Vero - Wikipedia - User contributions [en]

Susan Kramer, Baroness Kramer

2025-10-31T00:09:02Z

96.8.162.69:

{{Short description|British Liberal Democrat politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix = [[The Right Honourable]]
|name = The Baroness Kramer
|honorific-suffix = [[Privy Council (United Kingdom)|PC]]
|image = Official portrait of Baroness Kramer crop 2, 2019.jpg
|caption = Official portrait, 2019
|office = [[Minister of State for Transport]]
|primeminister = [[David Cameron]]
|term_start = 7 October 2013
|term_end = 8 May 2015
|predecessor = [[Simon Burns]]
|successor = [[Andrew Jones (British politician)|Andrew Jones]]
|office1 = [[Member of the House of Lords]]
|status1 = [[Lord Temporal]]
|termlabel1 = [[Life peer]]age
|term_start1 = 10 January 2011
|office2 = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Richmond Park (UK Parliament constituency)|Richmond Park]]
|term_start2 = 5 May 2005
|term_end2 = 12 April 2010
|predecessor2 = [[Jenny Tonge]]
|successor2 = [[Zac Goldsmith]]
|office3 = Liberal Democrat portfolios
|suboffice3 = [[Cabinet Office]]
|subterm3 = 2007–2009
|suboffice4 = [[Department for Transport|Transport]]
|subterm4 = 2015
|suboffice5 = [[HM Treasury]]
|subterm5 = 2015–2019{{efn|Portfolio briefly covered by Vince Cable from 8 May 2017 to 20 July 2017.}}
|birth_name = Susan Veronica Richards
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|7|21|df=y}}
|birth_place = [[Holborn]], [[London]], England
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]]
|spouse = {{marriage|John Kramer|1972|2006|end=d.}}
|children = 2
|residence = [[Barnes, London|Barnes]], London, England
|alma_mater = [[St Hilda's College, Oxford]] [[University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign]]
|website = {{URL|http://www.susankramer.org.uk/|Official website}}
}}
'''Susan Veronica Kramer, Baroness Kramer''' [[Privy Council|PC]] (''née'' '''Richards'''; born 21 July 1950) is a British politician and life peer who served as [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Richmond Park (UK Parliament constituency)|Richmond Park]] from 2005 to 2010. A member of the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]], she was their [[Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson|Treasury Spokesperson]] from 2015 to 2017 and 2017 to 2019.

Born in [[Holborn]], Kramer was privately educated at [[St Paul's Girls' School]] before studying at [[St Hilda's College, Oxford|St Hilda's College]], [[University of Oxford]] and the [[University of Illinois]]. Prior to entering the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]], she pursued a career in infrastructure finance and in 2000 was a candidate in the [[2000 London mayoral election|London mayoral election]]. She served as [[Minister of State for Transport]] in the [[Cameron–Clegg coalition]].

==Early life and career==
Susan Veronica Richards was born in [[Holborn]], London, on 22 July 1950.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kramer, Baroness, (Susan Veronica Kramer) (born 21 July 1950)|url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-45702|website=WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO|year=2007|language=en|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u45702|isbn=978-0-19-954088-4|access-date=2020-05-20}}</ref> She was educated at [[St Paul's Girls' School]], an [[independent school]] in London. She then read [[Philosophy, Politics and Economics]] at [[St Hilda's College, Oxford|St Hilda's College]], [[University of Oxford]]. She served as the President of the [[Oxford Union]] in 1971, the second woman ever to be elected to the position. She then earned her [[MBA]] at the [[University of Illinois]] in the [[United States]]. She began her career in finance, and rose to become a Vice-President of [[Citibank]] in [[Chicago]]. She and her husband then set up Infrastructure Capital Partners, a firm which advised on infrastructure projects, primarily in Central and Eastern Europe. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Watch Susan Kramer Talk & Discussion Videos at Conferences {{!}} ConferenceCast.tv |url=https://www.conferencecast.tv/speaker-49218-susan-kramer |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=www.conferencecast.tv |language=en}}</ref>

