Trish Law

Background

Patricia Bolter was born in Nantyglo, Blaenau Gwent, in 1954.

Education

She was educated in Nantyglo Junior School, Glanyravon Secondary Modern School and Ebbw Vale College.

Career

She trained as a Nursing Assistant in an Electric and Music Industries unit for Gwent Healthcare National Health Service Trust, before marrying Peter Law. During Peter Law"s term as Department of Administration and Management and Member of Parliament, Trish Law worked in his constituency office. After Peter Law"s resignation from the Labour Party due to the imposition of an all-women candidate list, and later death from a brain tumour on 25 April 2006, Trish Law was supported by Blaenau Gwent People"s Voice Group, the group formed by those who helped Peter Law overturn a 19,000 Labour majority at the 2005 General Election.

Labour also failed to regain the Westminster seat as Peter Law"s former campaign manager, Dai Davies, was elected to replace him.

Following her election, the National Assembly for Wales became the first United Kingdom legislature to have a female majority of representatives. Although an independent, Law backed Labour"s Assembly Budget after Finance Minister Sue Essex accepted two of her demands: a commitment that women"s refuges will be set up in all Welsh counties that don"t currently have one.

And the opening of a therapy centre in Blaenau Gwent for people suffering from depression, stress and low self-esteem. In November 2008, Law attempted to prevent a reading by poet Patrick Jones, arranged by Liberal Democrat Department of Administration and Management Peter Black and scheduled to take place in the buildings of the Welsh Assembly on 11 December 2008.

Jones had been invited by Black to give a reading from his book "Darkness Is Where The Stars Are", after the bookseller Waterstone"s had cancelled a launch event for the book following threats to disrupt the event from Christian fundamentalist group Christian Voice, led by Stephen Green.

Her request for censorship was refused, Assembly Commission chief executive Claire Clancy saying: "Neither officials nor the Assembly Commission make judgments on the nature or purpose of these events, except to ensure they would not give rise to any legal problems. Assembly buildings are public buildings, and secular in character. lieutenant is our responsibility to ensure that events sponsored by any Assembly Members are always allowed to take place without fear of disruption or intimidation, while respecting the right to peaceful protest."

In August 2010 Law indicated that she will not seek re-election at the 2011 Assembly election.

Achievements

• She won the seat at a by-election on 29 June 2006. This and other campaigns meant Law won the British Broadcasting Corporation Wales award for Campaigning Politician of the Year. Law won re-election as an independent at the National Assembly for Wales election, 2007.