Joan Walley  DL served 28 years as MP for Stoke on Trent North, and chaired the Environmental Audit Select Committee  of the House of Commons from 2010 up until her retirement in 2015. She is a Freeman of the city of Stoke on Trent, a Freeman of Kidsgrove, an honorary doctor of Staffordshire University, a member of the council of fellows at Keele  University , and a vice president of CIEH and of IES. She lives in Staffordshire and is a season ticket holder at Port Vale FC.