Natalie Fleet (born 24 May 1984) is a British Labour Party politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolsover since 2024.
Natalie Fleet | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait of Natalie Fleet, 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament for Bolsover | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Mark Fletcher |
| Majority | 6,323 (14.9%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 May 1984[1] |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse | Ritchie Fleet[2] (2007–)[3] |
| Children | 4 |
Early life and career
editFleet was born in 1984 and raised in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.[4] Her mother is a former factory worker and her father and other family members were coal miners.[5]
As a child, she received free school meals and experienced homelessness.[6] Fleet left school at 16 after becoming pregnant, and commenced a university course in her early 20s before dropping out.
Fleet worked in the voluntary sector before working for trade unions, including the National Education Union.[7]
Political career
editFleet joined the Labour Party as a teenager.[4]
She was the Labour candidate for Ashfield at the 2019 general election, finishing in third place in the seat Labour had won in 2017.[8] She received threats and her campaign office was vandalised during the election campaign and she chose not to contest the seat again due to safety concerns.[6]
Fleet was elected as the first female MP for Bolsover at the 2024 general election, defeating the incumbent Conservative Mark Fletcher.[9][10] She had failed to win Bolsover Labour's initial candidate selection,[11] and won the subsequent one following the winning candidate's resignation.
In November 2024, Fleet voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which proposes to legalise assisted suicide.[12]
Personal life
editFleet is married with four children.[5] After her election as an MP in 2024, she said in an interview on GB News—conducted by her friend, former Ashfield MP Gloria De Piero[6]—that she had been groomed at the age of 15 by an older man, with whom she had sex (statutory rape), and subsequently became pregnant with her first daughter.[13]
Fleet has spoken of wanting to be a voice for other women who are victims of grooming and sexual violence.[14][15]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Fleet, Natalie [@NatalieFleetMP] (May 24, 2024). "Thanks for all the birthday love.
40 is cooler than expected, even found time to squeeze celebrations in.
Shout out to Rishi for the earlier than expected GE; what a present! 🎉" (Tweet). Retrieved 17 December 2024 – via Twitter. - ^ https://x.com/NatalieFleetMP/status/1804947713483559266
- ^ https://x.com/NatalieFleetMP/status/1796808196637544613
- ^ a b Maguire, Patrick (2019-12-10). "On the road in Ashfield, the UK's most gambled-on constituency". New Statesman. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
- ^ a b Hinsliff, Gaby (2019-11-21). "'I'm not going to be bullied into silence.' The women defying abuse to stand as MPs". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
- ^ a b c Belger, Tom (2024-07-03). "Bolsover: Labour's Natalie Fleet on death threats, Dennis Skinner and class today". LabourList. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
- ^ Belger, Tom (3 July 2024). "Bolsover: Labour's Natalie Fleet on death threats, Dennis Skinner and class today". LabourList.
- ^ "'I'm sorry we've let some people down'". BBC News. 14 December 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ "Bolsover | General Election 2024". Sky News. July 2024. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ "UK general election results live: Labour set for landslide as results come in across country". BBC News. July 2024. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ Neame, Katie (5 December 2022). "Four more Labour parliamentary candidates selected this weekend". LabourList. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ "Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Second Reading". Votes in Parliament. 29 November 2024.
- ^ Mata, William (21 July 2024). "Labour MP Natalie Fleet reveals she was 'groomed' by older man who impregnated her at age 15". Evening Standard. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ "New MP Natalie Fleet discusses being 'groomed' at 15 and wanting to be a voice for women". Sky News. 20 July 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ Cole, Hollie (21 July 2024). "Labour MP Natalie Fleet says she was pregnant at 15 after being groomed". BBC News. Retrieved 21 July 2024.