David Drew
Encyclopedia
David Elliott Drew is a British
Labour Co-operative
politician who was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Stroud
from 1997
to 2010.
, the son of an accountant
, and was educated at the Kingsfield School, Kingswood
before attending the University of Nottingham
where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts
degree in economics
in 1974 and the University of Birmingham
where he qualified as a teacher
and received his Postgraduate Certificate in Education
in 1976. He went on to study for his master's degree
at the Bristol Polytechnic
, where he graduated with an MA in historical studies
in 1988. He was awarded a Master of Education
from the University of the West of England
in 1994.
He began his professional career in education
as a teacher at the Princethorpe College in Rugby
Warwickshire
in 1976, moving in 1978 to teach at the St Michael's
School in Stevenage
. In 1982 he moved back to his native Gloucestershire when he went to teach at the Maidenhill School in Stonehouse
, before moving to the Dene Magna Community School
in Mitcheldean in the Forest of Dean
. Throughout his teaching career he was a member of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers
, and was a branch secretary 1984-1986. In 1986 he left teaching at school
to become a senior lecturer in education at the University of West England, where he remained until his election to Westminster
, and remains a member of the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education
.
in Hertfordshire
for a year in 1981, and was elected as a councillor for the Stroud District Council in 1987, where he remained until 1995. He was also elected to the Stonehouse Town Council in 1987 and remains on the council. To make the collection of tiers of local government complete, he was elected as a councillor on the Gloucestershire County Council in 1992, stepping down on his election to Parliament
. He was elected as the secretary to the Stroud Constituency Labour Party
for a year in 1992. He has also been a member of UNISON
since 1990.
He unsuccessfully contested Stroud at the 1992 general election
, but was defeated by the incumbent Conservative
, Roger Knapman
by 13,405 votes. He succeeded in taking the seat from Knapman at the 1997 general election
with a majority of his own of 2,910, and remained the MP against all the odds until 2010. He made his maiden speech
on 17 June 1997. He successfully defended his majority in 2001 general election
, and retained it, but with a significantly reduced majority of just 350 in the 2005 general election
. In Parliament, he was a member of the Agriculture
Select Committee, and its successor Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee from 1999 until 2010.
He was identified by The Herald
newspaper in Scotland
following the 2005 election as one of the more frequent Labour
backbench rebels, having 'rebelled' over both the Iraq War and terror legislation during the 2001 parliament.
During the 2010 election he lost out by 1299 votes (2.0%) to the Conservative Neil Carmichael
who won with 40.8% of the vote, with Liberal Democrat Dennis Andrewartha taking 15.4%. Despite the loss, he actually managed to increase the number of votes he won compared to the 2005 election, as well as managing to obtain the smallest losing Labour swing in the whole of England.
In the 2011 Local Elections
, he returned to Stroud District Council after being elected to the Farmhill and Paganhill seat, taking 63.9% of the vote.
He has been selected by the Stroud Constituency Labour Party to fight the seat at the next general election.
. He has been a vegetarian for 25 years.
He was appointed Chairman of Forest Green Rovers in May 2010, and is now a Co-Vice Chairman.
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 Co-operative
Labour Co-operative
Labour and Co-operative describes those candidates in British elections standing on behalf of both the Labour Party and the Co-operative Party, based on a national agreement between the two parties....
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 Stroud
Stroud (UK Parliament constituency)
Stroud 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....
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...
to 2010.
Early life
Drew was born in GloucestershireGloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, the son of an accountant
Accountancy
Accountancy is the process of communicating financial information about a business entity to users such as shareholders and managers. The communication is generally in the form of financial statements that show in money terms the economic resources under the control of management; the art lies in...
, and was educated at the Kingsfield School, Kingswood
Kingswood, South Gloucestershire
Kingswood is an urban area in South Gloucestershire, England, bordering the City of Bristol to the west. It is located on both sides of the A420 road, which connects Bristol and Chippenham and which forms the high street through the principal retail zone...
before attending the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts
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...
degree in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
in 1974 and the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
where he qualified as a teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
and received his Postgraduate Certificate in Education
Postgraduate Certificate in Education
The Postgraduate Certificate in Education is a one-year course in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for undergraduate degree holders that allows them to train to be a teacher....
in 1976. He went on to study for his master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
at the Bristol Polytechnic
University of the West of England
The University of the West of England is a university based in the English city of Bristol. Its main campus is at Frenchay, about five miles north of the city centre...
, where he graduated with an MA in historical studies
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
in 1988. He was awarded a Master of Education
Master of Education
The Master of Education is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in a large number of countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum and instruction, counseling, and administration. It is often conferred for educators advancing in...
from the University of the West of England
University of the West of England
The University of the West of England is a university based in the English city of Bristol. Its main campus is at Frenchay, about five miles north of the city centre...
in 1994.
He began his professional career in education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
as a teacher at the Princethorpe College in Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
in 1976, moving in 1978 to teach at the St Michael's
Michael (archangel)
Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael...
School in Stevenage
Stevenage
Stevenage is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated to the east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1, and is between Letchworth Garden City to the north, and Welwyn Garden City to the south....
