Peter Kilfoyle

Peter Kilfoyle
Member of Parliament for Liverpool Walton
In office 4 July 1991 – 6 May 2010
Preceded by	Eric Heffer
Succeeded by	Steve Rotheram
Personal details
Born	9 June 1946 (1946-06-09) Liverpool, England
Nationality	British
Political party	Labour
Spouse(s)	Bernadette Slater
Alma mater	Durham University, Liverpool Hope University
Religion	Roman Catholic
Website	http://www.peterkilfoyle.com/

Peter Kilfoyle (born 9 June 1946) is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Liverpool Walton from 1991 to 2010.

Early life

The eleventh of fourteen children born to an Irish Catholic family on Merseyside, Kilfoyle was educated by the Irish Christian Brothers at St. Edward's College in Liverpool; his father died when he was 10 years old. Obtaining 4 A-levels he went to the University of Durham, but left after a year becoming a labourer for five years. He qualified as a teacher at Christ's College in Liverpool. From 1975-1985, he worked as a teacher. From 1986-1991, he was North West Regional Organiser for the Labour Party, often opposing Militant.

Parliamentary career

Kilfoyle became the Labour Member of Parliament for Liverpool Walton by winning a by-election in 1991 after the death of the incumbent Eric Heffer. He played a key role in the expulsion of Militant from the Labour Party during the 1980s and was a key supporter of Tony Blair in his 1994 leadership campaign.

When Labour came to power in 1997, Kilfoyle was initially appointed to an influential role within the Cabinet Office, with a licence to speak out in the media on the Government's behalf, and was later appointed a junior minister in the Ministry of Defence. But in 1999, he suddenly resigned, claiming the Blair Government was failing to pay enough attention to Labour's heartlands. He then became a vocal backbench critic of the Government for the remainder of his period in office.

He spoke against government plans to replace Trident in the debate on 14 March 2007.

On 23 February 2010, Kilfoyle announced that he would stand down at the 2010 General Election.

Controversy

Local

Kilfoyle received round criticism for actively attempting to relocate Everton Football Club out of his constituency and into a neighbouring borough. He later wrote to Baroness Andrews in 2008 outlining his support for Everton Football Club to relocate, four years prior to this he had been critical of Everton relocating to the Kings Dock, Liverpool because it would 'rip the heart out of North Liverpool'. Liverpool City Council Leader Warren Bradley stated that Kilfoyle was "completely uninformed". He supported an Early Day Motion that would prevent Royal Bank of Scotland from reviewing their loan with Liverpool FC potentially forcing the existing owners to sell the club.

International

In 2005, Kilfoyle allegedly defied the British Official Secrets Act when he claimed to have passed information supposedly detailing then U.S. President George W. Bush's plan to bomb an Arabic TV station.

In 2008, Kilfoyle declared that there should be a Labour Party leadership challenge.

Personal life

He married Bernadette Slater on 27 July 1968, and they have five children. He is the only MP in the country to have two Premier League football teams in his constituency. He is a patron of the British Heart Foundation following a heart attack in 2006 and Quadruple bypass surgery.

He is a lifelong supporter of Everton FC.

Book

• Left behind : lessons from Labour's heartland (Politicos, 2000)

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Peter Kilfoyle
• Official Website
• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Peter Kilfoyle MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Peter Kilfoyle MP
• BBC Politics Profile
• BBC Democracy Profile

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Eric Heffer	Member of Parliament for Liverpool Walton 1991 – 2010	Succeeded by Steve Rotheram