==Political career==
===Early candidacies===
Kramer contested [[Dulwich and West Norwood]] in [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997]], coming third behind the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] incumbent [[Tessa Jowell]] and the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] candidate Roger W. Gough. In 1999, she was on the Liberal Democrat party list for the [[London (European Parliament constituency)|London constituency]] at the European Parliament elections, though she was not elected. The following year, she stood as the Liberal Democrat candidate in the [[2000 London mayoral election|election]] for [[Mayor of London]] against [[Ken Livingstone]], and other candidates. She finished fourth with 11.9% of the vote. In March 2003, she again sought the party's nomination for Mayor of London, but was beaten in a three-way race for the candidacy by [[Simon Hughes]]. {{citation needed|date=April 2014}}

===Member of Parliament===
In September 2003, Kramer was selected as the [[prospective parliamentary candidate]] for the constituency of Richmond Park in South West London, following the decision of the sitting Liberal Democrat MP, [[Jenny Tonge]], to stand down at the next election. Kramer was then elected as the MP for the constituency at the [[2005 United Kingdom general election|May 2005 general election]]. Kramer was appointed as the Liberal Democrat spokesperson on International Development by the new party leader, [[Sir Menzies Campbell]], in March 2006. She succeeded [[Ed Davey]] as Trade & Industry spokesperson nine months later. In 2007 she became the party's Transport spokesperson. When Nick Clegg was appointed as Liberal Democrat Leader, Kramer received a demotion to a spokesperson for the Cabinet Office. She later regained the Transport post in a subsequent reshuffle. In January 2009, she resigned from the party's front bench to defend her seat from a renewed Conservative campaign to regain Richmond. Kramer was one of the contributors to the ''[[The Orange Book: Reclaiming Liberalism|Orange Book]]'' (2004).<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Meadowcroft|first=John|date=2005|title=The Orange Book: Reclaiming Liberalism|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/240269067|journal=Economic Affairs|volume=25|issue=4|pages=86|doi=10.1111/j.1468-0270.2005.00603b.x|via=ResearchGate}}</ref> {{citation needed|date=April 2014}}

Kramer was involved in a breach of electoral rules when her son made four monthly donations of £332 between December 2008 and March 2009 to her campaign while not on the electoral register. A Liberal Democrat spokeswoman said to the press Jonathan Kramer was unaware his name had fallen off the register, and that the money was paid back once the error was pointed out.<ref>[http://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/4556589.Lib_Dems_hand_back_MP_s_son_s_donation "Son of Richmond Park MP Susan Kramer breached donation rules"], ''Richmond & Twickenham Times''; 20 August 2009.</ref>

====Voting record and positions====
[[File:Susan Kramer at Green Kew Launch Party - Kew Gardens Station.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Kramer at a reusable bag launch at [[Kew Gardens station (London)|Kew Gardens station]] ]]
Kramer rarely rebelled against Liberal Democrat policy in terms of voting. She has voted against the introduction of national ID cards, against the renewal of the Trident defence system, and for an elected [[House of Lords]].<ref name="voting record">[https://archive.today/20130420062129/http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/howtheyvoted/0,,-11013,00.html "Susan Kramer: details of key votes"], ''The Guardian''; retrieved 16 June 2009.</ref>

Kramer took a keen interest in London transport, in particular regarding high-speed rail and the [[Thameslink Programme]]. Despite her initial enthusiasm about the opening of [[High Speed 1]], she became more mixed on the issue, citing in 2007 during a debate with a number of Labour MPs that "significant numbers of business customers in south-west London have been happy to make the easy journey by train to [[London Waterloo railway station|Waterloo]], but that they simply jump in a cab to go to Gatwick or Heathrow. It is unfortunate, but their passenger business will largely be lost, as the journey to [[St Pancras railway station|St Pancras]] will be more than an hour longer than the current journey to Waterloo."<ref name="HS1 hansard">[https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm071120/debtext/71120-0009.htm House of Commons Hansard Debates for 20 November 2007 part 9], UK Parliament website; retrieved 16 June 2009.</ref> Kramer's district of Richmond Park is situated in an area served by [[South West Trains]] which provides service into Waterloo station rather than the newly opened [[St Pancras International station]] which replaced the former as the London terminus for Eurostar; she later argued for possible use of both stations.<ref name="HS1 hansard"/>

