Career

Louise has worked in Further Education and at the Open University.

She was elected to Lancashire County Council in 1970 representing Skelmersdale. She was Leader of the Council between 1981 and 1997. Louise was a member of West Lancashire District Council, 1973-1987. She is an Honorary Alderman of Lancashire.

Louise was founding Vice-Chair of Lancashire Enterprises, Lancashire County Council's economic development agency 1982-1997. She chaired Lancashire's Environment Forum from its inception in 1989 until May 1997.

In 1992, Louise was founder Chair of the North West Regional Association. She was also a member of the North West Partnership, 1992-1997.

Louise was a member of the Regional Policy Commission chaired by Bruce Millan, which identified strategies to tackle regional unemployment and economic decline.

The constituents of Liverpool Riverside first elected Louise to Parliament on 1st May 1997. She was re-elected in 2001 and 2005.

Louise is a current member of the Transport Select Committee, a Vice President of the Local Government Association and a Board member of Liverpool Capital of Culture; Liverpool Vision; Liverpool Comedy Trust and LIPA – the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.

She is Chair of Labour’s Regeneration Group; Joint Secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Group Against Trafficking; Vice Chair of All Party Parliamentary Liverpool Capital of Culture Group; Vice Chair of Labour Friends of Israel; British Israel Parliamentary Group; Joint Chair Parliamentary Advisory Council on Transport Safety (PACTS).

More information on Louise can be found from Dods profiles here, from The Guardian’s Ask Aristotle here, and from Wikipedia here.