Norman Lamb
Norman Lamb | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of Parliament for North Norfolk | |
| Assumed office 7 June2001 | |
| Preceded by | David Prior |
| Majority | 10,606 (18.0%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 September 1957 Watford, Hertfordshire |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Liberal Democrat |
| Spouse | Mary |
| Children | 2 sons |
| Alma mater | University of Leicester |
Norman Peter Lamb (born 16 September 1957, Watford, Hertfordshire) is a politician in the United Kingdom. He is Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for North Norfolk and the Liberal Democrat shadow Secretary of State for Health
Early life
Son of Professor Hubert Lamb, he went to Wymondham College, then the University of Leicester, getting an LLB, then studied for the NNEB childcare qualification at the City of London Polytechnic.
Employment lawyer
After graduating from the University of Leicester, Lamb worked as a solicitor. He began to specialise in employment law whilst working for Steele and Co Solicitors (now called Steeles Law). In 1998 he wrote a book, Remedies in the Employment Tribunal: Damages for Discrimination and Unfair Dismissal, but any chances of a follow up or update to this book were put aside when Lamb was elected to Parliament in June 2001.
Political career
Lamb worked for a year for Labour MP Greville Janner in the early 1980s, working as a researcher. His politics were always in the centre ground, but a meeting with Shirley Williams in Parliament at this time, shortly after the formation of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and their Alliance with the Liberal Party spurred Norman in to front line active politics and he was elected to Norwich City Council where he led the Lib Dem group until he stood down in 1991 in order to pursue his Westminster ambitions.
Parliamentary career
Having first stood for election in North Norfolk in 1992, when he dented the Conservative majority, he came close to a major shock in the 1997 general election when he reduced a Conservative majority of more than 10,000 to only 1,293 votes. He was finally elected in 2001, at the third attempt, narrowly defeating the incumbent Conservative MP David Prior by 483 votes. He was re-elected in 2005 with a massively increased majority of 10,606, despite an effort by the Conservatives and their candidate Iain Dale to unseat him as part of a very negative campaign in what had been one of their top targets seats.
Norman Lamb's first appointment after being elected was as a Lib Dem spokesman on International Development. Soon after this, he was picked out by then Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy to act as his Parliamentary Private Secretary. After the 2005 general election, he was promoted and appointed Liberal Democrat Trade spokesman (2005-2006), securing the endorsement of the Liberal Democrat Spring 2006 Conference for a policy to part-privatise the Royal Mail, and to use the proceeds to invest in a publicly owned Post Office network. In March 2006, he moved to the post of Chief of Staff to the newly elected leader, Sir Menzies Campbell. In December 2006, he became the party's Health spokesman and was succeeded by Ed Davey as Campbell's Chief of Staff. In 2009 he took up the case of an LBC broadcast by Jeni Barnett in which she cast doubt on the safety of the MMR vaccine, tabling an Early Day Motion criticising those involved.[1]
Personal life
He married Mary in 1978, and they have two sons. They live in Norwich.
See also
External links
- Norman Lamb MP official site
- Norman Lamb MP profile at the site of Liberal Democrats
- ePolitix.com - Norman Lamb
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Norman Lamb MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Norman Lamb
- The Public Whip - Norman Lamb voting record
- BBC News - Norman Lamb profile 10 February, 2005
- Open Directory Project - Norman Lamb directory category