{{Short description|British politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Emily Benn Photograph.jpg | caption = Benn in 2009 | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | name = Emily Benn | honorific_suffix = | birth_name = Emily Sophia Wedgwood Benn | office1 = Common Councillor for City of London Common Council | term_start1 = 24 March 2022 | term_end1 = | office2 = Councillor for Croydon Borough Council | term_start2 = 23 May 2014 | term_end2 = 10 March 2016 | 1blankname2 = Ward | 1namedata2 = West Thornton | majority2 = 1,777 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1989|10|04|df=yes}} | birth_place = Croydon, London, England | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = | party = Independent (2022–present) | other_party = Labour | children = | father = Stephen Benn | mother = Nita Clarke | relatives = {{ubl|Tony Benn (grandfather)|Caroline Benn (grandmother)|Hilary Benn (uncle)|Melissa Benn (aunt)}} | alma_mater = New College, Oxford | occupation = Investment banking | signature = | website = {{URL|1= democracy.cityoflondon.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2871}} | footnotes = }}
'''Emily Sophia Wedgwood Benn''' (born 4 October 1989) is an English politician, who has represented the Ward of Bread Street on the Court of Common Council of the City of London since 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://democracy.cityoflondon.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2871|title=Member details – The Honourable Emily Sophia Wedgwood Benn|date=8 April 2024|access-date= 22 February 2025|website=democracy.cityoflondon.gov.uk}}</ref>
Benn unsuccessfully contested both the 2010 and 2015 UK general elections as a Labour Party parliamentary candidate. At the 2014 local elections, Benn was elected to the West Thornton Ward of Croydon Borough Council, serving until 2016.<ref name="CroydonElections2014">{{cite news |url=http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/Croydon-elections-West-Thornton-results/story-21128787-detail/story.html |title=Croydon elections: West Thornton results |work=Croydon Advertiser |date=23 May 2014 |access-date=20 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141210044107/http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/Croydon-elections-West-Thornton-results/story-21128787-detail/story.html |archive-date=10 December 2014 |url-status=dead |publisher=Local World }}</ref> At the 2022 local elections, she was elected to represent Bread Street Ward on the City Common Council.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=25 March 2022 |title=Emily Benn: Tony Benn's granddaughter elected London councillor |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-60863723 |access-date=26 March 2022}}</ref>
The granddaughter of the late Labour MP Tony Benn, she is the eldest child and only daughter of the 3rd Viscount Stansgate<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://burkespeerage.com/|title=Burke's Peerage|website=burkespeerage.com}}</ref> by his wife Nita Clarke (''née'' Bowes).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ipa-involve.com/faqs/nita-clarke|title=Nita Clarke OBE|date=9 October 2017|website=Involvement & Participation Association}}</ref>
==Early and family life== Emily Sophia Wedgwood Benn was born 4 October 1989 in Croydon, London, where the 1989 Labour Party Conference was being held,<ref name=littlehampton>{{cite news|url=http://www.littlehamptongazette.co.uk/worthing-news/Teenager-to-take-on-Tory.3229687.jp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312140516/http://www.littlehamptongazette.co.uk/news/local/teenager-to-take-on-tory-tim-at-election-1-1136441|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 March 2016|title=Teenager to take on Tory Tim at election|work=Littlehampton Gazette|date=25 September 2007|publisher=JPI Media}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.croydon.gov.uk/download/localelectionsmay2014.pdf |title=Statement of Persons Nominated |publisher=London Borough of Croydon |access-date=20 July 2014 |date=23 April 2014 }}{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> as the daughter of a viscount, she is entitled to be styled as ''The Honourable''. Benn is a quarter-Indian on her mother's side.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Emily Benn: why politics is a family business |last=Butter |first=Susannah |newspaper=Evening Standard|date=24 July 2014 |url= https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/emily-benn-why-politics-is-a-family-business-9625468.html}}</ref> She claims that her first political experience was campaigning for her grandfather in his Chesterfield constituency during the 1992 general election aged two and she joined the Labour Party at the age of 14.<ref name=GrandaughterRuns/>
Four generations of her family have served as British Members of Parliament (MP) – her uncle Hilary Benn, her grandfather Tony Benn, her great-grandfather William Wedgwood Benn and her great-great-grandfathers, Sir John Benn and Daniel Holmes.<ref>Tony Benn, ''Dare to be A Daniel: Then and Now'' (Arrow Books, 2006, {{ISBN|0-09-947153-1}})</ref>
