Yvonne Fovargue was elected as Labour MP for Makerfiield in 2010. She was returned in the 2019 General Election with a majority of 4,740 over the Conservatives.
The Makerfield constituency is found to the west of Greater Manchester, and covers part of Wigan alongside the town of Ashton in Makerfield. Once a coal mining area, home ownership in Markfield is higher than many areas of Great Manchester. With 65% of the local population backing Brexit in the 2016 EU referendum, the Labour majority was slashed considerably in 2019. However Makerfield should still be considered a safe Labour seat. First won in 1906, Markerfiled is amongst the Labour Party’s longest standing seats.
Fovargue served on Labour’s front bench between 2011 and 2019, resigning in the summer of that year to call for a second referendum on Brexit.
She voted for Lisa Nandy in the 2020 Labour leadership election. Previously she had supported Owen Smith in his challenge against Jeremy Corbyn.
Born in 1956, Yvonne is a graduate of Leeds University. She was appointed Chief Executive of St Helens Citizens Advice Bureau in 1986. Before this she worked for Manchester City Council as a Housing Officer.
She served as a councillor on Warrington Borough Council from 2004-2010.
In 2022, Yvonne Fovargue was appointed as a UK Trade Envoy to Tunisia and Libya.
Yvonne Fovargue is Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Consumer Protection; Debt and Personal Finance; and Respiratory Health. She is Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Coalfield Communities; Greater Manchester; Hormone Pregnancy Tests; Legal Aid; Mortgage Prisoners; Online Home and Electrical Safety; Pension Clawback; Rugby League; Malta; Singapore; Tunisia; the United Arab Emirates; and the Caribbean.
Fovargue is married with one adult daughter. According to the Register of Members Interest, she employs her husband, Paul Kenny, as Senior Parliamentary Assistant.
Email: yvonne.fovargue.mp@parliament.uk
Personal Website: www.yvonnefovargue.com
Twitter: @Y_FovargueMP
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/YvonneFovargue4Makerfield
