borough in Inner London. Whilst the majority of the district is located in north London, the borough also includes a significant area to the south which forms part of central London. Islington ha ...

and was

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...

for the year 1989–1990. She chaired the Women's and Disability Committees of both Islington and the Association of London Labour Authorities. Atherton stood for Labour at Chesham and Amersham in the 1992 general election. In the early 1990s, she left London and lived in Westbury, Wiltshire, where she stood unsuccessfully as a Labour candidate in the elections of 1993 to

Wiltshire County Council Wiltshire County Council (established in 1889) was the county council of Wiltshire in the South West of England, an elected local Government body responsible for most local government services in the county. As a result of the 2009 restructu ...

. She then worked for the Labour Party and

Unison In music, unison is two or more musical parts that sound either the same pitch or pitches separated by intervals of one or more octaves, usually at the same time. ''Rhythmic unison'' is another term for homorhythm. Definition Unison or pe ...

, before being selected to fight the three-way marginal seat of Falmouth and Camborne in Cornwall, after the local Labour Party had imposed the first all-women shortlist in the country. Such shortlists were subsequently ruled to be in breach of the

Sex Discrimination Act 1975 The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (c. 65) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which protected men and women from discrimination on the grounds of sex or marital status. The Act concerned employment, training, education, harassme ...

, and thus unlawful. Despite that judgement, she remained in place as the candidate for the 1997 general election. Taking Labour from third place to first, she was elected as the

for Falmouth and Camborne, holding the seat until the election of 2005. She doubled her majority in the 2001 election, having successfully campaigned for Objective One status for Cornwall, for the

National Minimum Wage Act 1998 The National Minimum Wage Act 1998 creates a minimum wage across the United Kingdom.. E McGaughey, ''A Casebook on Labour Law'' (Hart 2019) ch 6(1) From 1 April 2022 this was £9.50 for people age 23 and over, £9.18 for 21- to 22-year-olds, £6. ...

, and for a university in Cornwall. She spearheaded the campaign to open a Minor Injuries Unit in Camborne Redruth Community Hospital – now used by more than 12,000 people a year – and the campaign to expose the nerve gas station at Nancekuke ( RRH Portreath) in her constituency. At the 2005 general election, Atherton lost her seat to Liberal Democrat

Julia Goldsworthy Julia Anne Goldsworthy (born 10 September 1978) is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Falmouth and Camborne from 2005 until 2010. A member of the Liberal Democrats, she was narrowly defeated by 66 votes by th ...

by a majority of 1,886. Afterwards, she continued to campaign for women's political advancement, disability rights and rural housing reform. As of 2021, Atherton is the latest Labour MP to represent one of the six constituencies of Cornwall. Paul Phillips, a gay aide Atherton employed for a year until March 2004, resigned and claimed discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, accusing her of

homophobia Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy ...

and of asking him to find information on her

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

opponent in Falmouth because he was also gay. The tribunal found in Atherton's favour. Atherton's record of voting in the House of Commons was generally supportive of gay rights.

After Parliament

From 2005 to 2008, Atherton was a board member of the

Housing Corporation The Housing Corporation was the non-departmental public body that funded new affordable housing and regulated housing associations in England. It was established by the Housing Act 1964. On 1 December 2008, its functions were transferred to two ...

and she chaired the Rural Housing Advisory Panel, which advises the British government on rural housing issues. In 2006, she founded Atherton Associates, a public affairs company, and has worked for

British Waterways British Waterways, often shortened to BW, was a statutory corporation wholly owned by the government of the United Kingdom. It served as the navigation authority for the majority of canals and a number of rivers and docks in England, Scotla ...

and the

Inland Waterways Association The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) is a registered charity in the United Kingdom and was formed in 1946 to campaign for the conservation, use, maintenance, restoration and sensitive development of British Canals and river navigations. No ...

and with Weber Shandwick Public Affairs. From October 2008, she was a board member of the

Homes and Communities Agency Homes England is the non-departmental public body that funds new affordable housing in England. It was founded on 1 January 2018 to replace the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). HCA in turn was established by the Housing and Regeneration Act 2 ...

