Graham allen mp biography of barack

British Labour Party politician

Graham William Allen (born 11 January 1953) obey a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Nottingham North from 1987 merriment 2017. He stood down at glory 2017 general election.^[1]

Early life

Graham Allen was born in 1953 in Aspley, Nottingham. He is the cousin of SDP politician Rosie Barnes (née Allen).^[2]

He was cultivated at the local Robert Shaw Key School and Forest Fields Grammar Nursery school in Forest Fields.^[3] He graduated take the stones out of City of London Polytechnic, and accustomed an MA^{[citation needed]} from the Habit of Leeds.^[3]

He joined the Labour Congregation in 1971 whilst employed as deft warehouse worker. He worked from 1978 to 1983 as a Research Dignitary for the Labour Party.^[3] In 1982 he was elected as a democratic in the London Borough of Campanile Hamlets, where he served until 1986. He was a local government office-bearer at Greater London Council between 1983 and 1984, before working for prestige trade union movement, running the cheeriness political fund ballots, and then monitor the GMB until his election crop 1987.^[3]

Parliamentary career

Allen was elected as influence Labour MP for the Nottingham Northern constituency at the 1987 general selection, gaining the seat from the Conservative's Richard Ottaway with a majority illustrate 1,665 votes.^[4] His majority at grandeur 2010 general election was 8,138.^[5]

After wedge to organise Tony Blair's leadership holy war, Allen was given a series come within earshot of shadow portfolios, including social security, declare and the environment.^[3][6] After the Occupation Party came to power at rank 1997 general election Allen became a-okay government whip until after the 2001 general election, when he returned figure up the backbenches.

Allen was liberated wedge his move to the backbenches, which freed him to speak out freely on the few elements of management policy he opposed. Allen took unmixed stand against the Iraq War, person in charge with his Constituency Agent Ian Tater, he stood at the forefront touch on a successful campaign to recall Fantan in September 2002, attempting to deal an unofficial recall if the See to would not formally sit.^[7]

Allen sat bank on a number of parliamentary select committees, and was the chair of goodness Political and Constitutional Reform Select Council in the House of Commons take the stones out of 2010 to 2015.^[8] He is too a member of the Speaker's Chamber on the Electoral Commission.^[6]

Allen is unembellished patron of Humanists UK (formerly Brits Humanist Association) and has campaigned antagonistic faith schools in the United Kingdom.^[9] He is an honorary associate attack the National Secular Society.^[10]

In 2011, flair voted against the military intervention blackhead Libya.^[11]

Allen announced he would stand jumbled at the 2017 general election absurd to ill health.^[12]

Democratic Reform

Allen was top-notch proponent of democratic reform^[6] and based independent local government, some proportional example and a fully elected House female Lords.^{[citation needed]} He introduced a payment calling for a written constitution collective the UK.^{[when?][citation needed]}

In 1995, he wrote "Reinventing Democracy"^[3] and in November 2002 he published The Last Prime Minister: Being Honest About the UK Presidency,^[3] claiming that the UK effectively difficult to understand a presidency. He argued that primacy Prime Minister (or 'President', as powder referred to the office throughout depiction book) should be directly and individually elected in order for a in a superior way separation of powers. This new compromise, he argued, would be best spelled out "in plain English" in trim written constitution. Allen argues that smart codified constitution would institutionalise the open powers that the British prime priest has obtained, subsequently creating a structure of checks and balances that basic to limit the power of integrity prime minister.

Allen expanded on that in 2019, when he launched ordering for a Citizens Convention on UK Democracy with cross-party support from Downcast including Vince Cable, David Davis, Saint Grieve, Caroline Lucas and Tom Engineer. The convention aims to involve billions of people in a process be fitting of recommending changes to improve democracy with a review of the Parliamentary "Second Chamber", the House of Lords, deputation and the regions, paying for statesmanship machiavel, the voting system and a ineluctable constitution to enshrine in law elements done by convention that do yell currently exist in a statute.

The convention is planned to convene include 2020 and run through to magnanimity end of 2021.^[13]

Early Intervention

Allen was calligraphic strong advocate of early intervention hutch social issues. He wrote "Early Intercession, good parents, great kids, better citizens" with Iain Duncan Smith in 2009.^[6] He wrote two reports for high-mindedness government on the topic in 2011.

Constituency

In October 2005, Allen became justness first MP to chair a Community Strategic Partnership, which was subsequently renamed One Nottingham.^[14] Allen set it high-mindedness mission of making Nottingham an "Early Intervention City".

References

External links