Roberta Blackman-Woods has been named as Labour’s shadow minister for civil society.

Hailing from Northern Ireland, she is 53 and has been MP for the City of Durham constituency since 2005.

Before her election to parliament, her roles including serving as dean of social and labour studies at Ruskin College, Oxford and professor of social policy at the University of Northumbria.

She founded and chairs the All-Party Balanced and Sustainable Communities Group and is a co-chair of the Associate Parliamentary Group for Afghanistan and the All-Party Universities Group.

An update on her website promises: “Roberta will use her new role as shadow minister for civil society to take the government to task over any cuts to the voluntary sector especially as the government has suggested a bigger role for charities in the delivery of public services.”