==Education== Benn attended Wallington High School for Girls<ref name=DayInLife2/> where she achieved 11 A* grades in her GCSEs.<ref name="Indy">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2007/oct/04/ageisjustanumber|title=Age is just a number|work=The Guardian|access-date=22 July 2014|date= 4 October 2007|first=Lena|last=de Casparis}}</ref> She then studied Music, History and Latin for A-levels at St Olave's Grammar School, Orpington,<ref name=GrandaughterRuns/><ref name=independent>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/pandora/benns-granddaughter-to-stand-at-the-next-election-403411.html|title=Benn's granddaughter to stand at the next election|work=The Independent|date=25 September 2007|first=Henry|last=Deedes}}</ref> before reading History and Politics at New College, Oxford.<ref name=DayInLife2>{{cite web|url=http://globalwarmingtest.120host.net/2007/11/04/a-life-in-the-day-emily-benn/ |title=A Life in the Day: Emily Benn |via=Talkin ’bout Global Warming Test |format=Sunday Times |access-date=22 July 2014 |date=4 November 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728163021/http://globalwarmingtest.120host.net/2007/11/04/a-life-in-the-day-emily-benn/ |archive-date=28 July 2014 }}</ref><ref name="OxfordUnion">{{cite news|url=http://www.oxford-union.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/2435/Manifesto_HT09Final.pdf|title=Oxford Union Manifestos|publisher=Oxford Union|access-date=22 July 2014|date=2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728102323/http://www.oxford-union.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/2435/Manifesto_HT09Final.pdf|archive-date=28 July 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Professional career== After university, Benn joined the graduate training programme at UBS Investment Bank, then the multi-asset sales team at the bank in London.<ref name=independent-20121223>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/red-princes-and-princesses-labour-grandees-offspring-are-following-in-their-parents-footsteps-8430202.html |title=Red Princes and Princesses: Labour grandees' offspring are following in their parents' footsteps |last=Merrick |first=Jane |work=The Independent |date=23 December 2012 |access-date=5 September 2018}}</ref><ref name="Telegraph Media Group"/> In 2016 she started working for UBS in New York City.<ref name=croydon-20160310/><ref name="Telegraph Media Group">{{cite news|url=http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/technology/jackrivlin/100011634/labour-is-using-18-year-olds-as-sacrificial-lambs-its-a-vicious-gimmick/|title=Labour is using 18-year-olds as sacrificial lambs. It's a vicious gimmick|publisher=Telegraph Media Group|work=The Telegraph|date=4 December 2013|access-date=10 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304193518/http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/technology/jackrivlin/100011634/labour-is-using-18-year-olds-as-sacrificial-lambs-its-a-vicious-gimmick/|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead|first=Jack|last=Rivlin}}</ref>
In 2018 Benn was a graduate research assistant at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, helping to write a book on ageing demographics with Camilla Cavendish.<ref name=telegraph-20180901>{{cite news |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/emily-benn-granddaughter-of-tony-benn-ready-to-quit-labour-over-trolls-rp08pcnhz|url-access=subscription |title=Emily Benn ready to quit Labour over trolls |last=Zeffman |first=Henry |work=The Telegraph |date=1 September 2018 |access-date=5 September 2018}}</ref> She later worked as Chief of Staff for Jonathan Powell before becoming Chief of Staff of Tortoise Media.<ref>{{Cite web|date=10 October 2021|title=Emily Benn Archives - Tortoise|url=https://www.tortoisemedia.com/contributor/emily-benn/|access-date=10 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010101508/https://www.tortoisemedia.com/contributor/emily-benn/|archive-date=10 October 2021}}</ref>
==Political career== ===Parliamentary candidate=== On 12 September 2007, three weeks before her eighteenth birthday, Benn was selected as the Labour Party candidate for the West Sussex constituency of East Worthing and Shoreham at the 2010 general election.<ref name=GrandaughterRuns>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7011922.stm|title= Benn's granddaughter runs for MP|publisher=BBC News|date=25 September 2007}}</ref>
The sitting MP, Conservative Tim Loughton, defending a majority over Labour of 8,183 votes from the 2005 general election,<ref name=littlehampton/> defeated Benn, who finished in third place, 4,276 votes behind the Liberal Democrat candidate in second place, while Loughton increased his majority to 11,105 votes.<ref name="BBC_ConsituencyResults_b54">{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/election2010/results/constituency/b54.stm |title=Election 2010: Worthing East & Shoreham |publisher=BBC News|access-date=23 April 2012|date= 7 May 2010}}</ref>
