Colin Burgon
Encyclopedia
Colin Burgon is a British Labour Party
politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Elmet
(Wetherby
, Garforth
and surrounding areas) from 1997
until he stood down at the 2010 general election.
Colin Burgon was born in Leeds
to life-long Labour supporting parents. He was educated at St Charles RC Junior School, a Catholic school (closed in 1988); and passed the eleven plus enabling him to attend the St Michael's Catholic College in Woodhouse
. In later life Burgon claimed that; alighting the bus wearing a grammar school uniform in Gipton
(a large Leeds council estate) made him aware of the class system and made him "deplore structures that inherently deny opportunity to people".
On leaving school Burgon trained as a teacher at Carnegie College, Leeds
, then studied at Huddersfield Polytechnic
. Burgon worked as a History teacher at Foxwood High School (which later became East Leeds Family Learning Centre and was demolished in 2009) a deprived secondary school in the Seacroft
area of East Leeds, where he was an active member of the NUT
union. Burgon left teaching and the NUT in 1987 to work for Wakefield District Council
as a local government policy and research officer. He was also a research officer with the GMB Union
. Burgon is an honourary member of the National Union of Mineworkers and was made so after his support for the 1984-85 miners' strike. Prior to being an MP, Burgon worked with the miners and their families of the Elmet constituency both during and after the strike.
and Leeds East for the 1989 European Election before being selected as a Labour candidate for Elemet. Burgon unsuccessfully contested Elmet at the 1987 general election
and 1992 general election
, losing both times to Conservative
MP Spencer Batiste
. At the 1997 general election
, Colin Burgon contested Elmet for a third consecutive time, this time defeating Batiste with an 8,779 majority.
He was placed on the Northern Ireland
Select Committee in 2000, and served on the Home Affairs
Select Committee after the 2005 General Election
. Burgon has also taken interest in socialism in South America, particularly in Venezuela
. In May 2007, he wrote in The Guardian
in defence of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez
and his government's controversial refusal to renew the broadcasting license of a television station that had been critical of Chávez. Burgon is chairman of Labour Friends of Venezuela. He is on the left of the party and has vociferously criticised what he calls as the "neo-liberal" policies of the party leadership. Burgon stood down as an MP at the 2010 general election.
which is a big issue in Elmet
. He lived in Swillington Common
, Thorner
then Allerton Bywater
with his partner Kathryn.
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Elmet
Elmet (UK Parliament constituency)
Elmet was a county constituency in West Yorkshire represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
(Wetherby
Wetherby
Wetherby is a market town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Wharfe, and has been for centuries a crossing place and staging post on the Great North Road, being mid-way between London and Edinburgh...
, Garforth
Garforth
Garforth is a town within the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, in West Yorkshire, England. The 2001 Census lists 23,892 residents in the Garforth and Swillington ward - 80.57% of which are homeowners, 20% more than the average for Leeds. Garforth itself has 15,394 of those people...
and surrounding areas) from 1997
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
until he stood down at the 2010 general election.
Early life
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
to life-long Labour supporting parents. He was educated at St Charles RC Junior School, a Catholic school (closed in 1988); and passed the eleven plus enabling him to attend the St Michael's Catholic College in Woodhouse
Woodhouse, Leeds
Woodhouse is a largely residential area just north of the city centre of Leeds and home to the University of Leeds. It is in the Hyde Park and Woodhouse ward of City of Leeds metropolitan district. It was described in 1853 as a "large and handsome village"...
. In later life Burgon claimed that; alighting the bus wearing a grammar school uniform in Gipton
Gipton
Gipton is a suburb of East Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, between the A58 to the north and the A64 to the south. It is joined with Harehills as a City Council Ward...
(a large Leeds council estate) made him aware of the class system and made him "deplore structures that inherently deny opportunity to people".
On leaving school Burgon trained as a teacher at Carnegie College, Leeds
Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University is a British University with three campuses. Two are situated in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England while the third is situated in Bhopal, India...
