Ann Taylor was the first female Leader of the Commons and in 1998 became the first female chief whip. Unusually for the post she sits in the Cabinet and is responsible for maintaining party discipline among Labour's 415 MPs.
Scottish-born, she moved to Bolton when she was four. She still actively supports Bolton Wanderers although she has lived in Yorkshire for about 30 years. She met her civil engineer husband, David, at a Young Socialist meeting.
As a 27-year-old, while doing research work at Sheffield University and teaching for the Open University, she was elected MP for Bolton West. She lost the seat in 1983 but was returned to the Commons in 1987 to represent Dewsbury in West Yorkshire.
Her star rose in opposition, speaking on education, housing, home affairs and environment. From 1992-94 she was shadow education secretary. In 1994 she was appointed shadow leader of the Commons, a post she assumed on Labour's election. As Leader of the Commons, she chaired a committee on modernising Parliament.
