19 Facts About Janet Anderson

Janet Anderson was a British politician from the Labour Party.

Janet Anderson was Member of Parliament for Rossendale and Darwen from 1992 until 2010, when she lost her seat.

Janet Anderson was the Minister for Tourism from 1998 to 2001, a period which included the 2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak.

Janet Anderson's father, Tom Anderson, was an agent for the Labour Party; her mother was an organist in their local Methodist church.

Janet Anderson attended the Polytechnic of Central London and the Universite de Nantes, and studied languages and business studies.

In 1971, Anderson joined the offices of The Scotsman and The Sunday Times as a secretary.

Janet Anderson became a campaigns organiser for the Parliamentary Labour Party, and then the northern regional organiser for the Shopping Hours Reform Council, campaigning to extend the Sunday trading laws.

Janet Anderson ran her own public relations company, with clients such as the Royal College of Nursing and Safeway plc.

Janet Anderson fought Rossendale and Darwen successfully at the 1992 General Election, winning by just 120 votes.

Janet Anderson became the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Margaret Beckett, which she held for a year before resigning due to Beckett not supporting John Smith's 'One member, one vote' campaign.

Janet Anderson was an opposition whip from 1994 to 1996, before being appointed Shadow Minister for Women.

Janet Anderson subsequently served on the Home Affairs Select Committee, before becoming a member of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee and the House of Commons Administration Committee.

Janet Anderson was on the Chairmen's Panel Committee, and was a member, and later the chair, of the All-Party Parliamentary Writers' Group.

Janet Anderson decided to "spice up" her accounts of each day's debates by injecting them with Westminster gossip.

Janet Anderson later published her letters, which were reportedly well appreciated by the Queen, in a book titled Dear Queen.

In May 2009, during the disclosure of expenses of British members of parliament over MPs' expenses, The Daily Telegraph alleged that Janet Anderson had submitted and was paid a claim form including mileage equalling five round trips to her constituency each week parliament despite living in London during the week.

Janet Anderson was one of 98 MPs who voted in favour of legislation which would have kept MPs expense information undisclosed.

Janet Anderson married solicitor Vincent Humphreys in 1972; the couple had three children, daughters Kate and Dee and son, James.

Janet Anderson died on 6 February 2023, at the age of 73.