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[[Category:Labour Members of Parliament]]
[[Category:Labour Members of Parliament]]

{{EngvarB|date=July 2016}}
<seo title="Thangam Debbonaire MP - Wikilab" metakeywords="wikilab,campaign,Labour," metadescription="
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
Thangam Rachel Debbonaire (3 August 1966) is a British Labour Party politician. Debbonaire was a professional cellist, and has also worked as National Research Manager for domestic violence charity Respect. She became Member of Parliament (MP) for Bristol West at the 2015 General Election, when she defeated the incumbent Liberal Democrat MP Stephen Williams." meta google-site-verification="GEeHhcxoHWZ4EbFBudyILoYe21RElCR1PFdaJs2iiS8"/>
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{{Infobox officeholder

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{{Infobox MP
|name = Thangam Debbonaire
|name = Thangam Debbonaire
| honorific-suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MP}}
| honorific-suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MP}}
|image = Official portrait of Thangam Debbonaire crop 2.jpg
|image = Official portrait of Thangam Debbonaire crop 2.jpg
|office = Member of Parliament<br>for [[Bristol West (UK Parliament constituency)|Bristol West]]
|office = Member of Parliament<br>for [[Bristol West]]
|term_start = 7 May 2015
|term_start = 7 May 2015
|term_end =
|term_end =
|predecessor = [[Stephen Williams (politician)|Stephen Williams]]
|predecessor = Stephen Williams
|successor =
|successor =
|majority = 37,336 (52.1%)
|majority = 37,336 (52.1%)
|birth_name = {{nowrap|Thangam Elizabeth Rachel Singh}}
|birth_name = {{nowrap|Thangam Elizabeth Rachel Singh}}
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1966|8|3}}
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1966|8|3}}
|birth_place = [[Peterborough]], [[Lincolnshire]], England
|birth_place =
|death_date =
|death_date =
|death_place =
|death_place =
|party = [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]
|party =
|alma_mater = [[University of Oxford]]<br/>[[University of Bristol]]
|alma_mater =
|spouse = Kevin Walton
|spouse =
|website = {{url|debbonaire.co.uk|Official website}}
|website = {{url|debbonaire.co.uk|Official website}}
}}
}}
</div>
</div>


'''Thangam Rachel Debbonaire''' ({{nee|'''Thangam Elizabeth Rachel Singh'''}}; 3 August 1966)<ref name=democracyclub-cv>{{cite web |url=http://cv.democracyclub.org.uk/show_cv/4281 |title=CURRICULUM VITAE – Thangam Rachel Debbonaire |author=Thangam Debbonaire |publisher=Democracy Club |year=2015 |accessdate=10 May 2015}}</ref> is a British [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] politician. Debbonaire was a professional cellist, and has also worked as National Research Manager for domestic violence charity Respect. She became [[Member of Parliament#United Kingdom|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Bristol West (UK Parliament constituency)|Bristol West]] at the [[United Kingdom general election, 2015|2015 General Election]], when she defeated the incumbent [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]] MP [[Stephen Williams (politician)|Stephen Williams]].<ref name=bbc-elec2015>{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000602 |title=Elections 2015 – Bristol West Parliamentary constituency |publisher=BBC |year=2015 |accessdate=10 May 2015}}</ref> Shortly after winning Bristol West, Debbonaire was diagnosed with [[breast cancer]],<ref name="cancer-diagnosis">{{cite news|url=http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristol-West-MP-Thangam-Debbonaire-diagnosed/story-26743106-detail/story.html | title=Bristol West MP Thangam Debbonaire diagnosed with breast cancer |publisher=Bristol Post |year=2015 |accessdate=3 December 2015}}</ref> and did not attend a Parliamentary vote from June 2015 until March 2016.<ref name=voting-record>{{cite web|url=http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?id=uk.org.publicwhip/member/41195&showall=yes#divisions |title=Voting Record – Thangam Debbonaire MP, Bristol West (25402)|year=2015 |accessdate=3 December 2015}}</ref>


