The daughter of Ron Atkins, the former left wing Labour Member of Parliament for Preston North, Atkins was educated at the Colchester County High School, and is a graduate of the London School of Economics, gaining a Bachelor of Science in Economics.
London School of Economics.
From the University of London, she also gained an Master of Arts in Area Studies She worked as a community relations officer with the Luton Community Research Council from 1974-1976, before joining the Trade Union Movement. Foreign four years she was a researcher with the UCATT union from 1976-1980, then a researcher from 1980-1984 for the Telegraphic Agency of the USSR and AUEW, before becoming a press officer for UNISON and COHSE from 1984-1987. She joined the Labour Party in 1965.
In 1982 she was elected as a councillor in the London Borough of Wandsworth, and was the Deputy Leader of the Labour Group from 1983-1986.
In 1981 she wrote a book with Chris Mullin entitled How to Select or Reselect Your Member of Parliament.
In 1990 Atkins unsuccessfully contested the Eastbourne by-election caused by the assassination of the Conservative Member of Parliament Ian Gow by the Provisional Ireland Republican Army. After the 2001 general election Atkins was appointed a Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. She was promoted to Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport in 2004, but was dropped after the 2005 general election.
Atkins was largely loyal to the Labour government during her time in Parliament and rarely rebelled. Atkins was Vice-Chair of the All-Party Hill Farmers Group, and took part in a series of adjournment debates on government funding for inland waterways.
She is a volunteer for the Manchester-based British Fluoridisation Society.
Atkins lost her seat at the 2010 general election to Karen Bradley of the Conservative Party. The CRT is the charity which has taken over the work and role of British Waterways. Claiming Labour wanted to ditch the council tax in 2005
Opening the Rearsby bypass in December 2004.
52nd United Kingdom Parliament. 53rd United Kingdom Parliament. 54th United Kingdom Parliament]
She entered the House of Commons at the 1997 general election in the Labour landslide as the Member of Parliament for Staffordshire Moorlands, a seat held previously by David Knox and which had been Conservative for 27 years.
In July 2005 she became a member of the Health Select Committee.
