Greg Pope
Greg Pope | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Hyndburn | |
| In office 10 April 1992 – 12 April 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Ken Hargreaves |
| Succeeded by | Graham Jones |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 August 1960 Blackburn, England, United Kingdom |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse | Catherine Fallon |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence(s) | Blackburn, Lancashire |
| Alma mater | University of Hull |
Gregory James Pope (born 29 August 1960) is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hyndburn from 1992, until retiring at the 2010 general election. He was a government whip from 1997 until 2001.
Early life
Pope was born and raised in Great Harwood, the only son of Sam and Sheila Pope. He went to St Marys College R.C. Grammar School on Shear Brow in Blackburn, now St Mary's Sixth Form College, Blackburn. He studied Politics at the University of Hull, graduating in 1981.
Parliamentary career
Pope unsuccessfully fought Ribble Valley at the 1987 election, placing third, before gaining Hyndburn from the Conservative Ken Hargreaves in 1992. Considered a Blairite,[1] Pope is a signatory of the Henry Jackson Society. He was a member of the backbench committee on Northern Ireland from 1997–2001.
In April 2000, as a whip, Pope inadvertently approved a Liberal Democrat clause in the government's utilities bill, committing the government to meet 10% of electricity requirements from green sources by 2010. Pope said: "We were doing a series of government amendments. I realised I'd shouted aye too many times. I'm not overjoyed about it." The error led the government to instruct its MPs to vote against the clause.[2]
In July 2003, Pope admitted leaking confidential Foreign Affairs Select Committee evidence, to The Guardian chief political correspondent Patrick Wintour. The move was described as an attempt to "bounce" MPs on the committee into clearing Alastair Campbell of "sexing up" the so–called Dodgy Dossier. This was of evidence into the threat, posed by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.[3]
On 11 June 2009 Pope announced that he would stand down at the 2010 election.[4]
Parliamentary expenses
In December 2009, Greg Pope claimed £21,613 in expenses in a single year (2008–2009)[5][6] and £7,295 of Additional Cost Allowance , which included household furnishings and mortgage payments. This was over a two–year period.[7]
After politics
On 19 April 2010 Pope was appointed as the deputy director of the Catholic Education Service (CES).[8]
Personal life
In July 2006, in a survey of MPs, Pope somewhat controversially chose Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols as his favourite album. "It changed music forever and meant we never had to listen to Boney M again."[9]
He married Catherine Fallon on 2 August 1985; they have three children. His son, Conor, is editor of LabourList.
References
- ^ Cabinet concern over PM's stance, Tania Branigan and Alexi Mostrous, The Guardian, 29 July 2006
- ^ Whip's error on Lib-Dem clause "farcical", Financial Times, 19 April 2000
- ^ MPs' fury over ploy to rescue Campbell, Paul Eastham, Daily Mail, 4 July 2003
- ^ "Greg Pope to step down as Hyndburn MP", Lancashire Telegraph, 11 June 2009
- ^ "Expenses: Hyndburn MP Greg Pope claims £21,000", Lancashire Telegraph, 11 December 2009
- ^ "Allowances by MP - Greg Pope", UK Parliament
- ^ "Revealed: MP Greg Pope’s £7,295 claim for house expenses", Accrington Observer, 18 June 2009
- ^ Greg Pope joins CESEW as its new Deputy Director, Catholic Education Service, 19 April 2010
- ^ "Seventies rock still a big hit with MPs", Daily Mail, 27 July 2006