Gloria De Piero MPGloria De Piero was elected to serve Ashfield at the 2010 General Election. Before being elected as an MP aged 37, Gloria was GMTV’s Political Editor. She has previously worked as a journalist on the Politics Show at the BBC. Gloria graduated from the University of Westminster with a first class honours degree in Social Sciences and completed an MSc at the University of London. Her priority is to be an open and accessible Member of Parliament, who always puts the interests of the people of Ashfield first. In October 2010, Gloria was appointed to a junior role in the shadow Department for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport. Between October 2011 and October 2013, Gloria served as a junior minister in the shadow Department for the Home Office before being appointed as a full member of the Shadow Cabinet in October 2013 as the Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities.
One to One Questions
1) What is your current position?
I am currently Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities, and MP for Ashfield constituency
2) What are your proudest achievements?
My proudest achievement is reaching places I'd never dreamed of: university, the BBC and finally Parliament.
3) What inspires you?
My biggest inspiration are people who have suffered injustice but find the strength to stand up and challenge it. Like a woman in my constituency who had been raped over thirty years ago, but has recently won her battle to reopen the case.
4) What has been the biggest obstacle in your career?
I’ve always felt like a bit of an outsider because of my humble roots. People think that you have to be of a certain mould to fit in places, but I’ve learnt that being different can be your biggest strength.
5) Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?
My parents, for making sure that I got to University, I’m not sure I’d have been able to achieve the things I have without that start.
6) What is the best aspect about your current role?
When I was a journalist I thought that was the best way to learn about what was happening in our country but being an MP gives you much more insight and unlike journalism I don’t just report on a story and move on, I can change things.
7) And the worst?
Not being in Government means we can criticize and complain but we can’t change our country.
8) What are your long term goals?
My twenties and thirties were all about setting goals and pushing myself very hard but post-forty I just try and do the best I can in the role I currently have which is hugely fulfilling.
9) If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change?
I’d love to see more people from ordinary backgrounds running our businesses and succeeding in top professions; to create a society where everyone can achieve their potential.
10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why?
I reckon Marilyn Monroe would have some great gossip to keep you entertained for an evening!
