Maeve Sherlock

British politician

The Reverend and Right Honourable

The Baroness Sherlock

OBE

Official portrait, 2022

Minister of State for Work and Pensions[a]

Incumbent

Assumed office
9 July 2024
Prime Minister| Keir Starmer
Preceded by| The Viscount Younger of Leckie
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal

Life Peerage

Assumed office
17 June 2010

Shadow portfolios

2023–2024| Faith
2013–2024| Work and Pensions
2021–2022| Education
2015–2020| Senior Whip
2013–2015| Whip

Personal details
Born|

Maeve Christina Mary Sherlock

(1960-11-10) 10 November 1960 (age 64)
Finsbury Park, London, England
Political party| Labour
Residence| Durham, England
Alma mater| University of Liverpool
Open University
St Chad's College, Durham

Maeve Christina Mary Sherlock, Baroness Sherlock, OBE (born 10 November 1960) is a British politician serving as a Member of the House of Lords since 2010. A member of the Labour Party, she is an ordained priest of the Church of England.

## Early life and education

[edit]

Maeve Christina Mary Sherlock was born on 10 November 1960 in Finsbury Park, London. She was educated at Our Lady's Abingdon in Abingdon on Thames.

Sherlock read Sociology at the University of Liverpool, and later received a Master of Business Administration from the Open University.[1] She served as President of the National Union of Students from 1988 to 1990.[2]

## Career

[edit]

Sherlock was director of the UK Council for Overseas Student Affairs from 1991 until 1997, when she became chief executive of the National Council for One Parent Families. She was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2000 New Year Honours.[3]

Sherlock worked as a member of the Council of Economic Advisers from 2000 to 2003, advising the Chancellor of the Exchequer on social issues. She later became a trustee of think tank Demos.

Sherlock was chief executive of the Refugee Council from 2003 to 2006. A member of the Equality and Human Rights Commission from 2007 to 2010,[4] she chaired the National Student Forum during the same period.

Sherlock has been non-executive director of the Financial Ombudsman Service board since 2008. She was also non-executive director of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission from 2008 to 2010.

### House of Lords

[edit]

On 17 June 2010, Sherlock was created a life peer as Baroness Sherlock, of Durham in the County of Durham.[5] She was introduced in the House of Lords on 5 July 2010, where she sits as a member of the Labour Party.[6] She made her maiden speech on 5 October 2010.[7]

Sherlock was appointed an opposition whip in March 2013, and a Work and Pensions spokesperson in October 2013. She was promoted to serve as a senior whip from May 2015 until April 2020, when she stepped down from the position. She was an Education spokesperson from May 2021 to May 2022.

On 9 July 2024, she was appointed a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions.[8] She was promoted to Minister of State on 17 December 2024.[9]

### Church of England

[edit]

Sherlock is an Honorary Fellow and Tutor at St Chad's College, Durham, where she studied for a doctorate in Theology.[10][11]

Sherlock trained for ordained ministry at St Mellitus College from 2016 until 2018, when she was ordained as a Church of England deacon.[12] She served her curacy at St Nicholas Church, Durham (St Nics) from 2018 to 2022.[13] She was ordained a priest at Durham Cathedral in June 2019.[14] In 2022, she was appointed a non-stipendiary priest vicar at Westminster Abbey,[12] and was also licensed as non-stipendiary associate vicar at St Nics.[15][16]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State from 9 July 2024 till 17 December 2024

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Staying power". The Guardian. 16 February 2005. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
2. ^ "MPs and Lords: Baroness Sherlock: Experience". UK Parliament. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
3. ^ "No. 55710". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1999. p. 16.
4. ^ GNN – Government News Network Archived 9 June 2007 at archive.today
5. ^ "No. 59466". The London Gazette. 22 June 2010. p. 11706.
6. ^ House of Lords Business, 22 June 2010
7. ^ Baroness Sherlock (5 October 2010). "Charitable Sector". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 721\. United Kingdom: House of Lords. col. 46–49.
8. ^ "Baroness Sherlock OBE". GOV.UK. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
9. ^ "Ministerial appointment: 17 December 2024". GOV.UK. Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street. 17 December 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
10. ^ "Maeve Sherlock Honoured", Anglican Diocese of Durham website, July–August 2010 (text needs magnification)
11. ^ "Maeve Sherlock". Tutors' Profiles. St Chad's College, Durham. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
12. ^ a b "Baroness Maeve Christina Mary Sherlock". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
13. ^ "Ordinations 2018 – Ordinands and Pictures". Diocese of Durham. 30 June 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
14. ^ "Inspiring Stories of Ministry Lie behind Ordination Ceremony in 2019". Diocese of Durhham. 21 June 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
15. ^ "Appointments". Church Times. 20 May 2022. Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022. "SHERLOCK. The Revd Maeve Sherlock, NS Assistant Curate of St Nicholas's, Durham (Durham), to be NS Associate Minister, remaining Priest-Vicar of Westminster Abbey."
16. ^ "Staff". St Nics Durham. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.

## External links

[edit]

*   * Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
* Contributions in Parliament at Hansard

Political offices

Preceded by

Vicky Phillips

|  President of the
National Union of Students
1988–1990  | Succeeded by

Stephen Twigg

Non-profit organization positions
Preceded by

Nick Hardwick

|  Chief Executive of the Refugee Council
2003–2006  | Succeeded by

Donna Covey

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