Thelma Walker


Thelma Doris Walker is a British former Labour Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Colne Valley from 2017 general election to 2019. Prior to her political career, she worked as a teacher for 34 years and later as an independent consultant.

Early life and teaching career

Walker was born on 7 April 1957. She attended Marple Hall Grammar School in Manchester, England. Walker graduated in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in Education from Manchester Polytechnic. She then worked as a teacher in Stockton-on-Tees for 12 years before moving to Kirklees, West Yorkshire. Walker was the headteacher of Overthorpe C of E School and Flockton C of E First School. After 34 years as a teacher, she became an independent consultant in 2012.

Political career

Walker was elected as the MP for Colne Valley in the 2017 general election with a majority of 915 votes. The seat had previously been held by Conservative politician Jason McCartney since 2010. Walker made her maiden speech on 27 June 2017. She has sat on the Education Select Committee since September 2017, and was a member of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee between January and February 2018.
She is a signatory of the MPs Not Border Guards pledge, which vows to not report constituents to the Home Office for immigration enforcement. Hayman is a supporter of the Labour Against Private Schools campaign, which aims to commit Labour to abolishing independent schools in the United Kingdom.
Walker supported the United Kingdom remaining within the European Union in the 2016 UK EU membership referendum. In the indicative votes on 27 March 2019, she voted for a referendum on a Brexit withdrawal agreement, and for a customs union with the EU.
Walker lost her seat in the 2019 general election to Jason McCartney of the Conservatives, who she had previously unseated as the MP in 2017.

Personal life

She is married to Rob Walker. They have two children. He is a Labour councillor for Colne Valley ward of Kirklees Council. She is a trustee of Slaithwaite Civic Hall.