Colin Challen
Encyclopedia
Colin Robert Challen is a British
Labour Party
politician, who was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Morley and Rothwell from 2001
until the constituency's abolition at the 2010 election.
and the Malton
Grammar School
, before completing a philosophy
degree
at the University of Hull
in 1983. In 1971, he was a supplier accountant
for the Royal Air Force
before becoming a postman
in 1974. He set up business as a printer
and publisher in 1982 until 1990 when he took up politics professionally as an organiser for the Labour Party. He was elected a councillor to Kingston upon Hull
City Council for eight years from 1986.
in the constituency of Beverley
. He finished in third place and more than 22,000 votes behind the winner James Cran
. He entered parliament at the 2001 general election
for Morley and Rothwell following the retirement through ill health of Labour MP John Gunnell
. Colin Challen was elected with a majority of 12,090 and made his maiden speech on 25 June 2001,http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmhansrd/vo010625/debtext/10625-23.htm#10625-23_spnew0 in which he spoke of Herbert Henry Asquith who was born in Morley
.
A member of the League Against Cruel Sports
for almost thirty years, he served on several select committees: The Environmental Audit Committee (since 2001), the Joint Committee on Consolidation of Bills (since 2001), and the Unopposed Bills Panel (since 2004). He is an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society
.
On 29 January 2007 Challen announced that he would not contest the 2010 general election, in order to devote his time to campaigning on climate change, thus letting Ed Balls
contest the new Morley and Outwood
constituency, formed from a merger of parts of Morley and Rothwell and Balls' also abolished Normanton
constituency.
In 2004, Challen presented a Ten Minute Rule
Bill introducing the idea of David Fleming's TEQs scheme to Parliament, as a way of guaranteeing that promised emissions reductions would actually be achieved. In 2009, Challen tabled an early day motion
calling for all internal UK flights to be phased out before the end of the year, in order to reduce greenhouse gases. He also urged Parliament to cut the national speed limit
to 55 mph, and to dedicate two hours of prime-time television each week to explain the dangers posed by climate change.
In local elections held in May 2011, Challen was elected as a Labour member of Scarborough Borough Council
, representing Castle ward.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Labour Party
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
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Morley and Rothwell from 2001
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
until the constituency's abolition at the 2010 election.
Early life
Challen was born in Scarborough, and educated at the Norton Secondary School in Norton-on-DerwentNorton-on-Derwent
Norton-on-Derwent, commonly referred to as 'Norton', is a town and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. Norton borders the market town of Malton, and is divided by the River Derwent...
and the Malton
Malton, North Yorkshire
Malton is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. The town is the location of the offices of Ryedale District Council and has a population of around 4,000 people....
Grammar School
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
, before completing a philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
degree
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
at the University of Hull
University of Hull
The University of Hull, known informally as Hull University, is an English university, founded in 1927, located in Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire...
in 1983. In 1971, he was a supplier accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
for the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
before becoming a postman
Mail carrier
A mail carrier, mailman, postal carrier, postman, postwoman , postman/postwoman , letter carrier or postie is an employee of the post office or postal service, who delivers mail and parcel post to residences and businesses...
in 1974. He set up business as a printer
Printer (publisher)
In publishing, printers are both companies providing printing services and individuals who directly operate printing presses. With the invention of the moveable type printing press by Johannes Gutenberg around 1450, printing—and printers—proliferated throughout Europe.Today, printers are found...
and publisher in 1982 until 1990 when he took up politics professionally as an organiser for the Labour Party. He was elected a councillor to Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
City Council for eight years from 1986.
Career
Challen unsuccessfully stood for parliament at the 1992 general electionUnited 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...
in the constituency of Beverley
Beverley (UK Parliament constituency)
Beverley has been the name of a parliamentary constituency in the East Riding of Yorkshire for three separate periods. From medieval times until 1869, it was a parliamentary borough, consisting solely of the market town of Beverley, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons...
. He finished in third place and more than 22,000 votes behind the winner James Cran
James Cran
James Douglas Cran is a British former Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Beverley and Holderness in northern England until he stepped down at the 2005 general election, being succeeded as Conservative candidate and MP by Graham Stuart...