, then studied at Huddersfield Polytechnic
University of Huddersfield
The University of Huddersfield is a university located in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.- History :The University traces its roots back to a Science and Mechanic Institute founded in 1825...
. Burgon worked as a History teacher at Foxwood High School (which later became East Leeds Family Learning Centre and was demolished in 2009) a deprived secondary school in the Seacroft
Seacroft
Seacroft is an outer-city suburb consisting mainly of council estate housing covering an extensive area of east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is east of Leeds city centre and lies in the LS14 Leeds postcode area....
area of East Leeds, where he was an active member of the NUT
National Union of Teachers
The National Union of Teachers is a trade union for school teachers in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It is a member of the Trades Union Congress...
union. Burgon left teaching and the NUT in 1987 to work for Wakefield District Council
Wakefield Regional Council
Wakefield Regional Council is a local government administrative body in South Australia.-Towns and communities:The Wakefield Regional Council includes the following townships located in the area:*Alma*Avon*Balaklava*Barabba Hill*Barunga*Barunga Gap...
as a local government policy and research officer. He was also a research officer with the GMB Union
GMB Union
The GMB is a general trade union in the United Kingdom, and has more than 600,000 members. Its members are drawn from many sectors, with particular strength amongst manual workers in local government and the health service...
. Burgon is an honourary member of the National Union of Mineworkers and was made so after his support for the 1984-85 miners' strike. Prior to being an MP, Burgon worked with the miners and their families of the Elmet constituency both during and after the strike.
Parliamentary career
Burgon was the Labour Party Agent at Elmet for the 1983 General ElectionUnited Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
and Leeds East for the 1989 European Election before being selected as a Labour candidate for Elemet. Burgon unsuccessfully contested Elmet at the 1987 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
and 1992 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
, losing both times to Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP Spencer Batiste
Spencer Batiste
Spencer Lee Batiste was the British Conservative MP for Elmet from 1983 until his 1997 defeat by Labour's Colin Burgon. He served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Lord Trefgarne, Sir Geoffrey Pattie and, latterly, for European Commissioner and former Home Secretary Sir Leon Brittan.After...
. At the 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
, Colin Burgon contested Elmet for a third consecutive time, this time defeating Batiste with an 8,779 majority.
He was placed on the Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Office
The Northern Ireland Office is a United Kingdom government department responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and is based in Northern Ireland at Stormont House.-Role:...
Select Committee in 2000, and served on the Home Affairs
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
Select Committee after the 2005 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
. Burgon has also taken interest in socialism in South America, particularly in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. In May 2007, he wrote in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
in defence of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
and his government's controversial refusal to renew the broadcasting license of a television station that had been critical of Chávez. Burgon is chairman of Labour Friends of Venezuela. He is on the left of the party and has vociferously criticised what he calls as the "neo-liberal" policies of the party leadership. Burgon stood down as an MP at the 2010 general election.
Personal life
Burgon is divorced and has one daughter. He has taken a keen interest in opencast miningOpen-pit mining
Open-pit mining or opencast mining refers to a method of extracting rock or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open pit or borrow....
which is a big issue in Elmet
Elmet (UK Parliament constituency)
Elmet was a county constituency in West Yorkshire represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
. He lived in Swillington Common
Swillington
Swillington is a small village and civil parish near Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough. It is located east of the River Aire and surrounded by streams including Fleakingley Beck. As of 2001, Swillington had a population of about 3,530.Swillington used to be a...
, Thorner
Thorner
Thorner is a rural village and civil parish in the City of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England, located between Seacroft and Wetherby. It has a population of 1,503.-History:...
then Allerton Bywater
Allerton Bywater
Allerton Bywater is a semi-rural village and civil parish in the south-east of City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. The village itself is north of Castleford and lies in the WF10 Castleford postcode area...
with his partner Kathryn.
External links
- His website
- Guardian Unlimited Politics – Ask Aristotle: Colin Burgon MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com – Colin Burgon MP
- BBC Politics