Tommy McAvoy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Right Honourable Tommy McAvoy MP |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 5 October 2008 |
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| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown |
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| Preceded by | Nick Brown |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 11 June 1987 |
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| Preceded by | James Gregor Mackenzie |
| Majority | 16,112 (37.2%) |
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| Born | 14 December 1943 Rutherglen |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Political party | Labour Co-operative |
Thomas McLaughlin McAvoy MP (born 14 December 1943 Rutherglen) is a Scottish Labour Party politician and, since 1987, a member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. McAvoy is currently Deputy Chief Whip of the Government otherwise known as 'Treasurer of the Household'.
McAvoy worked as a storeman at the Hoover factory in Cambuslang, and was a shop steward for the Amalgamated Engineering Union; following the succession of trade union mergers, he is now a member of Unite the Union (Amicus Section). McAvoy and his wife Eleanor have four sons.
In 1982 McAvoy was elected to Strathclyde Regional Council, and served until elected to the U.K. Parliament in 1987 as the Labour Co-operative member for Glasgow, Rutherglen. Since 2005, he has sat as the member for Rutherglen and Hamilton West.
He was an opposition whip from 1990 to 1993 and again from 1996 to 1997. According to the The Guardian: "...[his] personal crusades have been for peace in Northern Ireland and against abortion" (Andrew Roth, The Guardian).
When the Labour Party came into government in 1997, McAvoy was appointed as Comptroller of HM Household, the third highest position in the Government Whips' office. He retained the same job until 2008, becoming one of the longest serving Comptrollers in history. He was appointed to the Privy Council in 2003. In October 2008, he was promoted to Treasurer of the Household and Deputy Chief Whip.
McAvoy has achieved the rare feat among whips of remaining popular with Labour MPs. An early day motion in July 2006 noted "the difficult task he has of securing government business whilst accommodating the parliamentary, political and personal requirements of 352 Labour colleagues" and congratulated him for "the respect he has earned from all sides of the House for his ability to perform these duties"; it was signed by 135 MPs.[1]
[edit] External links
- Tommy McAvoy's official site
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Tommy McAvoy MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Tommy McAvoy MP
- BBC news profile
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Gregor Mackenzie |
Member of Parliament for Glasgow Rutherglen 1987–2005 |
Succeeded by constituency abolished |
| Preceded by new constituency |
Member of Parliament for Rutherglen and Hamilton West 2005–present |
Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Timothy Wood |
Comptroller of the Household 1997–2008 |
Succeeded by John Spellar |
| Preceded by Nick Brown |
Treasurer of the Household 2008-present |
Incumbent |