In addition, she echoed her discontent with the management of the Thameslink Programme, originally meant to improve cross-Thames rail travel, claiming it failed to meet set targets and that its cash flow has been poorly managed.<ref name="HS1 hansard"/> She consistently supported [[Crossrail]] and was a member of the Crossrail Bill Committee.<ref name="theywork">[https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/susan_kramer/richmond_park Susan Kramer MP, Richmond Park profile], ''They Work for You''; retrieved 20 June 2009.</ref> Kramer voiced her opposition to the expansion of [[Heathrow Airport]] and submitted an early day motion that gained support from 54 MPs, 38 from her own party and 16 from the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]].<ref name="heathrow EDM">[http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=34470&SESSION=891 EDM 350: Heathrow expansion] ''UK Parliament'' Retrieved 16 June 2009</ref> As early as her maiden speech, she opposed the airport's expansion. This opposition was one of her key goals as a Member of Parliament.<ref name="maiden speech">[https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/vo050523/debtext/50523-21.htm#50523-21_spnew0 House of Commons Hansard Debates for 23 May 2005 part 25], ''UK Parliament''; retrieved 20 June 2009.</ref>

On civil rights, Kramer voted for amendments to the [[Equality Act 2006]] that would ban discrimination based on [[Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations|sexual orientation]] and gender reassignment.<ref name="twfy voting record">[http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?id=uk.org.publicwhip/member/1783&showall=yes#divisions Susan Kramer voting record] ''The Public Whip''; retrieved 20 June 2009.</ref> Along with all other Liberal Democrat MPs, she voted to allow [[Gurkhas]] permanent settlement rights in the United Kingdom, overriding previous legislation which denied such rights.<ref name="twfy voting record"/>

===Local issues===
In early January 2009, Kramer stepped down from the Liberal Democrat Front Bench to focus on local issues impacting her constituency.<ref>[http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/intheboroughs/boroughpolitics/councilnews/4035476.RICHMOND__MP_Susan_Kramer_steps_down_from_Lib_Dem_front_bench_to_lead_Heathrow_fight "MP Susan Kramer steps down from Lib Dem front bench to lead Heathrow fight"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604040450/http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/intheboroughs/boroughpolitics/councilnews/4035476.RICHMOND__MP_Susan_Kramer_steps_down_from_Lib_Dem_front_bench_to_lead_Heathrow_fight/ |date=4 June 2011 }}, ''This is Local London''; retrieved 22 March 2010.</ref> The principal cause stated was to coordinate opposition to further development of [[Heathrow Airport]], whose incoming aircraft routinely overfly the constituency on their landing approach to the airport.

===After 2010===
In 2010, Kramer faced a challenge from Conservative [[Zac Goldsmith]], defending a notional majority of 3,649 (7.2%).<ref name="ukpr">[http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/guide/seat-profiles/richmondpark Seat profiles: Richmond] ''UK Polling Report''; retrieved 22 March 2010</ref> with Goldsmith emerging victorious by 4,091 votes.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/election2010/results/constituency/d70.stm BBC News: General Election 2010 - Richmond Park], bbc.co.uk; accessed 7 April 2014</ref> In November 2010, she lost the election to become President of the Liberal Democrats to [[Tim Farron]] by 47% of votes to Farron's 53%.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11750362|work=BBC News|title=Tim Farron elected as Lib Dem president|access-date=13 November 2010|date=13 November 2010}}</ref>

Later in the month, it was announced that she would be made a [[life peer]],<ref>{{Cite news|last=Sweeney|first=Mark|title=Susan Kramer to become life peer|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=19 November 2010|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/nov/19/downton-abbey-julian-fellowes-tory-peer|access-date=19 November 2010|location=London}}</ref> and was created '''Baroness Kramer''', of [[Richmond Park]] in the [[London Borough of Richmond upon Thames]] on 22 December 2010.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=59644|date=24 December 2010|page=24690}}</ref> On 4 October 2012, she appeared as a panellist on BBC's Question Time. In October 2013, Kramer was appointed Minister of State at the [[Department for Transport]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Airport Watch website|url=http://www.airportwatch.org.uk/?p=17818}}</ref> which she held until the May 2015 General Election.

