Emily Thornberry

Dame Emily Thornberry, Labour MP and the influential head of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee, is in the hot seat as the committee continues its ongoing investigation - dubbed ‘Scandelson’ scrutinising - into the circumstances behind Lord Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador. Born in Guildford in 1960 her mother was a teacher and her father an academic who would go on to be a UN Assistant Secretary General. When Emily was seven her father walked out on the family leaving her mother with no income and three children to look after. They were made homeless and moved to a council estate. After A Levels she studied law and qualified as a barrister in the mid 80s and spent 20 years as a human rights barrister at the chambers of Michael Mansfield KC. She was first elected as a Labour MP in 2005. She has since been re-elected 5 times and held a number of Shadow Cabinet positions including Defence, Foreign Affairs, International Trade, and Attorney General. But when Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister to many people’s surprise there was no ministerial job for Emily. Now, as chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, she has the power to scrutinise government decisions and appointments; a role that has seen her grilling members of her own party in recent weeks. Mark Coles looks back on her life. Contributors: Michael Mansfield KC Dawn Butler MP Sir Jeremey Hunt MP Lord Christopher Smith Jim Thornberry Archive : Devil Wears Prada 2 trailer - 20th Century Studios / Wendy Finerman Productions / Sunswept Entertainment Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Tom Gillett and Nathan Gower Editor: Justine Lang Sound mix: Neil Churchill Production co-ordinators: Maria Ogundele and Rosie Strawbridge

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Emily Thornberry is an episode from Profile by BBC.

This episode is 14:46 long.

This episode was published on May 2, 2026.

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