MP for Copeland
Granddaughter of a miner and also a farmer with an ancestry deeply rooted in the local area, Trudy was brought up in Seascale for the first nine years, then Wasdale, and after a six year period in Whitehaven she and her family; husband Keith and four daughters, Gabrielle, Savannah, Francesca and Rosemary moved to Bootle in 2002, where they live today.
Upon leaving Wyndham Comprehensive Trudy started her career at Sellafield working across the site in a variety of roles - in Thorp Management Centre, MOX and B591. She also worked in Separation and Waste Retrieval and Decommissioning. The birth of her first daughter, Gabrielle, in 1998 prompted a career move to nursery owner and manager which led to voluntary roles at her children’s school, Captain Shaw’s in Bootle, in fundraising and on the governing body.
The decline of village life in Bootle motivated Trudy’s interest in local politics. She joined Bootle Parish Council in 2006 and later secured the position of regeneration officer at Copeland Borough Council in 2010. A self-confessed late starter, Trudy combined full-time work, her role in the community and being a mum of four with a part-time Foundation Degree at the University of Salford, studying Sustainable Communities.
Trudy worked most recently on the Bootle2020 Programme in her home village; a programme of activities aiming to breathe new life into Bootle for future generations supported by private investors. In February 2017 Trudy became Copeland’s first female and also first Conservative MP with her campaign pledges supporting nuclear, road, rail and digital investment along with a strong focus on health and education.
Her parliamentary roles include being a member of the Education Select Committee, Co-Chair of the Apprenticeship Delivery Board, Government appointed Ambassador for Apprenticeships, Vice-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Nuclear, member of the APPG for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and a member of the APPG for Autism. She is also a keen member of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme and is, in her words, “living the dream” as a newly elected Member of Parliament for Copeland.