Following the 2015 election she was appointed as the [[Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson]] under [[Tim Farron]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.libdems.org.uk/spokespeople|website=Liberal Democrats|access-date=24 August 2016|title=Spokespeople }}</ref>

==Personal life==
She married an [[United States of America|American]] banker, John Davis Kramer, in 1972, while working at Citibank. He died in September 2006. She has 2 children and 3 grandchildren.<ref name="johnkramer">[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/john-kramer-419833.html John Kramer obituary], ''The Independent''; accessed 7 April 2014.</ref><ref>{{cite web| title=Baroness Kramer - Peers Detail|url=http://www.libdems.org.uk/peers_detail.aspx?name=Baroness_Kramer&pPK=1335a30a-8937-4eda-b97d-ba125f5eb49e|work=[[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]]|access-date=4 October 2013}}</ref> Kramer is a patron of the [[Friends of Richmond Park]], as well as Home Start, the [[Disappearance of Suzy Lamplugh|Suzy Lamplugh Trust]], the Three Wings Trust and the Environment Trust.<ref name="FRP">{{cite news|url=http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/8949352.Sir_David_steps_up_at_park_party|title=Sir David Attenborough steps up as Friends of Richmond Park marks golden anniversary|author= Fleming, Christine|publisher=This is Local London (Newsquest)|date=3 April 2011|access-date= 20 July 2012}}</ref>

She lives in Barnes, London.<ref name="FRP"/>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20030806025827/http://www.richmondlibdems.co.uk/ Richmond Liberal Democrats]
*[https://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/baroness_kramer TheyWorkForYou.com - Baroness Susan Kramer]
*[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7047601.stm BBC News - Susan Kramer] profile 17 October 2007
*[http://www.dmoz.org/Regional/Europe/United_Kingdom/Society_and_Culture/Politics/Parties/Liberal_Democrats/MPs/Kramer,_Susan/ Open Directory Project - Susan Kramer] directory category

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|uk}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Jenny Tonge]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Richmond Park (UK Parliament constituency)|Richmond Park]]|years=[[2005 United Kingdom general election|2005]]–[[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Zac Goldsmith]]}}
{{s-prec|uk}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Dee Doocey|The Baroness Doocey]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom|Ladies]]''' ''Baroness Kramer'' '''}}
{{s-fol|after=[[Patience Wheatcroft|The Baroness Wheatcroft]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Liberal Democrats President election, 2010}}
{{Current Liberal Democrat Peers}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kramer, Susan Kramer, Baroness}}
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:21st-century British women politicians]]
[[Category:Alumni of St Hilda's College, Oxford]]
[[Category:Jewish English politicians]]
[[Category:Life peeresses created by Elizabeth II]]
[[Category:Life peers created by Elizabeth II]]
[[Category:Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies]]
[[Category:Jewish women politicians]]
[[Category:Liberal Democrats (UK) life peers]]
[[Category:Liberal Democrats (UK) MPs for English constituencies]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:People educated at St Paul's Girls' School]]
[[Category:People from Holborn]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Oxford Union]]
[[Category:University of Illinois alumni]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2005–2010]]
[[Category:21st-century English women]]
[[Category:21st-century English politicians]]
[[Category:English investment bankers]]
[[Category:Citigroup people]]

Val Shawcross

2025-10-31T00:00:53Z

96.8.162.69:

{{short description|British Labour Co-op politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox AM
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Valerie Shawcross
| honorific-suffix = [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire|CBE]]
| image = Valerie Shawcross CBE.jpg
| caption = Shawcross in 2020
| office = [[Deputy Mayor of London for Transport]]
| 1blankname = [[Mayor of London|Mayor]]
| 1namedata = [[Sadiq Khan]]
| term_start = 9 May 2016
| term_end = 21 May 2018
| succeeding =
| predecessor = [[Isabel Dedring]]
| successor = [[Heidi Alexander]]
| office1 = [[Member of the London Assembly]] for [[Lambeth and Southwark (London Assembly constituency)|Lambeth and Southwark]]
| term_start1 = 4 May 2000
| term_end1 = 5 May 2016
| predecessor1 = ''[[Greater London Authority Act 1999|Constituency established]]''
| successor1 = [[Florence Eshalomi]]
| birth_date = 
| birth_place = [[Middleton, Greater Manchester|Middleton, Lancashire]], UK
| death_date =
| death_place =
| spouse = Michael Anteney
| residence = [[London Borough of Croydon|Croydon]], [[London]], England
| party = [[Labour Co-operative|Labour Co-op]]
| alma_mater = [[University of Liverpool]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]]) [[University of the Arts London|London Institute]] ([[Master's degree|MA]])
}}