. She was the vice chair of the Truro and Falmouth Constituency Labour Party and was member of the Labour Party's South West Regional Board. Atherton married a

Cornishman The Cornish people or Cornish ( kw, Kernowyon, ang, Cornƿīelisċ) are an ethnic group native to, or associated with Cornwall: and a recognised national minority in the United Kingdom, which can trace its roots to the ancient Britons ...

, Broderick Ross, in 2002, and lived with him in Falmouth, Cornwall. In 2009 Atherton, her husband, her mother Pam Atherton and mother-in law Betty Ross stood for election to the newly formed

Cornwall Council Cornwall Council ( kw, Konsel Kernow) is the unitary authority for Cornwall in the United Kingdom, not including the Isles of Scilly, which has its own unitary council. The council, and its predecessor Cornwall County Council, has a traditio ...

. Atherton contested the Carn Brea North division, finishing third in a field of four, with 23% of the vote, while her husband finished last out of four in

Camborne Camborne ( kw, Kammbronn) is a town in Cornwall, England. The population at the 2011 Census was 20,845. The northern edge of the parish includes a section of the South West Coast Path, Hell's Mouth, Cornwall, Hell's Mouth and Deadman's Cove ...

Central with 11%. Both seats were won by the

Conservatives Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

. Pam Atherton finished last out of six in

St Day St Day ( kw, Sen Day) is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated between the village of Chacewater and the town of Redruth. The electoral ward St Day and Lanner had a population at the 2011 census of 4,473 ...

and Lanner with 3%, and Betty Ross finished last out of seven in

Wendron Wendron ( kw, Egloswendron (village), Pluw Wendron (parish); historically St. Wendron) is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, to the north of Helston. The parish population at the 2011 census was 2,743. The elect ...

, both of those contests being won by Independents. Atherton was elected to

in the 2013 local elections, where she represented the Falmouth Smithick division until her death. In 2014, she acted as the spearhead to pass an Article 4 direction through Cornwall Council, a piece of legislation which requires landlords planning to convert a property into a house of multiple occupancy (HMO) to have planning permission. She opposed the expansion of

Falmouth University Falmouth University ( kw, Pennskol Aberfal) is a specialist public university for the creative industries based in Falmouth and Penryn, Cornwall, England. Founded as Falmouth School of Art in 1902, it was later known as Falmouth College of Ar ...

in 2016.

Death

Atherton died suddenly overnight on 30 October 2017 at the age of 62. Prime Minister

Theresa May Theresa Mary May, Lady May (; née Brasier; born 1 October 1956) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2016 to 2019. She previously served in David Cameron's cabi ...

paid tribute to her at

Prime Minister's Questions Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs, officially known as Questions to the Prime Minister, while colloquially known as Prime Minister's Question Time) is a constitutional convention in the United Kingdom, currently held as a single session every We ...

on 1 November, which were echoed by

Leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...

Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (; born 26 May 1949) is a British politician who served as Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom), Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 2015 to 2020. On the pol ...

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Atherton, Candy 1955 births 2017 deaths Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for constituencies in Cornwall Politicians from Cornwall Councillors in the London Borough of Islington Members of Cornwall Council Labour Party (UK) councillors Mayors of places in Greater London Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies Women mayors of places in England UK MPs 1997–2001 UK MPs 2001–2005 People from Westbury, Wiltshire Alumni of the University of North London People educated at Woldingham School Labour Party (UK) mayors 20th-century British women politicians 21st-century British women politicians 20th-century British politicians 21st-century British politicians 20th-century English women 20th-century English people 21st-century English women 21st-century English people Women councillors in England Place of birth missing Place of death missing