Helen Mary Southworth is a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.
Education
Born in Preston, Southworth was educated at the former Larkhill Convent Grammar School (now called Cardinal Newman College, a sixth form college) on Larkhill Road in Frenchwood, Preston. In 1978, she graduated with a Bachelor in English Literature from Lancaster University.
Career
She retained the Warrington South seat at the 2001 and 2005 general elections, each time with a reduced majority. On 15 June 2009, she announced that she would be retiring at the next general election. Before entering Parliament, Southworth was a councillor on Street Helens Borough Council, on which she became chairperson of the Leisure Committee.
She unsuccessfully contested the Wirral South constituency at the 1992 General Election.
She was a Director at Age Concern in Street Helens. She was Parliamentary Private Secretary to Paul Boateng, the former Chief Secretary to the Treasury, from 2001 to 2005.
She has served as a non-executive director on a number of bodies, including the charity Age Concern, Grosvenor Housing Association and Merseyside and Knowsley Health Authority. On 16 June 2009, Southworth announced her intention to stand down at the next general election, citing her desire to spend more time with her family.
In 2014 she became Chief Executive Officer of Age having previously been Chief Executive Officer of Age Concern in Street Helens for thirteen years before she stepped down in 2010.
Membership
52nd United Kingdom Parliament. 53rd United Kingdom Parliament. 54th United Kingdom Parliament]
She is the former Member of Parliament (Member of Parliament) for Warrington South, and was first elected at the 1997 general election.
Southworth served as a member of the House of Commons select committees on Trade and Industry (1998–2001) and Procedure (1997–1999).
In 2005 she was appointed a member of the Culture, Media and Sport select committee, which scrutinised the implementation of the London 2012 Olympic Games.