Meral Hussein-Ece, Baroness Hussein-Ece
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The Right Honourable The Baroness Hussein-Ece OBE |
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| Liberal Democrat Women and Equalities Spokesman | |
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In office 29 July 2015 – October 2016 |
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| Leader | Tim Farron |
| Preceded by | Jo Swinson |
| Succeeded by | Lorely Burt |
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Islington Borough Councillor for Mildmay Ward |
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In office 2 May 2002 – 6 May 2010 |
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| Succeeded by | Joe Caluori |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
10 October 1955 Islington, London |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Liberal Democrats |
| Children | 2 daughters and one son |
Meral Hussein Ece, Baroness Hussein-Ece, OBE (born 10 October 1953) is a British Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords. She is the first woman of Turkish Cypriot origin to be a member of either house of Parliament after she was appointed a Liberal Democrat working peer on 28 May 2010. She has been the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Equalities since 2015.
Baroness Hussein-Ece was born in Islington. Her Turkish Cypriot parents, Ayshe Cuma Abdullah (mother) and Hasan Nihat Hussein (father), came to the UK from Cyprus in the early 1950s, and settled in Islington, North London.
Ece originally studied art history and fine art, before going to work in local government and training as a librarian. She subsequently worked for Islington Council's Race Equality Unit, then went to work as a senior manager in the National Health Service, including as chief officer for Haringey Community Health Council.
She was elected as to Hackney Council as a Labour Party councillor for Clissold ward in 1994, and was Deputy Leader in 1995 and 1996. She was the first woman from a Turkish/Cypriot background elected to public office in the UK.
Following a split in the Hackney Labour group, in 1997 Ece joined the Liberal Democrats; she was re-elected to Hackney Borough Council in Dalston ward in 1998. She was instrumental in setting up the very first Turkish Women's Group, and establishing a domestic violence project for Turkish and Kurdish women.
In the local government elections of 2002, was elected as Liberal Democrat councillor for Mildmay ward on Islington Council. She was the Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care from 2002 to 2006, serving as Chair of the Islington Health Partnership Board and as a member of Islington Primary Care Trust Board. She was also a non-executive director of Camden and Islington Mental Health and Social Care Trust. After being re-elected in 2006, Ece was Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee from 2007 to 2009. In November 2009, Ece was appointed as a Commissioner to the Equality and Human Rights Commission. In May 2008 Ece was appointed by the Minister for Equalities, Harriet Harman MP to serve on the Government’s Task Force to increase the numbers of ethnic minority women councillors in the UK.
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