'''Valerie Shawcross''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}} is a British politician who served as [[Deputy Mayor of London for Transport]] from 2016 to 2018. A member of the [[Labour Co-operative]] parties, she was [[Member of the London Assembly]] for [[Lambeth and Southwark (London Assembly constituency)|Lambeth and Southwark]] from 2000 to 2016.

Shawcross was a Member of [[Croydon London Borough Council]] from 1994 to 2000, and served as Leader of the Council from 1997 to 2000. She unsuccessfully stood, as the Labour candidate, to become [[Mayor of Croydon]] in [[2022 Croydon London Borough Council election|2022]].

== Early life and education ==

Born on Langley Council Estate, [[Middleton, Greater Manchester|Middleton]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/local-news/from-langley-to-london-val-eyes-top-682052 |website=Manchester Evening News | title=From Langley to London: Val eyes top political post|date=16 February 2012 | access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref> Shawcross attended local state schools before gaining a 2:1 degree in Political Theory and Institutions from the [[University of Liverpool]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Val Shawcross, CBE (past staff) |url=https://www.london.gov.uk/people/mayoral/val-shawcross-cbe-past-staff |website=london.gov.uk |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref> She joined the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] aged 19.<ref>{{cite web|date=2008-08-01|title=Daily Politico: Valerie Shawcross|url=https://www.totalpolitics.com/articles/news/daily-politico-valerie-shawcross|access-date=2020-01-11|website=TotalPolitics.com|language=en}}</ref>

Elected as the Deputy President of the Guild of Undergraduates in 1980, she moved to London in 1981 to take up a post at the UK Council for Students Affairs - UKCOSA (Charity).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wus.org.uk/reflections-campaigning-for-inclusiveness-1980-88/ | title=Campaigning for inclusiveness, 1980-88 |website=WUS | date=27 January 2021 |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref> She gained an MA in Human Rights and Education at the London Institute in 1986.

== Political career ==

=== Croydon Council ===
She served as a councillor for [[New Addington]] in [[London Borough of Croydon|Croydon]] from 1994 to 2000, serving as chair of education and later as leader of [[Croydon London Borough Council]] from 1997 to 2000.<ref>{{Cite web|last=O'Connor|first=Tara|date=2021-10-28|title=Croydon Council leader rules out running for mayor but this is who could stand|url=https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/croydon-council-leader-rules-out-21996520|access-date=2021-11-13|website=MyLondon|language=en}}</ref>

=== London Assembly and Deputy Mayoralty ===
She was first elected to the [[London Assembly]] in 2000, and retained her seat in subsequent elections. In 2000, the mayor of London [[Ken Livingstone]] appointed her as the chair of the [[London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority]] (LFEPA).<ref>{{Cite book|last=Pimlott|first=Ben|url=https://archive.org/details/governinglondon0000piml|title=Governing London|date=2002|publisher=New York : Oxford University Press|others=Internet Archive|isbn=978-0-19-924492-8}}</ref> She accepted the appointment on the condition that she would "consider herself bound by Labour's policies and not the mayor's", with Livingstone at the time being an [[independent politician]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Pimlott|first=Ben|url=https://archive.org/details/governinglondon0000piml|title=Governing London|date=2002|publisher=New York : Oxford University Press|others=Internet Archive|isbn=978-0-19-924492-8}}</ref> In his memoir, Livingstone wrote that she "spent the next eight years transforming the London Fire Brigade, leading to a dramatic reduction in loss of life from fires, cutting waste and, later, organising emergency response procedures after 9/11".<ref>{{Cite book|last=Livingstone|first=Ken|url=https://archive.org/details/youcantsaythatme0000livi_r2g5|title=You can't say that : memoirs|date=2012|publisher=London : Faber And Faber|others=Internet Archive|isbn=978-0-571-28041-4}}</ref> At the same time, she served as the Labour group's spokesperson for transport and as chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee. She also served on the Assembly Budget Scrutiny Committee, and chaired the audit committee immediately following her election.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Pilkington|first=Colin|url=https://archive.org/details/devolutioninbrit0000pilk|title=Devolution in Britain today|date=2002|publisher=Manchester ; New York : Manchester University Press ; New York : Distributed exclusively in the USA by Palgrave|others=Internet Archive|isbn=978-0-7190-6075-5}}</ref>

