Alan Campbell (politician)

For politicians with a similar name, see Allan Campbell (disambiguation).

For other people named Alan Campbell, see Alan Campbell (disambiguation).

The Right Honourable Alan Campbell MP
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Office
In office 5 October 2008 – 11 May 2010
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Preceded by	Vernon Coaker
Succeeded by	Lynne Featherstone
Member of Parliament for Tynemouth
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 May 1997
Preceded by	Neville Trotter
Majority	5,739 (10.9%)
Personal details
Born	(1957-07-08) 8 July 1957 Consett, County Durham, England
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Jayne Lamont
Alma mater	Lancaster University, University of Leeds, Northumbria University
Website	parliament..alan-campbell

Alan Campbell (born 8 July 1957) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tynemouth since 1997. He served as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office from 2008 until 2010, when the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats came to power. He is currently the Deputy Chief Whip of the Labour Party.

Early life

Alan Campbell was born and bred in Consett and went to the Blackfyne Grammar School (in the year above the actress Denise Welch) on Durham Road (A691), Blackhill in the town before attending the University of Lancaster where he was awarded a BA in Politics. He then gained a PGCE at the University of Leeds, before finishing his education at the Newcastle Polytechnic with a MA in [1]. He began his career as a history teacher at Whitley Bay High School in 1981, after eight years there he became the Head of the Sixth Form at the Hirst High School on Lichfield Close in Ashington, then head of department, where he remained until he was elected to the British House of Commons.

Parliamentary career

He contested the Conservative-held marginal constituency of Tynemouth at the 1997 general election where he defeated Martin Callanan by 11,273 votes. He made his maiden speech on 2 June 1997.[2]. Following his election, Alan Campbell was a member of the Public Accounts Select Committee for the duration of his first parliament. After the 2001 General Election he became the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Minister of State at the Cabinet Office Gus Macdonald, and in 2003 became the PPS to Adam Ingram at the Ministry of Defence. He entered the government of Tony Blair after the 2005 General Election as an assistant Whip, being promoted to a full whip in 2006. On 5 October 2008, Campbell was promoted to the Home Office as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.

At the 2010 General Election Alan Campbell was one of the very few Labour MPs re-elected by an increased majority. After Ed Miliband was appointed party leader Alan was appointed Deputy Chief Whip of the Labour Party serving under Rosie Winterton as Chief Whip.

Voting Record

In Parliament, Campbell has not broken the Labour Party whip and voted in favour of committing UK troops to the Iraq war.

As a member of the government, he supported proposals for foundation hospitals, top-up fees for students, Identity cards, and renewing Trident missiles. With regard to issues on which there was no whip, Campbell supported equal gay rights, legal restrictions on hunting foxes with hounds, and a partially elected House of Lords.

More recently, he opposed raising the tuition fee cap to £9,000 and the government's education proposals on Academies and Free Schools.

Expenses

Mr Campbell was not found to have misappropriated any funds by the Legg inquiry in 2010.

Along with all other MPs in the House of Commons Mr Campbell's expenses are audited by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and can be viewed by the public online.

Personal life

He married Jayne Lamont in August 1991 in Newcastle upon Tyne and they have a son, James (born September 1995), a daughter, Emily (born September 1993). In May 2000, he had an operation at Newcastle General Hospital to remove a benign tumour from the top of his spine.

External links

• Alan Campbell MP official site
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005
• Voting record at Public Whip
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
• Alan Campbell Profile at New Statesman
• [3] IPSA -The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority