Search this site



Follow andypellew on Twitter

Contents

  1. 1 Real Change in Politics 
    1. 1.1 Belinda believes that people deserve a fair deal from politicians. She wants a fairer voting system where every vote counts, and for real change in politics. She wants to end so-called 'safe' seats that were part of the old corrupt system of the old red-blue blue-red parties where nothing really changed. By voting Liberal Democrat she knows you can change politics forever.
    2. 1.2 Change for Women
    3. 1.3 Change Based on Evidence Not Just Promises
    4. 1.4 Experience in Driving Change Through
    5. 1.5 Joint working for Good Policy
    6. 1.6 Evidence to Parliamentary Select Committees:
    7. 1.7 Contribution to Government Consultation
    8. 1.8 The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality, and community, and in which no one is enslaved by poverty ignorance or conformity.

Real Change in Politics 

Belinda believes that people deserve a fair deal from politicians. She wants a fairer voting system where every vote counts, and for real change in politics. She wants to end so-called 'safe' seats that were part of the old corrupt system of the old red-blue blue-red parties where nothing really changed. By voting Liberal Democrat she knows you can change politics forever.

Change for Women

Belinda has played a key role in developing Liberal Democrat policy for women, taking evidence from various bodies, chairing some evidence sessions, and jointly authoring the current policy document: Real Women. Liberal Democrat Policy Paper No. 91 (2009) Swinson, J., Featherstone, L., Thomas, S., Brooks-Gordon, B., Bell, E., Brooks-Gordon, B., Isden, R., Nichols, T., Sladowsky, M., Irfan, B., and Fawcett, N. 

She, and her co-authors Jo Swinson, Lynne Featherstone and Baroness Susan Thomas have campaigned for pay audits so big companies publish how much they pay both men and women, making companies be honest about airbrushing pictures, and publishing cosmetic surgery satisfaction rates. 

Belinda is a member of Gender Balance to get more hard working women into Parliament.   
Belinda has since been gathering support for the policies within it from non-governmental and non-party political organizations including the Royal Society of Medicine and the Royal College of Nurses.

Change Based on Evidence Not Just Promises

As a member of The British Psychological Society (BPS), the executive body of psychology in Britain which represents 45,000 psychologists, Belinda is part of a team which advises the Policy Support Unit. Last year she  wrote a Memorandum of Evidence for the British Psychological Society (BPS) which was sent to Committee of both Houses during the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill. 

Belinda has carried out systematic reviews for the Cochrane Collaboration and have done much research on the effectiveness of psychological treatment for sexual offenders - a topic of constant political, public, and media debate. My empirical work in this area has influenced a variety of user groups: Government departments such as the Home Office, Health, NGOs, and local authorities, as well as researchers, academics, and practitioners in journals such as the BMJ. Alongside this, She has also been a consultant to HM Prison Service Offending Behaviour Programme Unit and have maintained a useful link between the academe and the Ministry of Justice. 

Belinda is a member of Westminster Skeptics, is a group of legal and science experts and bloggers, who write on evidence and policy. This dynamic and growing group in the burgeoning blogosphere are beginning to influence the debate and put pressure on parliamentarians as never before. 

Selected scientific evidence and advisory work she has done in parliament to ministers, MPs, and parliamentary committees includes:

Experience in Driving Change Through

Examples of Belinda's formal written policy and campaign work which defeated the government include:
  • Memorandum of Evidence on Policing and Crime Bill, on behalf of the British Psychological Society, PC 46. Heard at Scrutiny Committee 15th Sitting, 26 February 2009
  • Women’s National Commission Paper - submission to UN Committee on Convention of Elimination of Discrimination of Women July 2007 on 15 January 2008
  • Memorandum of Evidence on Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill, on behalf of the British Psychological Society, CJ&I 388. Heard at Scrutiny Committee, 9th Sitting, 20 November 2007
  • Belinda drafted the amendments to separate child and adult offences proposed by cross-party group of Lord Faulkner, Lord Lucas, Baroness Walmsley, and Baroness Noakes, see col 181, House of Lords Hansard, May 2003
  • Belinda drafted amendments 299, 308 and 308A, 308B, Sexual Offences Bill Fourth Marshalled List of Amendments to be Moved in Committee [HL Bill 26-IV]

Joint working for Good Policy

Belinda has provided written policy advice and  briefings to Party MPs and Peers over the years. For example written advice and briefings to Baroness Joan Walmsley in 2003,  Baroness Sue Miller in the House of Lords and David Howarth MP, Evan Harris MP, Chris Davies MEP in European Parliament recently over the implications of the Policing and Crime Bill 2009.
  • Provision of Policy Advice to Lord Falkner of Worcester on the evidence base of psychological interventions
  • Belinda's work has been mentioned in the House of Lords debates. Hansard text 13 May 2003, col 182

Evidence to Parliamentary Select Committees:

  • British Psychological Society (2009) Memorandum of Evidence. House of Commons Scrutiny Committee, Policing and Crime Bill
  • British Psychological Society (2007) Memorandum of Evidence. House of Commons Scrutiny Committee, Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill
  • Brooks-Gordon, B. M. (2003) Memorandum of Evidence.  House of Commons Home Affairs Committee, Sexual Offences Bill, Fifth Report of Session 2002-03, Appendix 5, Ev 34
  • Setting the Boundaries: Reforming the law on sex offences, vol. 2, supporting evidence, p360
  • Contribution to Government Consultation:  Brooks-Gordon, B. M. (2004) Response to: Paying the Price: A Consultation Paper on Prostitution, 26 November
Belinda has been involved in a variety of joint policy working groups. Some involve working cross-party to get things done and to get good policy implemented, Examples include:
  • Doing cross-party work to amend the legislation including the provision of policy advice to team of Theresa May MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, and Women
  • Invitation by John McDonnell MP to address the Criminal Justice Advisory Panel for the LRC (Labour Representation Committee) Forum/New Left Policy Forum. I 29 April 2008
Belinda is also involved in a number of interdisciplinary groups who work across all political spectrums and none. For example in the Cambridge Socio-legal Group she has worked with and advised Bob Geldof on some of his political projects.

Contribution to Government Consultation

  • Brooks-Gordon, B. M. (2004) Response to: Paying the Price: A Consultation Paper on Prostitution, 26 November
  • Consultant to Home Office Offending Programme Unit (OBPU) 


The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality, and community, and in which no one is enslaved by poverty ignorance or conformity.

Sign in|Report Abuse|Print Page|Remove Access|Powered By Google Sites