'''Thangam Rachel Debbonaire''' (3 August 1966). Debbonaire was a professional cellist, and has also worked as National Research Manager for domestic violence charity Respect. She became Member of Parliament (MP) for [[Bristol West]] at the 2015 General Election, when she defeated the incumbent Liberal Democrat MP Stephen Williams. Shortly after winning Bristol West, Debbonaire was diagnosed with breast cancer,and did not attend a Parliamentary vote from June 2015 until March 2016.
In January 2016, she started to plan a phased return to Westminster from February,<ref name=about-thangam>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-35213730 |title=Thangam Debbonaire MP poised for return after cancer treatment |publisher=BBC |year=2016 |accessdate=2 January 2016}}</ref> and was appointed as shadow minister for Culture, Media and Sport<ref>{{cite web|title=Her Majesty's Official Opposition|url=http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/government-and-opposition1/opposition-holding/|website=Parliament.uk|accessdate=7 May 2016}}</ref> until resigning on 27 June 2016 (among many others) because of her lack of confidence in the Labour Party Leader, [[Jeremy Corbyn]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.debbonaire.co.uk/my_resignation_from_the_shadow_front_bench|title=My resignation from the shadow front bench|access-date=1 July 2016}}</ref> She rejoined his front bench team as a whip in October that year.


In January 2016, she started to plan a phased return to Westminster from February, and was appointed as shadow minister for Culture, Media and Sport until resigning on 27 June 2016. She rejoined his front bench team as a whip in October that year.
== Early life and education ==
Born in [[Peterborough]] to a father of Indian/[[Sri Lankan Tamil]] family origin and an English mother,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=LRLyPpcZsWvoQm%2BQpgd%2FPw&scan=1|title=Index entry|accessdate=23 April 2018|work=FreeBMD|publisher=ONS}}</ref> Debbonaire was educated at two [[independent school (United Kingdom)|independent school]]s, [[Bradford Girls' Grammar School]] and [[Chetham's School of Music]].<ref name=bp-20170606>{{cite news |url=http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/thangam-debbonaire-bristol-west-mp-57137 |title=Who is Thangam Debbonaire? Profile of Labour MP for Bristol West |last=Ashcroft |first=Esme |newspaper=Bristol Post |date=6 June 2017 |accessdate=16 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=de Silva|first1=Neville|title=Two MPs of Sri Lankan parents voted to UK parliament|url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/170611/news/two-mps-of-sri-lankan-parents-voted-to-uk-parliament-244930.html|accessdate=11 June 2017|work=[[The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)|The Sunday Times]]|date=11 June 2017|location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}</ref> She then took the first stage of a mathematics degree at the [[University of Oxford]] while at the same time training as a cellist at the [[Royal College of Music]]. Subsequently, she gained an [[Master of Science|MSc]] in Management, Development and Social Responsibility at the [[University of Bristol]].<ref name=democracyclub-cv/><ref name=bp-20150413/>

== Early career ==
Before becoming an MP, she performed professionally as a [[Cello|classical cellist]], including for the [[Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra]] (1990–1991).<ref name=democracyclub-cv/><ref name=bp-20150413>{{Cite news|url=http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Election-2015-profile-candidates-Bristol-West/story-26324819-detail/story.html|title=Election 2015 profile: The candidates in Bristol West|publisher=Bristol Post|date=13 April 2015|accessdate=10 May 2015}}</ref><ref name=whoswho>{{cite journal |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.283963|title=Debbonaire, Thangam Rachel, (born 3 Aug. 1966), MP (Lab) Bristol West, since 2015|journal=Who's Who|year=2015}}</ref> She has worked as National Children's Officer for the [[Women's Aid Federation of England]] (1991–1998), for which she moved to [[St Werburghs]] in Bristol,<ref name=bp-20150413/><ref name=50for15-20150507>{{cite news |url=http://50for15.com/2015/05/07/thangam-debbonaire-labour-bristol-west/ |title=Thangam Debbonaire on running for Parliament |author=Claire Dumbill |newspaper=50for15 |date=7 May 2015 |accessdate=10 May 2015}}</ref> and later as an Accreditation Officer, Fundraising Manager, then National Research Manager for [[Respect (charity)|Respect]], an anti-[[domestic violence]] organisation (2006–2015).<ref name=democracyclub-cv/><ref name=whoswho/><ref>{{cite news|title=Election results Bristol West: Thangam Debbonaire wins seat for Labour |url=http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Election-results-Bristol-West-Thangam-Debbonaire/story-26463918-detail/story.html|accessdate=8 May 2015|work=Western Daily Press|date=8 May 2015}}</ref>

