Colleen Margaret Fletcher (''née'' Dalton; born 23 November 1954) is a British politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Coventry North East from 2015 to 2024. A member of the Labour Party, she served as a Member of

Coventry City Council Coventry City Council is the Local government in England, local authority for the city of Coventry in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Coventry has had a council from medieval times, which has been reformed on numerous occasi ...

prior to her election to Parliament.

Early life

Colleen Margaret Dalton was born on 23 November 1954 in

Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...

, England to William Charles and Dot Dalton. Her mother was a Labour councillor on

. She grew up in Coventry and attended Richard Lee Primary School, Lyng Hall School, and the further education college Henley College.

Political career

Fletcher represented Wyken ward on Coventry City Council from 1992 to 2000 and between 2002 and 2004. In 2011, Fletcher was elected as a Labour Party councillor for the Upper Stoke ward on the same council. In December 2013, she was selected as the Labour candidate for Coventry North East. The seat had been represented by a Labour MP since its formation in 1974. Fletcher was elected as MP with a majority of 11,775 (29.1%). She supported

Owen Smith Owen Smith (born 2 May 1970) is a British lobbyist and former Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician. Smith was Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Pontypridd (UK Parliament constituency), Pontypridd from 2 ...

in the 2016 Labour leadership election, and was re-elected at the 2017 general election. Fletcher served as an opposition

whip A whip is a blunt weapon or implement used in a striking motion to create sound or pain. Whips can be used for flagellation against humans or animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain, or be used as an audible cue thro ...

from 2017 to 2024, under the leadership of Corbyn and later

Keir Starmer Sir Keir Rodney Starmer (born 2 September 1962) is a British politician and lawyer who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2024 and as Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. He previously ...

. As an opposition whip, she served on the Administration Committee and numerous bill committees. Fletcher supported the United Kingdom (UK) remaining within the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

(EU) in the 2016 UK EU membership referendum. In the indicative votes in March 2019, she voted for a referendum on a

Brexit Brexit (, a portmanteau of "Britain" and "Exit") was the Withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU). Brexit officially took place at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February ...

withdrawal agreement, for the Norway-plus model, and for a customs union with the EU. On 5 September 2022, she announced she would be standing down at the 2024 general election.

Personal life

Fletcher was married to Ian Fletcher from 1972 until his death in 2018; the couple had two sons.

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fletcher, Colleen 1954 births Living people Coventry City Councillors Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies Labour Party (UK) councillors Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Members of Parliament for Coventry UK MPs 2015–2017 UK MPs 2017–2019 UK MPs 2019–2024 21st-century British women politicians 21st-century English women 21st-century English politicians Women councillors in England Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East Officers of the Order of the British Empire