The Right Honourable Sir
Alan Campbell
MP
Official portrait, 2020
Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Commons
Assumed office
9 May 2021
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byNick Brown
Opposition Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Commons
In office
8 October 2010 – 9 May 2021
LeaderEd Miliband
Harriet Harman (Acting)
Jeremy Corbyn
Keir Starmer
Preceded byJohn Randall
Succeeded byLilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Crime Reduction
In office
5 October 2008 – 11 May 2010
Prime MinisterGordon Brown
Preceded byVernon Coaker
Succeeded byJames Brokenshire
Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
In office
5 May 2006 – 5 October 2008
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Gordon Brown
Preceded byVernon Coaker
Succeeded byTony Cunningham
Member of Parliament
for Tynemouth
Assumed office
1 May 1997
Preceded byNeville Trotter
Majority4,857 (8.7%)
Personal details
Born (1957-07-08) 8 July 1957
Consett, County Durham, England
Political partyLabour
SpouseJayne Lamont
Alma materLancaster University
University of Leeds
Northumbria University
WebsiteOfficial website

Sir Alan Campbell (born 8 July 1957) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tynemouth since 1997. He was appointed as Chief Whip of the Labour Party in May 2021.

Early life

Campbell was born in Consett and went to Blackfyne Grammar School in the town before attending Lancaster University where he was awarded a BA in politics. He then gained a PGCE at the University of Leeds, before finishing his education at Newcastle Polytechnic with an MA in history.[1] He began his career as a history teacher at Whitley Bay High School in 1981; after eight years there became head of the sixth form at Hirst High School, Ashington, then head of department, where he remained until he was elected to the House of Commons.

Parliamentary career

He contested the Conservative-held marginal constituency of Tynemouth at the 1997 general election where he defeated Martin Callanan by 11,273 votes. He made his maiden speech on 2 June 1997.[2] Following his election, Campbell was a member of the public accounts select committee for the duration of his first parliament. After the 2001 general election he became the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Minister of State at the Cabinet Office Gus Macdonald, and in 2003 became the PPS to Adam Ingram at the Ministry of Defence. He entered the government of Tony Blair after the 2005 general election as an assistant whip, being promoted to a full whip in 2006. On 5 October 2008, Campbell was promoted to the Home Office as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.

At the 2010 general election, Campbell was one of the very few Labour MPs re-elected by an increased majority. After Ed Miliband was appointed party leader, he was appointed Deputy Chief Whip of the Labour Party, serving under Rosie Winterton as Chief Whip.

He became the new Chief Whip of the Labour Party in the May 2021 shadow cabinet reshuffle.[3]

Voting record

In Parliament, Campbell has not broken the Labour Party whip and voted in favour of committing UK troops to the Iraq war. As a member of the government, he supported proposals for foundation hospitals, top-up fees for students, identity cards, and renewing Trident missiles.

With regard to issues on which there was no whip, Campbell supported equal gay rights, legal restrictions on hunting foxes with hounds, and a partially elected House of Lords.

He opposed raising the tuition fee cap to £9,000 and the government's education proposals on academies and free schools.[4]

Expenses

Campbell was not found to have misappropriated any funds by the Legg inquiry in 2010.[5]

Personal life

He married Jayne Lamont in August 1991 in Newcastle upon Tyne and they have a son, James (born September 1995), a daughter, Emily (born September 1993).

In May 2000, he had an operation at Newcastle General Hospital to remove a benign tumour from the top of his spine.

He was knighted as Knight Bachelor in the 2019 New Year Honours List. [6]

References

  1. ↑ "Candidate: Alan Campbell". Vote 2001. BBC News. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  2. ↑ "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 2 Jun 1997 (Pt 17)".
  3. ↑ "Sir Keir Starmer reshuffles Labour frontbench amid poll recriminations". Sky News. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  4. ↑ "Alan Campbell". They Work For You. Archived from the original on 9 May 2010. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  5. ↑ "Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority". IPSA. Archived from the original on 23 January 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "Alan CAMPBELL | Knights Bachelor | the Gazette".
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