LAURA Pidcock is the Labour Party candidate for North West Durham.
Here’s what we know about the Shadow Secretary of State for Employment Rights.
Who is Laura Pidcock?
Pidcock was born in North Shields, North Tyneside in August 1987 and raised in New Hartley and Seaton Delaval, Northumberland.
Her parents were both active in politics with her mum Mary being a social worker while her dad Bernard was an office manager who sat on Northumberland County Council from 2008 until he died in February 2019.
She studied politics at Manchester Metropolitan University, and was a mental health support worker before working at anti-racism charity Show Racism the Red Card.
Pidcock was a councillor for Cramlington Eastfield ward on Northumberland County Council, losing her seat to the Conservative Party candidate in the 2017 UK local elections.
That same year she was selected to stand for Labour in North West Durham, when the previous MP, Pat Glass stood down and was elected in the following election.
On 12 January 2018, she was appointed Shadow Minister for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
In 2019 Pidcock announced at the TUC that the next Labour Government would create a Ministry for Employment Rights to bring about the biggest extension of rights for workers that our country has ever seen to deliver better wages, greater security and give workers more of a say over how their workplaces are run”.
Why was the she criticised on LBC?
She was criticised for laughing at Nick Ferrari’s line of questioning about their workers’ policy on LBC.
Pidcock was on the radio to discuss Labour’s plan to expand workers rights, reiterating their plan to ban zero-hours contracts and introduce a 10 minimum wage.
In announcing their Workers’ Manifesto, Jeremy Corbyn called out what he called the UKs five worst employers – Amazon, Uber, Asda, Sports Direct and outsourcing company ISS.
But when Ferrari put to her the possibility that forcing employers to pay almost 25% more could well lead to job losses, Pidcock laughed.
Ferrari pressed: “Why is it funny? People’s jobs might be on the line. I don’t see why that’s funny.”
To which the Labour candidate said: “Honestly, this is quite hilarious.
“I’m interested in why you are not pursuing the line of questioning about the minimum wage…”
People on Twitter were unimpressed and piled in with criticism.