On 16 July 2014, Benn was selected as the Labour Party candidate for Croydon South for the 2015 general election.<ref name="CroydonPPC">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28389521|title=Emily Benn, Tony Benn's granddaughter, bids to become MP|publisher=BBC News|access-date=20 July 2014|date= 20 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://insidecroydon.com/2014/07/16/tony-benns-granddaughter-offered-a-selection-open-goal|title=Tony Benn's granddaughter offered a selection open goal|work=Inside Croydon|access-date=20 July 2014|date= 16 July 2014}}</ref> She increased the Labour vote share by 4.8%, but was defeated by Conservative candidate Chris Philp.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000656#election2015-logo|title=Croydon South|publisher=BBC News|date=8 May 2015|access-date=18 April 2018|work=Election 2015}}</ref>
===Local councillor=== In July 2013, Benn was selected as one of three Labour candidates for the ward of West Thornton on Croydon Borough Council in the 2014 local council elections.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://insidecroydon.com/2013/07/15/tony-benns-grand-daughter-selected-for-west-thornton-ward/|title=Tony Benn's grand-daughter selected for West Thornton ward|work=Inside Croydon|date=15 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/Tony-Benn-Croydon-politicians-pay-tribute-veteran/story-20810582-detail/story.html|title=Tony Benn: Croydon politicians pay tribute to veteran Labour MP|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416193157/http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/Tony-Benn-Croydon-politicians-pay-tribute-veteran/story-20810582-detail/story.html |archive-date=16 April 2014|work=Croydon Advertiser|date=14 March 2014|publisher=Local World}}</ref> In May 2014, she was elected top of the ballot with a majority of 1,777.<ref name=CroydonElections2014/> She resigned as a Councillor in 2016 after accepting a job in New York City.<ref name=croydon-20160310>{{cite news|url=http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/news/14335097.Emily_Benn_resigns_as_Croydon_councillor/ |title=Emily Benn resigns as Croydon councillor for West Thornton|date=10 March 2016|work=Croydon Guardian|publisher=Newsquest (London & Essex)|access-date=18 April 2018|first=Daniel|last=O'Mahony}}</ref>
Benn served on the Board of Trustees of the London Youth Games and London Mozart Players.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uk.linkedin.com/in/emily-benn-b929b924|title=Emily Benn}}</ref>
Benn returned to local politics in 2022, being elected to the Ward of Bread Street on the City of London Common Council as an Independent at the 2022 election.<ref name=":0" />
===Andrew Fisher complaint=== In the autumn of 2015, Benn formally complained about Andrew Fisher, Jeremy Corbyn's head of policy, for supporting the group Class War at the general election earlier that year;<ref name="complaint">{{cite news |title= Tony Benn's granddaughter delivers blow to Corbyn by calling for policy chief to go |url= https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/oct/25/tony-benn-granddaughter-calls-for-expulsion-of-andrew-fisher |work= The Guardian |date= 25 October 2015 |access-date= 6 November 2015|first1=Toby|last1=Helm|first2=Henry|last2=Zeffman}}</ref> Fisher was suspended.<ref name = "Fisher suspend">{{cite web |title= Corbyn policy head Andrew Fisher suspended from Labour over tweets |url= http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2015/11/corbyn-policy-head-andrew-fisher-suspended-labour-over-tweets |work= NewStatesman | access-date = 6 November 2015|date=6 November 2015|publisher=NS Media Group|first=George|last=Eaton}}</ref> ''The Guardian'' also stated that 'Fisher Supporters' had pointed out that a page titled 'Emily Benn for Croydon South' on Facebook published a retweet suggesting Labour members who were '"disappointed" with Corbyn's "male dominated" leadership join the Women's Equality Party.<ref name="complaint2">{{Cite news |title= Corbyn adviser 'backed non-Labour candidates at least three times' |url= https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/oct/28/corbyn-adviser-andrew-fisher-backed-non-labour-candidates-three-times |work= The Guardian |date= 28 October 2015 |access-date= 6 November 2015|publisher=Guardian News and Media|first=Patrick|last=Wintour}}</ref>
==Electoral history==
===2022 City of London Corporation election=== {{Election box begin | title = Bread Street (2 seats)}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link | party = Independent politician | candidate = Emily Benn | votes = 105 | percentage = 37.5 | change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link | party = Independent politician | candidate = Giles Shilson* | votes = 84 | percentage = 30.0 | change = {{decrease}}10.1 }} {{Election box candidate with party link | party = Independent politician | candidate = Stephen Hodgson | votes = 60 | percentage = 21.4 | change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box candidate with party link | party = Women's Equality Party | candidate = Harini Iyengar | votes = 31 | percentage = 11.1 | change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box turnout | votes = 280 | percentage = | change = — }} {{Election box hold with party link no change | winner = Independent politician }} {{Election box end}}
