Ronnie Campbell
| Ronnie Campbell MP | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Blyth Valley |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 11 June 1987 |
|
| Preceded by | John Ryman |
| Majority | 6,668 (17.3%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 August 1943 Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse(s) | Deirdre McHale |
| Children | 5 sons, 1 daughter |
Ronald Campbell (born 14 August 1943) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Blyth Valley since 1987.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
He grew up in a family of eight brothers and sisters. He attended Blyth Ridley County High School (a secondary modern school, which eventually merged with Tynedale High School in 2000 to become Blyth Community College) on Sixth Avenue in Blyth and left school at 14 to become a coal miner. Before entering parliament he was a district councillor on Blyth Valley Borough Council from 1969 and a lay official of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). He was a miner from 1958-86.
[edit] Parliamentary career
He has been an MP since 1987 when he won his seat by 856 votes, and has often voted against the government on issues such as the Iraq War. After a succession of MPs: Alfred Robens (1950–1960), the deselected but well liked in some quarters Eddie Milne (MP 1960–1974), and the disgraced John Ryman who was perceived as remote, controversial and distant from the community, Campbell has been associated with the regeneration of the former borough of Blyth Valley. He is an outspoken socialist.
Campbell is noted for accidentally supporting the first National Fetish Day, due to him misunderstanding the meaning of the word "Fetish". Campbell said in an interview, "I thought a fetish was a worry, like worrying about backing the right horse."[1] When the government nationalised Northern Rock in 2008, Campbell declared it the People's Bank and opened an account.[2]
In May 2009, during the high-profile MPs expenses scandal, Campbell agreed to give back over £6000 he had claimed for furnishings in his London home.[3] [4]
[edit] Personal life
Campbell has a notable port wine birthmark on his right cheek. Ronnie married Deirdre McHale in 1967, who serves on Northumberland County Council. They have five sons, including a set of twins, and one daughter. Whilst serving as an MP he had a happy reunion with a brother he was previously unaware of that had been adopted.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ Robson, Ian (2008-01-20). "MP confesses to horse fetish". Sunday Sun. http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?in_article_id=84662&in_page_id=2. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
- ^ Hoggart, Simon (2008-02-19). "A cool head in another catastrophe". Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/feb/19/thebackbencher.houseofcommons. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
- ^ Thompson, Liam. "Ronnie Campbell to repay expenses". News Post Leader. http://www.newspostleader.co.uk/latest/Ronnie-Campbell-to-repay-expenses.5257936.jp. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
- ^ Swaine, Jon (2009-05-13). "Ronnie Campbell agrees to repay £6,000 for furniture at London flat: MPs' expenses". Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5315001/Ronnie-Campbell-agrees-to-repay-6000-for-furniture-at-London-flat-MPs-expenses.html. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
- ^ "A tale of two brothers". Inside Out - North East and Cumbria. BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/northeast/series9/week_five.shtml. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
[edit] External links
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Ronnie Campbell MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Ronnie Campbell MP
- The Public Whip - Ronnie Campbell MP voting record
- Meeting his unknown brother in 2006
- BBC Politics
[edit] News items
- Northumberland County Council with £11m in Lehman Brothers in October 2008
- Hairdresser in Cumbria with the same name gets his emails in November 2003
- His son in the Royal Marines in March 2003
- Cleared of assault in May 2002
- Shoplifter given £10,000 trial over 92p tin of spaghetti bolognese in May 2002
- Suspended from the Commons in March 1998
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Ryman |
Member of Parliament for Blyth Valley 1987–present |
Incumbent |
