Marsha de Cordova
MP
Official portrait, 2017
Member of Parliament
for Battersea
Assumed office
8 June 2017
Preceded byJane Ellison
Majority5,668 (9.5%)
Shadow portfolios
2020–2021Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities
2017–2020Shadow Minister for Disabled People
Member of Lambeth London Borough Council for Larkhall
In office
22 May 2014 – 3 May 2018
Personal details
Born
Marsha Chantal de Cordova

(1976-01-23) 23 January 1976
Bristol, England
Political partyLabour
Other political
affiliations		Socialist Campaign Group
RelationsBobby Decordova-Reid (brother)
EducationHanham High School
Alma materLondon South Bank University
Websitemarshadecordova.co.uk

Marsha Chantal de Cordova (born 23 January 1976) is a British politician serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Battersea since 2017. A member of the Labour Party, she was a Member of Lambeth London Borough Council from 2014 to 2018.

De Cordova served in the Shadow Cabinet of Keir Starmer as Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities from 2020 to 2021.[1]

Early life and education

Marsha Chantal de Cordova was born on 23 January 1976 in Bristol, England.[2][3][4][5] She has five siblings, one of whom is professional footballer Bobby Decordova-Reid.[6][7] She was born with nystagmus and is registered blind.[6] De Cordova attended Hanham High School (now Hanham Woods Academy).[4]

De Cordova studied Law and European Policy Studies at London South Bank University. After graduating she worked at a number of charities including Action for Blind People before founding the charity South East London Vision in 2014.[6]

Prior to becoming an MP, she was the engagement and advocacy director at the charity, Thomas Pocklington Trust.[8]

Political career

De Cordova was elected as a Labour Party councillor for the Larkhall ward on Lambeth Council in 2014.[9]

She was elected as MP for Battersea in the 2017 general election.[4] It was previously held by Conservative politician Jane Ellison since 2010.[10]

De Cordova was appointed as the Shadow Minister for Disabled People on 9 October 2017, replacing Marie Rimmer.[11] She was promoted to Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities by new Labour leader, Keir Starmer, replacing Dawn Butler.

As an MP, she has been involved in campaigning to make the Parliamentary Estate more accessible for disabled people.[12]

In May 2021, alongside celebrities and other public figures, de Cordova was a signatory to an open letter from the magazine Stylist, which called on the government to address what it described as an "epidemic of male violence" by funding an "ongoing, high-profile, expert-informed awareness campaign on men's violence against women and girls".[13]

In August 2021, de Cordova was criticised for not attending an annual Stonewall event about the Labour Party and LGBT+ rights due to 'diary clashes'. She was the first shadow equalities secretary to not attend the event since it was created.[14]

De Cordova resigned from her post as shadow equalities secretary in September 2021 in order to focus on her marginal constituency of Battersea.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Jessica Elgot (14 September 2021). "Labour's shadow equalities secretary quits as does shadow women's minister". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  2. ↑ "In Touch, MP Marsha de Cordova's fight for disability support". BBC. 1 October 2019. Archived from the original on 29 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  3. ↑ "England & Wales Births 1837–2006". Findmypast. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 Anon (2017). "De Cordova, Marsha Chantol". Who's Who (online Oxford University Press ed.). Oxford: A & C Black. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U289522. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  5. ↑ "No. 61961". The London Gazette. 19 June 2017. p. 11777.
  6. 1 2 3 Shabi, Rachel (12 December 2017). "Marsha de Cordova: The government shouldn't blame disabled people for its failings". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 31 October 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  7. ↑ Booth, Dominic (26 October 2018). "'I don't talk to my dad, so one day I'll be Bobby Decordova'". walesonline. Archived from the original on 3 July 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  8. ↑ "Congratulations to Marsha de Cordova!". Thomas Pocklington Trust. 9 June 2017. Archived from the original on 31 October 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  9. ↑ "Election results for Larkhall". Lambeth Council. 22 May 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  10. ↑ Withnall, Adam (9 June 2017). "Battersea election result: Labour overturns large Conservative majority as minister Jane Ellison loses seat". The Independent. Archived from the original on 31 October 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  11. ↑ Kituno, Nick (10 October 2017). "Battersea MP Marsha de Cordova appointed shadow minister for disabled people". Wandsworth Guardian. Archived from the original on 31 October 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  12. ↑ Hossein-Pour, Anahita (20 September 2019). "Marsha de Cordova: "Parliament should be inclusive for everybody. It's supposed to be the people's house"". Archived from the original on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  13. ↑ ""We're calling on you to act now": read Stylist's open letter to Priti Patel about ending male violence against women and girls". Stylist. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  14. ↑ Patrick Kelleher (22 August 2021). "Labour's shadow equalities secretary Marsha de Cordova dodges LGBT+ rights event due to 'diary clashes'". PinkNews. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
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