John Mann (politician)

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John Mann MP
Member of Parliament
for Bassetlaw
Incumbent
Assumed office
7 June 2001
Preceded by Joseph Ashton
Majority 8,215 (16.6%)
Personal details
Born 10 January 1960 (1960-01-10) (age 52)
Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
Nationality British
Political party Labour
Spouse(s) Joanna White[1]
Children 2 Daughters and 1 Son
Alma mater University of Manchester
Occupation Member of Parliament
Website johnmannmp.com

John Mann (born 10 January 1960) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bassetlaw since 2001, after the retirement of previous MP Joe Ashton.

John Mann serves on the Treasury Select Committee. Previously he has been Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Tessa Jowell and Richard Caborn.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Mann is the son of James (Jim) and Brenda Mann. He attended Waterloo Infants school, Pudsey, West Yorkshire (now a suburb of Leeds) from 1965-67. He then attended Pudsey Waterloo Junior school from 1967-71. He went to the independent Bradford Grammar School (via a scholarship). Mann has a degree in Economics from Manchester University and Diploma in Training Management. Active in the Labour Party from his youth (Pudsey South Labour Party), his activities have taken him from residence in London (he was a councillor in the London Borough of Lambeth), to Lewes in East Sussex, Baldock in Hertfordshire and Worksop in Bassetlaw. He was chair of the National Organisation of Labour Students from 1983-4.

Before entering Parliament he previously worked for the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union as Head of Research and Education and as the National Training Officer at the TUC National Education Centre in North London (now closed). Mann has also been a party employee and a trade union liaison officer. He was an ally of disgraced former Labour MP Phil Woolas.[2] Mann is a member of Unite and GMB, YHA, the British Mountaineering Council, IPD and the Co-operative Party.

He married Joanna White in July 1986 in Leeds. They have two daughters and a son in their mid-teens and early 20s. He supports Leeds United.

[edit] Political life

[edit] Organising to Win

John Mann is a proactive campaigner in his constituency Bassetlaw and an advocate of using such strategies elsewhere [3]. He has organised numerous campaigns in his constituency, examples of which include campaigning to save Bassetlaw Hospital Accident and Emergency Department[4], helping former coal miners fight double charging solicitors to get their compensation back [5], and fighting Bassetlaw District Council's policy of 'topple testing' headstones in local cemeteries [6]. Mann keeps a weekly column in the Worksop Guardian and - along with other local figures - writes occasional pieces for the Retford Times.

[edit] Combating Antisemitism

John Mann chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group against Antisemitism. The Group commissioned the All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Antisemitism in 2005. The inquiry panel, chaired by former Europe Minister Denis MacShane, gathered written and oral evidence on antisemitism in Britain and published a report of their findings on 7 September 2006. The panel's recommendations included improved reporting and recording of antisemitic attacks; a crackdown on anti-Jewish activity on university campuses; and improved international co-operation to prevent the spread of racist material online. In May 2009 John Mann received the American Jewish Committee's Jan Karski Award in recognition of his commitment to fighting antisemitism in all of its forms.[7]

[edit] Treasury Select Committee

John Mann has been on the Treasury Select Committee twice, 2003–2005, and 2009–present, during which he has raised issues around debt, financial misselling (with particular reference to Credit Cards) and claims handlers.[8]. Some commentators have noted Mann's reputation for asking brusque questions, particularly of senior bank executives [9] and George Osborne [10].

Mann is a trained economist having received a BA in economics at Manchester University.

[edit] Critic of Brown

A critic of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, John Mann was the first Labour MP to call for Gordon Brown to resign after the 2010 General Election.[11] He previously wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister demanding a number of changes to the Labour party structures.[12]

[edit] Drug Policy

[edit] Heroin

One of Mann's earliest campaigns in his constituency was his inquiry against heroin use in the area. In September 2002, Mann called for more treatment for heroin users in North Nottinghamshire.[13] The inquiry he instigated called for heroin addicts to be given the choice between treatment or jail. At the same time more local GPs were trained to help heroin addicts get their lives back under control[14]. Following the reforms the number of addicts in treatment in Bassetlaw rose from 2 to 400, and acquisitive crime fell by 75% [15].

Mann has continued to advocate similar policies, for instance in his Fabian Society pamphlet 'The Real Deal: Drugs Policy that Works'[16].

[edit] Legal Highs

Following a local newspaper story in October 2005, John Mann raised an Early Day Motion calling for Salvia divinorum to be banned in the UK.[17][18]

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/110124/part2.htm
  2. ^ Beattie, Jason, Woolas poll delayed for legal review: Politics, The Daily Mirror 9 November 2010
  3. ^ Mann, J and Hamilton, S (2010) Organising to Win. Progress http://www.progressonline.org.uk/pamphlets/
  4. ^ cf.Worksop Guardian http://www.worksopguardian.co.uk/news/local-news/i_ll_fight_it_tooth_and_nail_1_626347 and http://www.worksopguardian.co.uk/news/local-news/more_unrest_at_bassetlaw_a_amp_e_following_controversy_1_626373
  5. ^ . http://www.worksopguardian.co.uk/news/local-news/don_t_swindle_our_miners_says_mp_1_637337. 
  6. ^ . http://www.worksopguardian.co.uk/news/local-news/mp_john_mann_wins_grave_topple_test_campaign_1_632999. 
  7. ^ John Mann (7 May 2009). "British MP, John Mann, accepts Jan Karski Award (speech transcript)". American Jewish Committee. http://www.ajc.org/site/c.ijITI2PHKoG/b.5161233/k.4861/br2009_Annual_Meeting_John_Mann_MP.htm. Retrieved 2010-02-05. 
  8. ^ Gilmore 2005-01-19 (News)
  9. ^ Letts, Quentin (2011-01-12). "Eyes Burned into Bonus Bob with wild contempt". Daily Mail (London). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1346321/Bank-bonuses-Eyes-burned-Barclays-boss-Bob-Diamond-wild-contempt.html. 
  10. ^ http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/03/30/bungling-george-osborne-reveals-he-has-no-idea-how-much-cash-treasury-makes-from-fuel-tax-rise-115875-23025143/
  11. ^ "'Labour loyalist John Mann urges Brown to step down'". BBC News. 2010-05-08. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8670038.stm. Retrieved 2010-05-08. 
  12. ^ "'Open letter to Gordon Brown'". http://www.mann4bassetlaw.com/open-letter-to-gordon-brown-. Retrieved 2009-08-25. 
  13. ^ BBC 2003-09-23 (News).
  14. ^ Mann, J (2002) Heroin in Bassetlaw http://www.johnmannmp.com/publications
  15. ^ Townsend, Mark (2006-07-23). "Anti-heroin project transforms towns". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/jul/23/drugsandalcohol.immigrationpolicy. 
  16. ^ http://www.fabians.org.uk/publications/policy-reports/the-real-deal-drugs-policy-that-works
  17. ^ Worksop 2005-10-14 (UK Media).
  18. ^ Worksop 2005-10-21 (UK Media).

[edit] News references

[edit] External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Joe Ashton		 Member of Parliament for Bassetlaw
2001–present		 Incumbent
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