Alison Halford
Former top cop and ex Labour AM who joined the Tories.
- Born:
-
1940
- Place of Birth:
- Norwich
- School:
- Notre Dame Convent Grammar School, Norwich
- Biography:
-
A police officer for 30 years, Alison rose through the ranks to become the Assistant Chief Constable of the Merseyside Police Authority, and was at the time the most senior woman in the British Police force.
However, despite nine attempts she failed to achieve the further promotion she felt she deserved. She took her sexual discrimination case to the courts and won an unprecedented victory, going on to win a phone-tapping case against the Home Secretary in 1997 at the European Court of Human Rights. The case led to a change in UK legislation. She settled in Flintshire and later became a Labour Welsh Assembly member for Delyn from 1999 to 2003. But in April 2006 she joined the Conservative Party advising on policing and social justice matters. She said: "I have been disillusioned with Tony Blair's leadership."
In November 2007 she published her memoirs and, at the launch party, Conservative assembly group leader Nick Bourne described her as "the bit of grit in the oyster" every political party needs, according to BBC Wales political reporter Adrian Browne.
- Moment of Glory:
- Taking on the Government and the Police Authority - and winning.
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