Pauline Latham OBE
PROFESSOR KEITH MCLAY: And now we come to our Honorary Award. These are awarded by the University in recognition of somebody who has made a very significant contribution in their particular field of endeavour. And I have great pleasure in inviting Professor Chris Bussell, Pro Vice-Chancellor Dean of the College of Science and Engineering, to give the commendation for the conferment of an Honorary Doctor of the University to Pauline Latham OBE.
Professor Bussell.
PROFESSOR CHRIS BUSSELL: Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Lieutenant, Mayor of High Peak, Honoured guests and graduands of 2025, and all our guests here today, it gives me great pleasure to be presenting Pauline Latham OBE for the Honorary Award of Doctor of the University.
Pauline was elected as a first ever Member of Parliament for Mid Derbyshire in 2010. She served 14 years in the House of Commons, during which time she changed legislation and was a passionate campaigner on matters both home and abroad. She is an inspirational leader locally who has had a significant impact regionally and internationally.
Born in Lincolnshire in 1948, Pauline was educated at Bramcote Hills Technical Grammar School in Nottinghamshire. She married her husband, Derek Latham, a highly respected architect, in 1968, and she moved to Derbyshire in 1970. She first became interested in politics when Derbyshire County Council threatened to close the sixth form of Ecclesbourne School, where her children, Sarah, Ben and Oliver, were pupils. The campaign was successful and the sixth form remained open, to which I am personally appreciative because it is the same school to which I went. It was at that point that Pauline's career in politics really began.
After being elected as Derbyshire County Councillor, Pauline went on to become a City Councillor and was Mayor of Derby from 2007 to 2008. In 2010, she took the opportunity to enter national politics by successfully contesting the newly created seat to become the MP for Mid Derbyshire. Pauline became one of the few backbench MPs to achieve the change in the law, working tirelessly in support of international development, and has been a stalwart champion for the region, fighting to help save Derby County Football Club and persuade Great British Railways to come and base their headquarters in Derby.
Pauline has advocated for women and girls' rights throughout her career as a long-serving member of the International Development Select Committee. Pauline pressed for meaningful change in the sector to end sexual abuse and exploitation. Perhaps her standout achievement was securing a change in the law to protect children in England and Wales from marriage, and to criminalise those who arranged marriages involving children. Her Marriage and Civil Partnership Minimum Age Act became law in 2022, after five years of lobbying.
Pauline has also been proactive within the Ukrainian community in Derby, and in 2020 she was awarded the Ukrainian Order of Merit by the then Ukraine Prime Minister in appreciation of all her work demanding and achieving recognition at a national level of historic acts of genocide against Ukrainian people.
In 2018, Pauline tragically lost her son Ben to an aortic dissection at the age of 44, after he was sent home from the emergency department with an incorrect diagnosis. Pauline connected with bereaved families and patients, and in 2020 the Aortic Dissection Charitable Trust was established. As a trustee, Pauline has been a relentless campaigner to improve the diagnosis and treatment for patients, and is a highly respected member of the medical field for her commitment to improving the consistency of treatment across patients in the whole care pathway.
Pauline has been a valued friend and supporter of the University for many years, and we are delighted that we are able to recognise her career that has touched so many lives locally, nationally and internationally. Her husband Derek and children Sarah and Oliver are here celebrating with Pauline today.
Chancellor, in recognition of her outstanding achievements in public service and her commitment to local politics, the University and the region, we are delighted to be awarding Pauline Latham the Honorary Degree of Doctor of the University.
PAULINE LATHAM OBE: Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Lieutenant, Mayor of High Peak, Honoured guests, Graduands of 2025, and all our guests here today, thank you so much for awarding me this honour, which I do accept with pride.
Unfortunately, Chris has said practically everything I had planned to say, but what many people won't realise is the honour it has been over the last 37 years to represent the people who elected me. First of all, in the ward of Oakwood in Derbyshire, where I was a councillor for 23 years, and then going on to become the MP for Mid Derbyshire. To be able to help people, to be able to fix their problems when actually most people should come to their Member of Parliament earlier. They often leave it really late to come and ask for help and we can help because many people spend a lot of time fighting organisations, but one letter from an MP can often solve your issues. So, anybody here in the room who needs help, go to your MP, they are there to be used, they do represent you. Wherever you live in the country and internationally, you will have a member of Parliament.
So, as Chris said, I started really because of the Council wanting to destroy the school where my children went. And I was angry. I was really angry about that because for the first time, politics affected my life, because it affected my children's lives. So, I decided that I would fight to save the sixth form, which we did very successfully over a long period of time. And the school is still good, it's still one of the best in the county, and I decided after that, that I would stick my head above the parapet and try and become elected because I realised decisions were being made politically that I didn't agree with. And none of us will ever agree with all the decisions that politicians make, but we are human and we do, usually, do it to the best of our ability.
So, although most people hate politicians, don't hate us, we're just ordinary people doing a difficult job. Get to know us, come and see us, because we do really want to help. And politicians of all colours go into politics for the right reasons. There'll be some that won't, but that's the same in every single profession. But please, don't condemn politicians because they've stood up and they've been counted and they've had to get elected. And it's hard work getting elected. So, if you do criticise them, why don't you do the same, why don't you become a politician and try and change life for the better, because that's what most of us want to do.
And I know many people say they don't vote because they can't be bothered or they don't agree with what any politician says, but find out a bit more about it and get up there and go and vote. Because, strictly for the women in the audience, women died in this country for us to have a vote. And I noticed most of the graduates today were women, so I hope you will vote because it's really important you do so.
One of the most rewarding parts of being a councillor, but more importantly, a Member of Parliament, is being able to help those people who can't help themselves. And that's something that I really miss. Now that I've retired, as I retired last year, I miss being able to do those things and speak to those people who needed my help. So, as I said before, get to know your Member of Parliament, get to know your local councillor, because they can help you in all sorts of ways.
This degree today is such an honour as it's been an honour to serve people for 37 years. It's an honour because I didn't have a degree, I've never been to university, because when I was at school I was hopeless at exams. I couldn't sit an exam, which all of you have done and passed remarkably and come up here to get your degrees. I never had that opportunity and I think it's a fantastic opportunity for all of you. But I have loved being able to help people as a councillor and as an MP, and I'd really like to say thank you for giving me this degree today in the finale of my public career.
Thank you.
Pauline Latham's commendation video
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