Glenda Jackson

From Skeptical Voter Wiki

Glenda Jackson is the Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn (for Hampstead and Highgate prior to 2010 boundary changes).

Contents 1 Healthcare 1.1 Homeopathy 1.2 Herbal Medicines 1.3 Abortion 1.4 MMR Vaccine 2 Miracle Cures 3 Science Funding 4 Libel Law Reform 5 References 6 External Links

Healthcare

Homeopathy

Glenda Jackson signed the March 2007 Early Day Motion 1240 calling for the positive recognition of NHS homeopathic hospitals^[1].

In March 2010, following the publication of the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee's report "Evidence Check 2: Homeopathy", Jackson signed Early Day Motion 908: Science and Technology Committee Report on Homeopathy, which was critical of the report^[2].

Herbal Medicines

Glenda Jackson has signed a number of Early Day Motions that support the use of herbal medicines. These include EDM 1103: Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (2005)^[3], EDM 1549: Herbal Clinic at The Royal London Homeopathic Hospital (2008)^[4], EDM 2080: Herbal Remedies (2008)^[5], and EDM 295: Statutory Registration of Herbalists (2009)^[6].

Abortion

In May 2008 in the abortion amendments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill (now Act), Glenda Jackson voted to keep the current time limit of 24 weeks in line with the scientific and medical consensus^[7].

MMR Vaccine

Glenda Jackson signed the February 2009 Early Day Motion 754: MMR Vaccine and the Media supporting the use of the MMR vaccine. The motion expressed disappointment with the reporting of the vaccine by Jeni Barnett on her LBC radio show in January 2009, and expressed the hope that future reporting of the issue of MMR would be less sensationalist and more evidence-based.^[8]

Miracle Cures

In June 2008, the MP signed Early Day Motion 1770, protesting the uncritical promotion by the media of Dore, a claimed miracle cure for dyslexia, in the absence of scientific proof of its value. ^[9]

Science Funding

In October 2010, Glenda Jackson signed Early Day Motion 767: Science is Vital Campaign. The motion stated that the house "believes that continued investment in research is vital in order to meet the technological and social challenges of the 21st century, and to continue to attract high-tech industries to invest here; further believes that large cuts to science funding are a false economy, due to evidence that research investment fuels economic growth".^[10]

Libel Law Reform

In December 2009, Glenda Jackson signed Early Day Motion 423 calling for a reform of the English libel law^[11]. The motion noted that human rights activists, scientists, writers and journalists are currently prevented from publishing, and the public prevented from reading, matters of strong public interest due to the chilling effect of the law.

The motion was tabled following the recent formation of Libel Reform Coalition, which has the backing of Index on Censorship, English PEN and Sense about Science. Sense about Science have been campaigning in defense of a member of its board of trustees, author and journalist Simon Singh, who has been sued for libel by the British Chiropractic Association. They issued a statement entitled "The law has no place in scientific disputes".

References

1. ↑ http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2006-07/1240
2. ↑ http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2009-10/908
3. ↑ http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2005-06/1103
4. ↑ http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2007-08/1549
5. ↑ http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2007-08/2080
6. ↑ http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2009-10/295
7. ↑ http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmsctech/1045/104502.htm
8. ↑ http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2008-09/754
9. ↑ http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2007-08/1770
10. ↑ http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2010-12/767
11. ↑ http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2009-10/423

External Links

• http://www.glenda-jackson.co.uk/
• http://twitter.com/glendajacksonmp
• http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/glenda-jackson/25521
• http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/?pid=10308
• http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?id=uk.org.publicwhip/member/1614
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenda_Jackson

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