On 7 December 2010, it was announced that Shawcross would be Livingstone's running-mate in the [[2012 London mayoral election]], [[Ken Livingstone]].<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/ken-livingstones-running-mate-val-shawcross-aims-to-win-back-women-voters-6544054.html |title=Ken Livingstone's running mate Val Shawcross aims to win back women voters |author=Crerar, Pippa |work=London Evening Standard |date=7 December 2010}}</ref> Shawcross unsuccessfully sought selection as the Labour candidate for the [[2012 Croydon North by-election]], with [[Steve Reed (politician)|Steve Reed]] becoming the candidate and winning the seat.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk/Breaking-Steve-Reed-selected-Labour-candidate/story-17223500-detail/story.html |title=Breaking: Steve Reed selected as Labour candidate for Croydon North by-election |location=London |work=Croydon Advertiser |date=3 November 2012 |access-date=3 November 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130114030656/http://www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk/Breaking-Steve-Reed-selected-Labour-candidate/story-17223500-detail/story.html |archive-date=14 January 2013 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> In 2015, she announced that she would not seek re-election to the London Assembly at the 2016 elections.

In May 2016, [[Sadiq Khan]] appointed her as deputy mayor of London for transport and deputy chair of Transport for London.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.london.gov.uk//press-releases/mayoral/mayor-sadiq-khan-announces-key-appointments|title=Mayor Sadiq Khan announces key appointments|date=24 May 2016|website=London City Hall}}</ref> In May 2018, she announced her retirement.<ref name="DMRetire">{{cite web |url=https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/deputy-mayor-for-transport-to-retire |title=Val Shawcross to retire as London's Deputy Mayor for Transport |work=Press Releases |publisher=[[Mayor of London]] |date=2018-05-08 |access-date=2018-07-08 }}</ref>

=== Retirement and Croydon Mayoralty ===
Following her retirement from full-time public life in 2018, she worked as chair of the Heathrow Area Transport Forum,<ref>{{cite web |title=The Heathrow Area Transport Forum |url=https://www.hatf.org.uk/about/ |access-date=21 November 2021 |website=The Heathrow Area Transport Forum}}</ref> and assumed roles in the Thames Festival Trust and Crystal Palace Park Trust.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Thames Festival Trust, Financial Statements |url=https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/sector-data/top-10-charities?p_p_id=uk_gov_ccew_onereg_charitydetails_web_portlet_CharityDetailsPortlet&p_p_lifecycle=2&p_p_state=maximized&p_p_mode=view&p_p_resource_id=%2Faccounts-resource&p_p_cacheability=cacheLevelPage&_uk_gov_ccew_onereg_charitydetails_web_portlet_CharityDetailsPortlet_objectiveId=A9824899&_uk_gov_ccew_onereg_charitydetails_web_portlet_CharityDetailsPortlet_priv_r_p_mvcRenderCommandName=%2Ffull-print&_uk_gov_ccew_onereg_charitydetails_web_portlet_CharityDetailsPortlet_priv_r_p_organisationNumber=3956369 |access-date=21 November 2021 |website=Charity Commission}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Crystal Palace Park Trust |url=https://www.crystalpalaceparktrust.org/news/a-new-charity-with-a-new-chair/ |access-date=21 November 2021 |website=The Crystal Palace Park Trust}}</ref>

