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| predecessor = [[George Kerevan]]
| predecessor = [[George Kerevan]]
| successor =
| successor =
| birth_date =1965
| birth_date =28 November 1965
| birth_place =Gosforth, [[Newcastle-upon-Tyne]], England
| birth_place =Gosforth, [[Newcastle-upon-Tyne]], England
| death_date =
| death_date =
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| party = [[Scottish Labour Party|Labour]]
| party = [[Scottish Labour Party|Labour]]
|alma_mater=[[Huddersfield Polytechnic]]|children=2|spouse=Rachel}}
|alma_mater=[[Huddersfield Polytechnic]]|children=2|spouse=Rachel}}
'''Martin David Whitfield'''<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27885 |date=19 June 2017 |page=1076 |city=e}}</ref> (born 1965)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=bmd%2fb%2f1965%2f3%2faz%2f001421%2f020|title=England & Wales births 1837-2006 Transcription|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=|subscription=yes}}</ref> is a [[Scottish Labour Party]] politician and former primary school teacher. He has served as the [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[East Lothian (UK Parliament constituency)|East Lothian]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/martin-whitfield/4626|title=Martin Whitfield MP|website=UK Parliament}}</ref> since the [[United Kingdom general election, 2017|2017 snap general election]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/S14000020|title=East Lothian parliamentary constituency - Election 2017|publisher=|via=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> where he unseated the sitting MP, [[George Kerevan]] of the [[Scottish National Party]].<ref name="bbc2017">{{cite web|title=East Lothian|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/S14000020|website=Election 2017|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=10 June 2017}}</ref>
'''Martin David Whitfield'''<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27885 |date=19 June 2017 |page=1076 |city=e}}</ref> (born 28 November 1965)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=bmd%2fb%2f1965%2f3%2faz%2f001421%2f020|title=England & Wales births 1837-2006 Transcription|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=|subscription=yes}}</ref> is a [[Scottish Labour Party]] politician and former primary school teacher. He has served as the [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[East Lothian (UK Parliament constituency)|East Lothian]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/martin-whitfield/4626|title=Martin Whitfield MP|website=UK Parliament}}</ref> since the [[United Kingdom general election, 2017|2017 snap general election]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/S14000020|title=East Lothian parliamentary constituency - Election 2017|publisher=|via=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> where he unseated the sitting MP, [[George Kerevan]] of the [[Scottish National Party]].<ref name="bbc2017">{{cite web|title=East Lothian|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/S14000020|website=Election 2017|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=10 June 2017}}</ref>


== Early Life, Education & Career ==
== Early Life, Education & Career ==

Revision as of 18:12, 25 April 2019

Martin Whitfield
MP
Official parliamentary portrait by Chris McAndrew (June 2017)
Member of Parliament
for East Lothian
Incumbent
Assumed office
9 June 2017
Preceded byGeorge Kerevan
Majority3,083 (5.5%)
Personal details
Born28 November 1965
Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
Political partyLabour
SpouseRachel
Children2
Alma materHuddersfield Polytechnic

Martin David Whitfield[1] (born 28 November 1965)[2] is a Scottish Labour Party politician and former primary school teacher. He has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for East Lothian[3] since the 2017 snap general election,[4] where he unseated the sitting MP, George Kerevan of the Scottish National Party.[5]

Early Life, Education & Career

Whitfield was born in Gosforth in Newcastle and achieved BA(Hons) in Business Law from Huddersfield Polytechnic. He worked as a solicitor between 1989 and 2001, before leaving the law profession to retrain as a teacher at the University of Edinburgh, achieving a PGCPE pass with merit in teaching in 2002.[6]

Prior to his election, Whitfield worked at Prestonpans Primary School[7] and served as a council member of the General Teaching Council for Scotland as well as a member of the EIS, Scotland's largest trade union.[8][9] He was also Chair of Prestonpans Community Council and involved in a number of community groups.

He lives in Prestonpans with his family.[8]

Political Stances

Martin Whitfield is an active opponent of Brexit and a strong supporter of a confirmatory public vote

[10].

He has supported the official recognition of non-binary people in official government documentation.[11] He was one of 216 general election candidates to pledge support for the Israel Election Pledge.[12]

Whitfield attracted controversy in a debate on the abuse of MPs when he claimed that "now is the time to ban anonymous social media accounts".[13] Whitfield claimed he was echoing similar remarks from SNP MEP Alyn Smith.

In June 2018, Whitfield led an adjournment debate on the challenges faced by people with 'hidden' disabilities, particularly in relation to the use of accessible toilets and cited the Grace's Sign campaign run by a young constituent, Grace Warnock.[14]

Whitfield has been a strong critic of the Government's Universal Credit system and was one of the first Labour MPs to call for the new benefit to be replaced entirely.[15]

In October 2018 he attracted widespread praise after leading a Commons debate on World Menopause Day.[16]

Whitfield is a member of several All-Party Parliamentary Groups, including the Timber Industries APPG, which he chairs.[17]He is also a member of the Commons' Science and Technology Select Committee.[18]

Whitfield was the Co-Chair of Anas Sarwar's unsuccessful 2017 Scottish Labour Party leadership campaign.[19]

References

  1. ^ "No. 27885". The Edinburgh Gazette. 19 June 2017. p. 1076.
  2. ^ "England & Wales births 1837-2006 Transcription". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help); Unknown parameter |subscription= ignored (|url-access= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ "Martin Whitfield MP". UK Parliament.
  4. ^ "East Lothian parliamentary constituency - Election 2017" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  5. ^ "East Lothian". Election 2017. BBC News. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  6. ^ "ABOUT". Martin Whitfield MP. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  7. ^ Whitfield. "Whitfield, Martin". Who's Who. Vol. 2018 (February 2018 online ed.). A & C Black. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Unknown parameter |accessed= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |othernames= ignored (help) (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  8. ^ a b "Labour confirm candidate for General Election". East Lothian Courier. 28 April 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  9. ^ "Labour confirm candidate for General Election". East Lothian Courier. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  10. ^ "Martin Whitfield: People's Vote is the best way to agree a decisive way forward". www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  11. ^ "Scotland's new MPs – June 2017 — Equality Network". www.equality-network.org. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  12. ^ "Pledge - We Believe in Israel". We Believe in Israel. Retrieved 22 January 2017. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  13. ^ "UK Elections: Abuse and Intimidation - Hansard Online". hansard.parliament.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  14. ^ "Accessibility Challenges: Invisible Disabilities - Hansard". hansard.parliament.uk. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  15. ^ MP, Martin Whitfield. "Time to replace Universal Credit". Martin Whitfield MP. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  16. ^ "World Menopause Day - Hansard". hansard.parliament.uk. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  17. ^ "Press Release - Martin Whitfield MP elected new Chair of Timber Industries APPG | Confederation of Timber Industries". www.cti-timber.org. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  18. ^ "Science and Technology Committee (Commons)". UK Parliament. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  19. ^ Sarwar, Anas. "Thank you for your support & encouragement. Delighted that @MartWhitfieldMP & @pauline4glasgow will be co-chairing my campaign for leaderhttps://twitter.com/martwhitfieldmp/status/904640776478625792 …". {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for East Lothian
2017–present 		Incumbent


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