Gloria De Piero (born 21 December 1972) is a British politician and former broadcast journalist. A member of the Labour Party, she has represented the constituency of Ashfield as its Member of Parliament since her election in 2010. Before entering Parliament she worked in television news and morning programmes, most notably for GMTV.
Early career and journalism
De Piero made her public profile working in broadcast media. In television she combined reporting and presenting roles that focused on political and current-affairs stories, gaining experience communicating complex issues to a wide audience. Her background in journalism was frequently noted during her first years in Parliament and helped shape her approach to constituency casework and public engagement.
Parliamentary roles and responsibilities
After becoming an MP in 2010, De Piero moved into frontbench roles for the opposition. She served as a shadow minister from October 2010 and was later promoted into the shadow cabinet in 2013 with a brief concentrating on women and equalities. Following the 2015 general election she took on a role focused on young people and voter registration, reflecting an emphasis on participation and access to politics.
- MP for Ashfield, elected 2010 — incumbent
- Shadow minister (from October 2010)
- Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities (promoted 2013)
- Shadow Minister for Young People and Voter Registration (appointed 2015; resigned June 2016)
Shadow ministers in the UK opposition are responsible for holding government departments to account, developing alternative policies and speaking for their party on specific subject areas. De Piero's brief areas reflected interests in equality, youth engagement and democratic participation.
Resignation and subsequent work
De Piero resigned from her shadow ministerial role on 26 June 2016. Her resignation took place during a period of significant political change and debate within her party following the 2016 EU referendum. She has continued to serve as the MP for Ashfield and has made regular media appearances, drawing on her experience in journalism as well as politics.
Notable aspects: De Piero is one of several British parliamentarians who moved into politics after a career in television, bringing media skills into constituency representation and policy communication. Her parliamentary work has tended to emphasise youth engagement, equalities and efforts to increase voter registration among under-represented groups.