She has co-authored two books, and a number of papers, about domestic violence.<ref name=democracyclub-cv/><ref>{{cite web|title=Thangam Debbonaire|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Books-Thangam-Debbonaire/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n%3A266239%2Cp_27%3AThangam%20Debbonaire|publisher=Amazon|accessdate=8 May 2015}}</ref> She was a trustee of the [[University of Bristol Union|University of Bristol Students' Union]].<ref name=bp-20150413/>


==Parliamentary career==
==Parliamentary career==
Debbonaire was elected as the MP for Bristol West in May 2015, and was diagnosed with [[breast cancer]] just weeks afterwards. Debbonaire said she never doubted that she would return to Parliament and credited listening to classical music with helping her recovery.<ref name=telegraph2016>{{cite news|title=Shadow minister Thangam Debbonaire 'drew strength from music in breast cancer battle'|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/12192843/Shadow-minister-Thangam-Debbonaire-drew-strength-from-music-in-breast-cancer-battle.html|accessdate=17 July 2016|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|date=March 2016|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->}}</ref> She subsequently called on Parliament to allow for MPs to vote remotely after she was unable to participate in votes during her recovery.<ref>{{cite news|title=Thangam Debbonaire MP returns after breast cancer treatment|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36029118|accessdate=17 July 2016|publisher=BBC|date=12 April 2016}}</ref>
Debbonaire was elected as the MP for Bristol West in May 2015, and was diagnosed with breast cancer just weeks afterwards. Debbonaire said she never doubted that she would return to Parliament and credited listening to classical music with helping her recovery. She subsequently called on Parliament to allow for MPs to vote remotely after she was unable to participate in votes during her recovery.

During her treatment period she was appointed as Shadow Culture Minister by [[Jeremy Corbyn]]. According to Debbonaire, she found out about the role when a journalist contacted her in hospital in response to a Labour press release announcing that she was taking it on, and was then briefly removed from the position before she got a chance to meet with Corbyn.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Boffey|first1=Daniel|title=Labour is miles away from government, says man out to replace Corbyn|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jul/17/owen-smith-labour-leadership-interview|accessdate=17 July 2016|publisher=Guardian|date=17 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Fenton|first1=Siobhan|title=Jeremy Corbyn 'appointed and sacked shadow minister without telling her, while she was undergoing cancer treatment|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jeremy-corbyn-labour-shadow-cabinet-thangam-debbonaire-cancer-a7141341.html|accessdate=17 July 2016|publisher=Independent|date=17 July 2016}}</ref> According to Debbonaire's colleague [[Chi Onwurah]], whose frontbench portfolio was briefly split with her's, Corbyn's communication with both women, directly or indirectly, was practically non-existent.<ref>{{cite news|last=Onwurah|first=Chi|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/staggers/2016/08/labour-mp-any-other-job-jeremy-corbyn-would-have-faced-industrial-tribunal|title=Labour MP: In any other job, Jeremy Corbyn would have faced an industrial tribunal|work=New Statesman|date=22 August 2016|accessdate=22 August 2016}}</ref> She resigned from the position on 27 June 2016 following a series of other resignations, saying that she did not believe Corbyn was the right person to lead the Labour Party into the next election.<ref>{{cite news|title=Thangam Debbonaire latest Bristol Labour MP to resign from shadow front bench|url=http://www.itv.com/news/west/update/2016-06-27/thangam-debonnaire-latest-bristol-labour-mp-to-resign-from-shadow-front-bench/|accessdate=17 July 2016|publisher=ITV|date=27 June 2016}}</ref>

On 12 October 2016, Debbonaire accepted an appointment as a [[Whip (politics)|shadow whip]] in Corbyn's front bench team.<ref name=bp-20161012>{{cite news |url=http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/bristol-mp-thangam-debbonaire-returns-to-jeremy-corbyn-s-top-team-four-months-after-quitting/story-29803427-detail/story.html |title=Bristol MP Thangam Debbonaire returns to Jeremy Corbyn's top team - four months after quitting |author=Patrick Daly |newspaper=Bristol Post |date=12 October 2016 |accessdate=20 October 2016}}</ref> On 27 January 2017, Debbonaire stated that she would vote against triggering [[Article 50]], despite being a whip herself and Labour imposing a [[three-line whip]] to vote for the Government motion.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jan/27/jeremy-corbyn-article-50-vote-two-labour-whips-refuse|title=Two Labour whips defy Jeremy Corbyn on article 50 vote|first1=Jamie|last1=Grierson|first2=Jessica|last2=Elgot|date=27 January 2017|publisher=|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref>

