Gareth Thomas (English politician)
Gareth Thomas MP | |
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Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs | |
In office 8 October 2013 – September 2015 | |
Leader | Ed Miliband |
Preceded by | Emma Reynolds |
Chair of the Co-operative Party | |
Assumed office 10 July 2001 | |
Preceded by | Jim Lee |
Minister of State for International Development | |
In office 5 October 2008 – 13 May 2010 | |
Prime Minister | Gordon Brown |
Preceded by | Hilary Benn |
Succeeded by | Alan Duncan |
Member of Parliament for Harrow West | |
Assumed office 1 May 1997 | |
Preceded by | Robert Gurth Hughes |
Majority | 2,208 (4.7%) |
Shadow Minister for Local Government | |
Assumed office 7th October 2016 | |
Leader | Jeremy Corbyn |
Preceded by | Position Established |
Personal details | |
Born |
Harrow, London, England | 15 July 1967
Nationality | British |
Political party | Labour Co-operative |
Alma mater |
Aberystwyth University, University of Greenwich, King's College London |
Website | gareththomas.org |
Gareth Richard Thomas (born 15 July 1967) is a British Labour Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Harrow West since 1997 and the Chair of the Co-operative Party since 2001. Thomas held the position of Minister of State at the Department for International Development and, following the 2010 election, joined the shadow frontbench team.[1]
He sought to become the Labour Party's official candidate in the 2016 election for Mayor of London, but came last of the six candidates in the ballot.
Early life
Thomas attended Hatch End High School on Headstone Lane in Hatch End, then Lowlands College in Harrow. At the University College of Wales Aberystwyth he gained a BSc in Economics in 1988 and later a PGCE from the Thames Polytechnic in 1992. He gained an MA in Imperial and Commonwealth Studies from King's College London in 1996 and became a teacher.
Parliamentary career
Gareth Thomas is Chair of the Co-operative Party and served as President of the 2003 Co-operative Congress.[2] He was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for International Development in 2003 and sponsored the Industrial and Provident Societies Act through Parliament. After the 29 June 2007 reshuffle he remained at International Development whilst also being part of the new Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, being appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade Policy and Consumer Affairs. He had the responsibility of co-ordinating trade policy between the two departments.[3]
Following Gordon Brown's reshuffle of 3 October 2008, Thomas was promoted to Minister of State in both departments, taking on the portfolio of Trade, Investment and Consumer Affairs. In the June 2009 reshuffle DBERR was abolished, leaving Thomas to continue his role solely at International Development, with responsibility for Consumer Affairs passing to Kevin Brennan.
In May 2010 he was re-elected as Member of Parliament for Harrow West with a reduced majority (based on a 'notional' 2005 result). He was Shadow Minister for Higher Education and Science from October 2010 to October 2011, Shadow Minister for Civil Society from October 2011 to October 2013 and then served as the Shadow Minister for Europe until October 2014. He now holds the position of Shadow Minister for Africa and the Middle East. In addition he is Deputy Shadow Minister for London.
At the 2015 general election Conservative candidate Hannah David produced a swing from Labour to the Conservatives, and Thomas saw his majority reduced to 2,208.[4]
In 2003 Thomas made an early attempt to ban smoking in restaurants with a Private Members Bill.[5]
References
- ↑ "Opposition Front Bench". The Labour Party. Archived from the original on 5 June 2010.
- ↑ "Congress Presidents 1869–2002" (PDF). February 2002. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
- ↑ "Gareth R Thomas MP". Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. Retrieved 21 September 2008.
- ↑ "Harrow West parliamentary constituency – Election 2015 – BBC News". BBC Online. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
- ↑ "Smoking ban passes first test". BBC. 14 April 2003. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
External links
- Official website
- Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
- Voting record at Public Whip
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
- Find Your MP | Harrow West | Gareth Thomas – BBC News
- Biography: Gareth R Thomas MP – Department for International Development
- Gareth R Thomas MP – Portfolio, Biography, Speeches – Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Gareth Thomas
Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
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Preceded by Robert Gurth Hughes |
Member of Parliament for Harrow West 1997–present |
Incumbent |
Preceded by Lord Jones (Resigned from post) |
Minister of State at the Department for International Development 2008–2010 |
Succeeded by Alan Duncan |