Candy Atherton - After Parliament

After Parliament

From 2005 to 2008, Atherton was a Board member of the Housing Corporation and she now chairs the Rural Housing Advisory Panel, which advises the British government on rural housing issues. Since October 2008 she has been a Board member of the Homes and Communities Agency.

In 2006, she founded Atherton Associates, a public affairs company, and has worked for British Waterways and the Inland Waterways Association and with Weber Shandwick Public Affairs.

Atherton married a Cornishman, Broderick Ross, in 2002, and now lives in Cornwall. She is the Vice Chair of the Truro and Falmouth Constituency Labour Party and a member of the Labour Party's South West Regional Board.

In 2009 Atherton, her husband Brod Ross, her mother Pam Atherton and her mother-in law Betty Ross, all stood for election to the newly formed Cornwall Council. Atherton contested the Carn Brea North ward, finishing third in a field of four, with 23% of the vote, while her husband finished last out of four in Camborne Central with 11%. Both seats were won by the Conservatives. Pam Atherton finished last out of six in St Day and Lanner with 3%, and Betty Ross finished last out of seven in Wendron, both of those contests being won by Independents.