Debbonaire was one of about 40 MPs to attended a demonstration on 26 March 2018 against [[Antisemitism in the Labour Party]] in [[Parliament Square]].<ref name="Pickard">{{cite news|last=Pickard|first=Jim|url=https://www.ft.com/content/56186428-396e-11e8-8eee-e06bde01c544|title=Labour MP under fire after attending rally against anti-Semitism|work=Financial Times|date=6 April 2018|accessdate=8 April 2018}}</ref><ref name="Fisher">{{cite news|last=Fisher|first=Lucy|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/labour-mp-thangam-debbonaire-heckled-for-backing-antisemitism-protest-r3wtsmcml|title=Labour MP Thangam Debbonaire heckled for backing antisemitism protest|work=The Times|date=6 April 2018|accessdate=8 April 2018}} {{subscription required}}</ref> A motion in her constituency party critical of her decision to attend was defeated by 108 votes to 84 on 4 April.<ref name="Fisher"/> Debbonaire left the meeting early after being heckled by about a dozen Labour Party members. "I have no problem being held to account — but this must be in an environment where I can give my response", she said.<ref name="Pickard"/>

==Personal life==
{{asof|2016|03}}, Debbonaire is married to Kevin Walton, an opera singer and former actor who is a director of Ark Stichting, an Amsterdam charity that works with children with [[special educational needs]]. In 2004, Debbonaire and Walton co-authored (along with Emilie Debbonaire) a report for the Ireland [[Department of Justice, Equality, and Law Reform]] entitled ''Evaluation of work with domestic abusers in Ireland''.<ref name=telegraph2016/><ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2018-01-13|title=The Team | publisher=Ark Stichting|url=http://www.arkstichting.nl/the-team/}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last1 = Debbonaire | first1 = Thangam | last2 = Debbonaire | first2 = Emilie | last3 = Walton | first3 = Kevin | title = Evaluation of work with domestic abusers in Ireland | publisher = [[Department of Justice and Equality|Department of Justice, Equality, and Law Reform]] | location = Dublin | year = 2004 | oclc = 65202770 }}</ref>

===Alleged Twitter threats===
In August 2016, a student at the University of Bristol was investigated after telling Debbonaire to "get in the sea", an [[Internet meme]],<ref>{{cite news|last1=Tait|first1=Amelia|title=Get in the sea: when is a death threat not a death threat?|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/social-media/2016/08/get-sea-when-death-threat-not-death-threat|accessdate=19 April 2017|work=New Statesman|date=15 August 2016|quote=...“get in the sea” is a popular online joke: a saying used frequently on twitter to signal disdain...Debbonaire is insulted for not knowing the one-year-old epigram of an online clique.}}</ref> which she interpreted as a death threat. Following a complaint to the university by Debbonaire concerning that tweet and others, including one which called her a "traitor", the student apologised, deleted the tweet, and closed her Twitter account. The tweet was posted on the day of the funeral of [[Jo Cox]], another Labour MP, who was murdered in June 2016.<ref>{{cite news|title=Student warned over 'threat to kill' as MP told: 'Get in the sea'|url=http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/student-investigated-over-threat-to-kill-after-telling-bristol-labour-mp-to-get-in-the-sea/story-29612831-detail/story.html|work=Bristol Post|date=12 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Barrie|first1=Josh|title=Student tells an MP to 'get in the sea', is investigated by University over 'threat to kill'|url=http://indy100.independent.co.uk/article/student-tells-an-mp-to-get-in-the-sea-is-investigated-by-university-over-threat-to-kill--WJNYbMsBDb|work=The Independent|date=13 August 2016}}</ref>

== Selected bibliography ==

=== Books ===
* {{cite book | last1 = Debbonaire | first1 = Thangam | last2 = Mullender | first2 = Audrey | author-link2 = Audrey Mullender | title = Child protection and domestic violence | publisher = Venture Press | location = Birmingham | year = 2000 | isbn = 9781861780423 }}

=== Chapters in books ===
* {{citation | last = Debbonaire | first = Thangam | contribution = Children in refuges | editor-last1 = Mullender | editor-first1 = Audrey | editor-last2 = Morley | editor-first2 = Rebecca | editor-link1 = Audrey Mullender | title = Children living with domestic violence: putting men's abuse of women on the child care agenda | publisher = Whiting & Birch. | location = London Concord, Massachusetts | year = 1994 | isbn = 9781871177725 | ref = harv | postscript = .}}

