Huddersfield’s former MP, Barry Sheerman, is among those to receive an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Huddersfield.
Each year the university bestows honorary degrees on notable individuals who have attained success and recognition in their chosen field. This Summer, wedding dress designer Kate Halfpenny, and the Bishop of Leeds Right Reverend Nick Baines are to receive the award alongside the town’s former MP.
The Honorary Doctorates will be presented from 14 July at the university’s graduation ceremonies. Some of the key achievements of each recipient are set out as follows:
Barry Sheerman
Barry served as the Member of Parliament for Huddersfield for 45 years until his retirement in 2024.
He was elected as a candidate for Huddersfield East in 1976 and became MP in 1979. During his 45 years as MP, Barry has served on the Public Accounts Committee, been the Shadow Secretary of State for Employment, the Shadow Minister of State for Police, Prisons and Crime Prevention and chaired the select committee for Education and Skills for ten years.
Prior to becoming an MP, Barry was a local cllr in Swansea for seven years, and before that, a Lecturer at Swansea University going on to lead the American Studies Department.
In the early 1980s, Barry led a campaign to make seatbelt wearing compulsory in cars which led to a law being passed making seatbelt wearing mandatory for everyone.
Kate Halfpenny
Kate is behind Halfpenny London, one of the UK’s leading luxury bridalwear brands.
Kate graduated from the University of Huddersfield in 1998 with a BA(Hons) in Fashion Design. An internship at Vivienne Westwood, followed by further study majoring in textiles at Central Saints Martins in London, all hugely influenced what is now Kate’s signature style.
In 2005, actress Emilia Fox commissioned Kate to create her multiple wedding dresses, earning her a reputation as the go-to bridal designer with a twist. Her brand, Halfpenny London, was born and became one of the UK’s leading luxury bridalwear brands.
Today, the brand is worn by brides around the world, and Kate continues to create her collections from the Halfpenny London atelier in London.
Rt Revd Nick Baines
Nick has been the Bishop of Leeds since 2014, covering the largest diocese in the Church of England, for a decade. He was previously the Bishop of Bradford and, before that, the Bishop of Croydon.
Nick read German and French at Bradford University and, before ordination, worked for four years as a Russian linguist at GCHQ, the UK’s intelligence, security and cyber agency.
He has been a member of the House of Lords since 2014 and has represented the Archbishop of Canterbury at international faith conferences. Nick has written seven books on Christian faith and is often asked to comment nationally on topical issues.
