Emily Thornberry

Emily Anne, Lady Nugee (née Thornberry; born 27 July 1960), known as Emily Thornberry, is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Islington South and Finsbury since the 2005 general election and has served as Shadow Secretary of State for Defence in Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet since January 2016.

Thornberry was born in Surrey, the daughter of Sallie and Cedric Thornberry. She studied law at the University of Kent before practicing as a barrister from 1985 to 2005 and specialising in human rights law under the guidance of Michael Mansfield. She was first elected to Parliament in 2005, serving on the Communities and Local Government Select Committee from 2005 to 2010. In the 2005-2010 Parliament, she spoke out on both housing issues and issues relating to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, as well as voting against the whip on issues relating to national security on several occasions.

Thornberry was re-elected in the 2010 general election, and was appointed as Shadow Attorney General in Ed Miliband's shadow cabinet, serving from 2011 until her resignation on 20 November 2014. She was again re-elected in the 2015 general election. Following the election of Corbyn in September 2015, Thornberry was appointed as Shadow Minister of State for Employment. In a shadow cabinet reshuffle in January 2016, she was appointed as Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, replacing Maria Eagle.