=== Journal articles ===
* {{Cite journal | last1 = Debbonaire | first1 = Thangam | last2 = Mullender | first2 = Audrey | last3 = Kelly | first3 = Liz | last4 = Hague | first4 = Gill | last5 = Malos | first5 = Ellen | author-link2 = Audrey Mullender | title = Working with children in women's refuges | journal = Child & Family Social Work | volume = 3 | issue = 2 | pages = 87–98 | publisher = [[Wiley-Blackwell|Wiley]] | doi = 10.1046/j.1365-2206.1998.00074.x | date = May 1998 | url = https://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2206.1998.00074.x | ref = harv | postscript = .}}

=== Papers ===
* {{cite book | last1 = Debbonaire | first1 = Thangam | last2 = Debbonaire | first2 = Emilie | last3 = Walton | first3 = Kevin | title = Evaluation of work with domestic abusers in Ireland | publisher = [[Department of Justice and Equality|Department of Justice, Equality, and Law Reform]] | location = Dublin | year = 2004 | oclc = 65202770 }}
* {{cite book | last = Debbonaire | first = Thangam | title = Respect position statement (with research review) on gender and domestic violence | publisher = Respect | location = London | year = 2008 }}
* {{cite book | last = Debbonaire | first = Thangam | title = Responding to diverse ethnic communities in domestic violence perpetrator programmes |url=http://respect.uk.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/WWP-EN-Expert-Essay-Diversity.pdf | publisher = Respect | location = London | year = 2015 }}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
*{{UK MP links |parliament=thangam-debbonaire/4433 |publicwhip=Thangam_Debbonaire |theywork=thangam_debbonaire}}
*{{C-SPAN}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|uk}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Stephen Williams (politician)|Stephen Williams]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament<br>for [[Bristol West (UK Parliament constituency)|Bristol West]]|years=[[United Kingdom general election, 2015|2015]]–present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-end}}


During her treatment period she was appointed as Shadow Culture Minister by [[Jeremy Corbyn]].
{{South West England Labour Party MPs}}
{{Authority control}}


On 12 October 2016, Debbonaire accepted an appointment as a shadow whip in Corbyn's front bench team.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Debbonaire, Thangam}}
[[Category:1966 births]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Bristol]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Oxford]]
[[Category:British politicians of Indian descent]]
[[Category:English people of Sri Lankan Tamil descent]]
[[Category:Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies]]
[[Category:Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People educated at Bradford Girls' Grammar School]]
[[Category:People educated at Chetham's School of Music]]
[[Category:Politics of Bristol]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2015–17]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2017–]]
[[Category:21st-century women politicians]]

Revision as of 23:57, 15 June 2018



Thangam Debbonaire
MP
Member of Parliament
for Bristol West
Assumed office
7 May 2015
Preceded by Stephen Williams
Majority 37,336 (52.1%)
Personal details
Born Thangam Elizabeth Rachel Singh
(1966-08-03) 3 August 1966 (age 57)
Website Official website


Thangam Rachel Debbonaire (3 August 1966). Debbonaire was a professional cellist, and has also worked as National Research Manager for domestic violence charity Respect. She became Member of Parliament (MP) for Bristol West at the 2015 General Election, when she defeated the incumbent Liberal Democrat MP Stephen Williams. Shortly after winning Bristol West, Debbonaire was diagnosed with breast cancer,and did not attend a Parliamentary vote from June 2015 until March 2016.

In January 2016, she started to plan a phased return to Westminster from February, and was appointed as shadow minister for Culture, Media and Sport until resigning on 27 June 2016. She rejoined his front bench team as a whip in October that year.

Parliamentary career

Debbonaire was elected as the MP for Bristol West in May 2015, and was diagnosed with breast cancer just weeks afterwards. Debbonaire said she never doubted that she would return to Parliament and credited listening to classical music with helping her recovery. She subsequently called on Parliament to allow for MPs to vote remotely after she was unable to participate in votes during her recovery.

During her treatment period she was appointed as Shadow Culture Minister by Jeremy Corbyn.

On 12 October 2016, Debbonaire accepted an appointment as a shadow whip in Corbyn's front bench team.

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