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Your support makes all the difference.Angela Eagle is expected to announce that she will stand for Labour leader against Jeremy Corbyn, triggering a contest.
The former shadow Business Secretary is hardly a household name – gaining just 1 per cent of support in a previous poll of potential successors.
An MP since 1992, she has a substantial voting record that is a useful guide to her political positions.
Foreign intervention
Ms Eagle voted for the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and repeatedly voted against various proposals for investigations into the war in 2003, 2006, and 2007. She voted in favour of bombing Syria in 2015.
Living Wage
In 2015 Ms Eagle said Chancellor George Osborne has introduced his so-called “national living wage” too quickly and that this might have an impact on businesses. She said there may be a case for a full statutory living wage but suggested she was happy with the Low Pay Commission continuing to set the legal minimum while people campaigned for a full living wage in their workplaces.
Public services
Ms Eagle has generally voted against academies and foundation hospitals – public service reforms championed by the Blair government that promote marketisation and autonomy in schools and the NHS. She has also supported restrictions on private provision in the NHS and against marketisation reforms to GPs.
Welfare cuts
Ms Eagle was one of the MPs who did not vote against Conservative welfare cuts during Labour’s 2015 leadership contest – following Harriet Harman’s party line. More generally throughout her career she has however voted against cutting benefits and for increases.
Tuition fees
The MP supported the introduction of tuition fees under Tony Blair and supported raising them to £3,000 in 2004. Once her party was out of power she voted against Tory plans to raise them to £9,000.
Civil liberties
Ms Eagle consistently voted in favour of ID cards and in favour of snooping law requiring the mass retention of communications data. She also supported the Blair government’s plan to detain people for 90 days without charge.
Trident
The former shadow Business Secretary generally backs Trident and has consistently voted against motions calling for it to be scrapped.
Constitutional reform
The MP has backed a wholly elected House of Lords and lowering the voting age to 16. She opposed fixed term parliaments and has a mixed record on supporting devolution to local areas and regions.
Environment
Last year Ms Eagle voted in favour of stronger regulations on fracking in national parks and world heritage sites. She has also backed other measures to stop climate change including the climate change bill and the setting of a decarbonisation target. She generally voted against the badger cull.
Social issues
Ms Eagle voted in favour of same-sex marriage, in favour of the ban on fox hunting, in favour of smoking bans, and in favour of assisted dying for terminally ill people.
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