Tommy McAvoy

"Thomas McAvoy" redirects here. For the American judge, see Thomas James McAvoy.

The Right Honourable The Lord McAvoy PC
Treasurer of the Household Deputy Chief Whip
In office 5 October 2008 – 11 May 2010
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Preceded by	Nick Brown
Succeeded by	John Randall Alistair Carmichael
Member of Parliament for Rutherglen and Hamilton West Glasgow Rutherglen (1987-2005)
In office 11 June 1987 – 6 May 2010
Preceded by	James Gregor Mackenzie
Succeeded by	Tom Greatrex
Personal details
Born	14 December 1943 (1943-12-14) Rutherglen
Nationality	Scottish
Political party	Labour Co-operative
Website	Official website

Thomas McLaughlin McAvoy, Baron McAvoy PC (born 14 December 1943) is a British Labour Co-operative politician who was the Member of Parliament for Rutherglen and Hamilton West from 2005 to 2010, having previously been MP for Rutherglen from 1987 to 2005. McAvoy was Deputy Chief Whip of the Government, otherwise known as Treasurer of the Household, from 2008 to 2010.

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 Parliament in 1987 as the Labour Co-operative member for Glasgow, Rutherglen. From 2005 to 2010, he 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 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.

On 20 February 2010, McAvoy announced that he would stand down at the next general election. The seat was retained by Labour with the election of Tom Greatrex. On 22 June 2010, McAvoy was created a life peer as Baron McAvoy, of Rutherglen in Lanarkshire, and was introduced in the House of Lords that day.

External links

• Official Website
• 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	Constituency abolished
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Rutherglen and Hamilton West 2005–2010	Succeeded by Tom Greatrex
Political offices
Preceded by Timothy Wood	Comptroller of the Household 1997–2008	Succeeded by John Spellar
Preceded by Nick Brown	Treasurer of the Household 2008–2010	Succeeded by John Randall