===2015 general election=== {{Election box begin | |title=General election 2015: Croydon South<ref name=electoralcalculus>{{cite web|title=Election Data 2015|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=17 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017112223/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt|archive-date=17 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.croydon.gov.uk/sites/default/files/articles/downloads/Croydon-South-election-results_0.pdf|title=DECLARATION OF RESULT OF POLL - Election of a Member of Parliament for Croydon South|publisher=London Borough of Croydon|date=8 May 2015|first=Cllr Manju|last=Shahul-Hameed|access-date=27 November 2015|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235500/https://www.croydon.gov.uk/sites/default/files/articles/downloads/Croydon-South-election-results_0.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Conservative Party (UK) |candidate = Chris Philp |votes = 31,448 |percentage = 54.5 |change =+3.6 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Labour Party (UK) |candidate = Emily Benn |votes = 14,308 |percentage = 24.8 |change =+4.8 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = United Kingdom Independence Party |candidate = Kathleen Garner |votes = 6,068 |percentage = 10.5 |change =+6.1 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Liberal Democrats (UK) |candidate = Gill Hickson |votes = 3,448 |percentage = 6.0 |change =-16.9 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Green Party of England and Wales |candidate = Peter Underwood |votes = 2,154 |percentage = 3.7 |change =+2.0 }} {{Election box candidate| |party = Putting Croydon First! |candidate = Mark Samuel |votes = 221 |percentage = 0.4 |change =''N/A'' }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Class War |candidate = Jon Bigger<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.classwarparty.org.uk/the-candidates/jon-bigger-croydon-south/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006131727/http://www.classwarparty.org.uk/the-candidates/jon-bigger-croydon-south/|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 October 2014|title=Jon Bigger - Croydon South |publisher=Class War}}</ref> |votes = 65 |percentage = 0.1 |change =''N/A'' }} {{Election box majority |votes = 17,410 |percentage =29.7 |change = }} {{Election box turnout |votes = 57,712 |percentage = 70.4 |change =+1.1 }} {{Election box hold with party link| |winner =Conservative Party (UK) |swing = -0.6% }} {{Election box end}}
===2010 general election=== {{Election box begin | title=General election 2010: East Worthing and Shoreham<ref name=electoralcalculus2010>{{cite web|title=Election Data 2010|url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt|publisher=Electoral Calculus|access-date=17 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726162034/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt|archive-date=26 July 2013 }}</ref><ref name=hold>{{cite web| url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/election2010/results/constituency/b54.stm | title = Worthing East & Shoreham | access-date = 7 May 2010 | publisher = BBC News}}</ref> }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Conservative Party (UK) |candidate = Tim Loughton |votes = 23,458 |percentage = 48.5 |change = +4.6 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Liberal Democrats (UK) |candidate = James Doyle |votes = 12,353 |percentage = 25.5 |change = +1.2 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Labour Party (UK) |candidate = Emily Benn |votes = 8,087 |percentage = 16.7 |change = −8.8 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = UK Independence Party |candidate = Mike Glennon |votes = 2,984 |percentage = 6.2 |change = +1.4 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Green Party of England and Wales |candidate = Susan Board |votes = 1,126 |percentage = 2.3 |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = English Democrats Party |candidate = Clive Maltby |votes = 389 |percentage = 0.8 |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box majority| |votes = 11,105 |percentage = 22.9 |change = }} {{Election box turnout| |votes = 48,397 |percentage = 65.4 |change = +3.6 }} {{Election box hold with party link| |winner = Conservative Party (UK) |swing = +1.7 }} {{Election box end}}
==See also== * City of London Corporation * Viscount Stansgate
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benn, Emily}} Category:1989 births Category:Living people Category:Daughters of viscounts Emily Category:Tony Benn Category:English people of American descent Category:English people of Indian descent Category:English people of Scottish descent Category:People educated at Wallington High School for Girls Category:Alumni of New College, Oxford Category:People from Croydon Category:People from South Norwood Category:Councillors in the London Borough of Croydon Category:Councilmen of the City of London Category:UK councillors 2014–2018 Category:UK councillors 2022–2026 Category:Women councillors in England Category:Labour Party (UK) councillors Category:Labour Party (UK) parliamentary candidates Category:UBS people