. He entered parliament at the 2001 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
for Morley and Rothwell following the retirement through ill health of Labour MP John Gunnell
John Gunnell
William John Gunnell was a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.-Early life:He was born in Birmingham, and educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham. He gained a BSc in General Studies in 1955, and a PGCE in 1958 from the University of Leeds...
. Colin Challen was elected with a majority of 12,090 and made his maiden speech on 25 June 2001,http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmhansrd/vo010625/debtext/10625-23.htm#10625-23_spnew0 in which he spoke of Herbert Henry Asquith who was born in Morley
Morley, West Yorkshire
Morley is a market town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. It lies approximately south-west of Leeds city centre. Together with Drighlington, Gildersome, Churwell, Tingley and East/West Ardsley, the town had a population of 47,579 in...
.
A member of the League Against Cruel Sports
League Against Cruel Sports
The League Against Cruel Sports are an animal welfare organisation that campaigns against all blood sports including bull fighting, fox hunting and hare coursing. It also campaigns to ban the manufacture, sale and use of snares, for the regulation of greyhound racing and for an end to commercial...
for almost thirty years, he served on several select committees: The Environmental Audit Committee (since 2001), the Joint Committee on Consolidation of Bills (since 2001), and the Unopposed Bills Panel (since 2004). He is an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society
National Secular Society
The National Secular Society is a British campaigning organisation that promotes secularism and the separation of church and state. It holds that no-one should gain advantage or disadvantage because of their religion or lack of religion. It was founded by Charles Bradlaugh in 1866...
.
On 29 January 2007 Challen announced that he would not contest the 2010 general election, in order to devote his time to campaigning on climate change, thus letting Ed Balls
Ed Balls
Edward Michael Balls, known as Ed Balls, is a British Labour politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 2005, currently for Morley and Outwood, and is the current Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer....
contest the new Morley and Outwood
Morley and Outwood (UK Parliament constituency)
Morley and Outwood is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
constituency, formed from a merger of parts of Morley and Rothwell and Balls' also abolished Normanton
Normanton (UK Parliament constituency)
Normanton was a county constituency 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.-Boundaries:...
constituency.
Climate change work
Challen founded the All Party Parliamentary Group on Climate Change in 2005, and has written that he believes the "catastrophic destabilisation of global climate represents the greatest threat that humanity faces."In 2004, Challen presented a Ten Minute Rule
Ten Minute Rule
The Ten Minute Rule, also known as Standing Order No. 23, is a procedure in the British Parliament for the introduction of Private Member's Bills in addition to the 20 per session normally permissible. It is one of the ways in which a bill may receive its first reading.Any MP may introduce a bill...
Bill introducing the idea of David Fleming's TEQs scheme to Parliament, as a way of guaranteeing that promised emissions reductions would actually be achieved. In 2009, Challen tabled an early day motion
Early day motion
An Early Day Motion , in the Westminster system, is a motion, expressed as a single sentence, tabled by Members of Parliament for debate "on an early day" . Controversial EDMs are not signed by Government Ministers, PPS or the Speaker of the House of Commons and very few are debated on the floor...
calling for all internal UK flights to be phased out before the end of the year, in order to reduce greenhouse gases. He also urged Parliament to cut the national speed limit
Speed limit
Road speed limits are used in most countries to regulate the speed of road vehicles. Speed limits may define maximum , minimum or no speed limit and are normally indicated using a traffic sign...
to 55 mph, and to dedicate two hours of prime-time television each week to explain the dangers posed by climate change.
In local elections held in May 2011, Challen was elected as a Labour member of Scarborough Borough Council
Scarborough (borough)
Scarborough is a non-metropolitan district and borough of North Yorkshire, England. In addition to the town of Scarborough, it covers a large stretch of the coast of Yorkshire, including Whitby and Filey....
, representing Castle ward.
Works
- The Price of Power: Secret Funding of the Tory Party (VISION Investigations) by Colin Challen, 1998, Vision Paperbacks / Satin Publications, ISBN 1-901250-18-0
- In Defence of the Party: The Secret State,the Conservative Party and Dirty Tricks by Colin Challen, Mike Hughes 1996, Medium Publishing Co., ISBN 1-872398-01-4
- Too Little Too Late: The politics of climate change by Colin Challen, 2009 Picnic Publishing, ISBN 978-0956037-00-8