In October 2021, Shawcross announced her intention to stand to be the first directly elected [[Mayor of Croydon]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/croydon-council-leader-rules-out-21996520 | title=Croydon Council leader rules out running for mayor but this is who could stand |website=MyLondon | date=28 October 2021 |access-date=17 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Croydon Council leader rules out running for mayor but this is who could stand |url=https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/croydon-council-leader-rules-out-21996520 |access-date=17 November 2021 |website=MyLondon |date=28 October 2021 }}</ref> She was selected as Croydon Labour's 2022 mayoral candidate in December 2021. Shawcross was narrowly defeated by Conservative [[Jason Perry (politician)|Jason Perry]] in the [[2022 Croydon London Borough Council election|May 2022 Croydon Mayoral election]], who won with a majority of less than 600 votes in the second round.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Quadri |first=Sami |date=2022-05-07 |title=Croydon elects Conservative Mayor for first time in history |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/uk-london-elections-latest-croydon-conservative-mayor-jason-perry-val-shawcross-b998570.html |access-date=2022-06-08 |website=Evening Standard |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-05-07 |title=London election results 2022: Croydon bucks London trend with Tory mayoral win |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-61352552 |access-date=2022-06-08}}</ref> Her campaign was damaged by dissatisfaction with the Labour-held Council, which had led the borough into bankruptcy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stew |first=Martin |date=2022-05-07 |title=Croydon elects its first ever Tory mayor as financial woes take toll on Labour |url=https://www.itv.com/news/london/2022-05-07/croydon-elects-its-first-ever-tory-mayor-as-financial-woes-take-toll-on-labour |access-date=2022-06-08 |website=ITV News |language=en}}</ref>

== Honours and awards ==
Shawcross was appointed [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in the [[2002 Birthday Honours]] for her services to local government.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=56595 |date=15 June 2002 |supp=y |pages=9 }}</ref> She was made an Honorary Alderwoman of the London Borough of Croydon in 2019, and is a Freewoman of the City of London.<ref>{{cite web |title=Admission of Honorary Aldermen and Alderwomen |url=https://democracy.croydon.gov.uk/ieIssueDetails.aspx?IId=6972&Opt=3 |access-date=21 November 2021 |website=croydon.gov.uk| date=3 May 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=106 women offered Freedom of the City in historic move |url=https://www.citymatters.london/106-women-offered-freedom-in-historic-move/ |website=citymatters.london |date=7 March 2019 |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref> She has been recognised for her work in Transport in London by the business group ‘London First’,<ref>{{cite web |title=Major infrastructure achievements celebrated at inaugural London Infrastructure Awards |url=https://www.londonfirst.co.uk/news-publications/news/major-infrastructure-achievements-celebrated-at-inaugural-london |website=London First |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref> the ‘London Cycling Campaign',<ref>{{cite web |title=London Cycling Awards 2015 |url=https://www.lookmumnohands.com/blog/london-cycling-awards-2015 |website=Look Mum No Hands |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref> and the disability campaign group ‘Transport for All’.<ref>{{cite web |title=TfA meets new Deputy Mayor for Transport Valerie Shawcross |url=https://www.transportforall.org.uk/news/tfa-meets-new-deputy-mayor-for-transport-valerie-shawcross/ |website=Transport for all |date=August 2016 |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Shawcross is married to Michael Anteney and has lived in the London Borough of Croydon since 1985.

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.southwarklabour.co.uk/ Labour in Southwark] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923173444/http://www.southwarklabour.co.uk/ |date=23 September 2015 }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shawcross, Valerie}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Liverpool]]
[[Category:Labour Party (UK) councillors]]
[[Category:Leaders of local authorities of England]]
[[Category:Councillors in the London Borough of Croydon]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Politics of the London Borough of Southwark]]
[[Category:People from Middleton, Greater Manchester]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Labour Members of the London Assembly]]
[[Category:Labour Co-operative Members of the London Assembly]]
[[Category:Women councillors in England]]
[[Category:London AMs 2000–2004]]
[[Category:London AMs 2004–2008]]
[[Category:London AMs 2008–2012]]
[[Category:London AMs 2012–2016]]