Background
Mountford was born in Crewe, the daughter of an engine driver, She attended Crewe Grammar School for Girls (became King"s Grove High School in the late 1970s) on Buchan Grove in Crewe.
Mountford was born in Crewe, the daughter of an engine driver, She attended Crewe Grammar School for Girls (became King"s Grove High School in the late 1970s) on Buchan Grove in Crewe.
In 1986, whilst working at the Crewe Jobcentre, she stood as the Liberal candidate in a County Council bye-election in Crewe Central ward on 18 September. At Crewe and Alsager College (now the Alsager Campus of Manchester Metropolitan University), she gained a DipHE and a Bachelor in Philosophy, Psychology and Sociology in 1988 as a mature student. Mountford served as a Sheffield City Councillor for four years and worked as a civil servant benefits clerk for twenty years prior to entering Parliament.
She was also active in the CPSA (became the Proceedings of the Chemical Society in 1998) as a shop steward.
Mountford was selected as a Labour candidate through an all-women shortlist. She was first elected at the 1997 general election for Colne Valley and served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Des Browne Member of Parliament. She retired from the Commons at the 2010 general election.
Mountford was suspended from the House of Commons for five working days in 1998 for leaking a Social Security Select Committee report to the government. The House of Commons Standards and Privileges Committee stated that although there were some mitigating circumstances for her behavior, she had in fact "aggravated her original offence by denying responsibility".
In addition to the suspension Mountford was forced to apologise for her conduct.
As a result of the controversy Mountford also resigned from the Social Security Select Committee. Textile industry in December 2002 Suspended from Select Committee in October 1999.
52nd United Kingdom Parliament. 53rd United Kingdom Parliament. 54th United Kingdom Parliament.