Alice Macdonald

(Redirected from Alice MacDonald)

Alice Macdonald (born 1 April 1983) is a British Labour and Co-operative Party politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Norwich North since 2024. She is the daughter of former West Norfolk Council Labour leader Irene Macdonald.[1][2]

Alice Macdonald
Official portrait, 2024
Member of Parliament
for Norwich North
Assumed office
4 July 2024
Preceded byChloe Smith
Majority10,850 (23.7%)
Member of Southwark London Borough Council for Newington
In office
7 May 2018 – 29 June 2023
Personal details
Born (1983-04-01) 1 April 1983 (age 41)
Norwich, Norfolk, England
Political partyLabour and Co-operative
Parent(s)Irene[1] and John[citation needed] Macdonald
Education

Early life and education

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Macdonald grew up in Marham and attended the Downham Market comprehensive high school, then commuted to a sixth form in Cambridge.[3] She studied French and Italian at the University of Bristol in 2005, then went on to study a Master of the Arts in International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS University of London, where she graduated in 2007.[4][5]

Pre-Parliamentary career

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Local politics

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Macdonald served as a councillor in the Newington ward of Southwark from 7 May 2018 to 29 June 2023.[6] On 25 July 2022 she was announced as the official Labour parliamentary candidate for Norwich North. She has also served as a senior adviser to Harriet Harman and Bob Ainsworth.[7]

Charity campaigning

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Macdonald was Campaigns and Policy Director for London-based company Project Everyone between August 2016 and April 2023.[8] Project Everyone was co-founded by Richard Curtis and is dedicated to "achieving sustainable development goals" via "campaign materials, [...] installations, [...] documentaries, [and] events".[9] Macdonald also served as Campaign Director for Hungry for Action Campaign, who aim to spotlight the global food crisis, but resigned from this position upon becoming MP.[10]

Appointments

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Macdonald was a Director of the Potter Fields Park Management Trust, a not-for-profit organisation that manages events and maintenance for a park and a churchyard in Southwark.[11] The appointment lasted from 21 July 2021 until 28 November 2022, when she resigned from her position.[12]

Parliamentary career

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In 2022, Macdonald announced she would be standing for the Labour parliamentary candidacy against Karen Davis, who stood in the 2019 general election against Conservative incumbent Chloe Smith. In response to a video by Macdonald supporting her own candidacy, Emma Corlett, the deputy leader of Norfolk County Council, remarked: "This video literally uses photos from Karen Davis' campaign on holiday hunger and has you walking past the Vote Labour boards she and I put up with our bare (splintered) hands."[1]

Macdonald was elected to represent Norwich North at the 2024 general election. She received 20,794 votes, a 45.4% share of the vote and a majority of 10,850. There were six candidates and a turnout of 62%.[13]

The result was a 18.2% swing to Labour from 2019. The unpopularity of the Conservatives in her area was the deciding factor in a result that also saw significant vote share increase for Reform and The Green Party.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Row erupts in Labour process to pick candidate to fight Norwich North". Norwich Evening News. 16 June 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  2. ^ "'A bold vision of hope' - Labour candidate's plan to win Norwich seat". Norwich Evening News. 2022-08-03. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  3. ^ "Alice Macdonald elected as Labour MP in Norwich North". Eastern Daily Press. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Alice Macdonald for Norwich North". Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Alice Macdonald: Labour and Co-operative Parliamentary Candidate for Norwich North and Campaign Director Hungry for Action". Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Councillor details - Councillor Alice Macdonald - Southwark Council". Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  7. ^ "Our rundown of Labour parliamentary selections over the weekend". 25 July 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  8. ^ "Project Everyone Overview". Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  9. ^ "About Us - Project Everyone". Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  10. ^ "SDG2 Advocacy Hub: Hungry for Action". Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  11. ^ "About Us". Potters Fields Park. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
  12. ^ "Alice MACDONALD". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
  13. ^ "Norwich North - General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Norwich North

2024–present
Incumbent