. In 1982 he moved back to his native Gloucestershire when he went to teach at the Maidenhill School in Stonehouse
Stonehouse, Gloucestershire
Stonehouse, Gloucestershire is an urban area within the Stroud District, in the UK. It is home to a number of factories, such as Dairy Crest and Schlumberger. The town is close to the M5 motorway. Stonehouse railway station has a regular train service to London...
, before moving to the Dene Magna Community School
Dene Magna Community School
Dene Magna Community School is a secondary foundation school in Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire, England, previously known as Abenhall Comprehensive School. The school is mixed, and has 745 pupils aged between 11 and 16. In 2005, the school was awarded a place on Ofsted's "Honours List" of 234...
in Mitcheldean in the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean (district)
Forest of Dean is a local government district in Gloucestershire, England, named after the Forest of Dean. Its council is based in Coleford. Other towns in the district include Cinderford, Newent and Tidenham....
. Throughout his teaching career he was a member of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers
National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers
The NASUWT is a trade union representing teachers, including headteachers, throughout the United Kingdom....
, and was a branch secretary 1984-1986. In 1986 he left teaching at school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
to become a senior lecturer in education at the University of West England, where he remained until his election to Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
, and remains a member of the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education
National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education
The National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education was the British trade union and professional association for people working with those above statutory school age, and primarily concerned with providing education, training or research...
.
Political career
He was elected as a councillor for the Stevenage Borough CouncilStevenage Borough Council
Stevenage Borough Council is the local authority for the Stevenage non-metropolitan district of England, the United Kingdom. Stevenage is located in the north-east of Hertfordshire, in the East of England region....
in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
for a year in 1981, and was elected as a councillor for the Stroud District Council in 1987, where he remained until 1995. He was also elected to the Stonehouse Town Council in 1987 and remains on the council. To make the collection of tiers of local government complete, he was elected as a councillor on the Gloucestershire County Council in 1992, stepping down on his election to Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. He was elected as the secretary to the Stroud Constituency Labour Party
Constituency Labour Party
A Constituency Labour Party is an organisation of members of the British Labour Party who live in a particular UK parliamentary constituency in England, Scotland and Wales. The Labour Party in Northern Ireland has, since February 2009, been organised as a province-wide Constituency Labour Party...
for a year in 1992. He has also been a member of UNISON
UNISON
UNISON is the largest trade union in the United Kingdom with over 1.3 million members.The union was formed in 1993 when three public sector trade unions, the National and Local Government Officers Association , the National Union of Public Employees and the Confederation of Health Service...
since 1990.
He unsuccessfully contested Stroud at the 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...
, but was defeated by the incumbent 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...
, Roger Knapman
Roger Knapman
Roger Maurice Knapman is a British politician and the former leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party ....
by 13,405 votes. He succeeded in taking the seat from Knapman 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...
with a majority of his own of 2,910, and remained the MP against all the odds until 2010. He made his maiden speech
Maiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
on 17 June 1997. He successfully defended his majority in 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...
, and retained it, but with a significantly reduced majority of just 350 in 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....
. In Parliament, he was a member of the Agriculture
Ministry of Agriculture
An agriculture ministry or department of agriculture is a ministry or other government agency charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister for agriculture....
Select Committee, and its successor Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee from 1999 until 2010.
He was identified by The Herald
The Herald (Glasgow)
The Herald is a broadsheet newspaper published Monday to Saturday in Glasgow, and available throughout Scotland. As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 47,226, giving it a lead over Scotland's other 'quality' national daily, The Scotsman, published in Edinburgh.The 1889 to 1906 editions...
newspaper in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
following the 2005 election as one of the more frequent Labour
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...
backbench rebels, having 'rebelled' over both the Iraq War and terror legislation during the 2001 parliament.
During the 2010 election he lost out by 1299 votes (2.0%) to the Conservative Neil Carmichael
Neil Carmichael (Conservative politician)
William Neil Carmichael is an English businessman, academic, and Conservative Party politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for the Stroud constituency in Gloucestershire since the 2010 general election.-Politics:...
who won with 40.8% of the vote, with Liberal Democrat Dennis Andrewartha taking 15.4%. Despite the loss, he actually managed to increase the number of votes he won compared to the 2005 election, as well as managing to obtain the smallest losing Labour swing in the whole of England.
In the 2011 Local Elections
United Kingdom local elections, 2011
The 2011 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 5 May 2011. In England, direct elections were held in all 36 Metropolitan boroughs, 194 Second-tier district authorities, 49 unitary authorities and various mayoral posts, meaning local elections took place in all parts of England with...
, he returned to Stroud District Council after being elected to the Farmhill and Paganhill seat, taking 63.9% of the vote.
He has been selected by the Stroud Constituency Labour Party to fight the seat at the next general election.
Personal life
David Drew has been married to his second wife Anne Baker since 1990 and has two daughters and two sons. They live in StonehouseStonehouse, Gloucestershire
Stonehouse, Gloucestershire is an urban area within the Stroud District, in the UK. It is home to a number of factories, such as Dairy Crest and Schlumberger. The town is close to the M5 motorway. Stonehouse railway station has a regular train service to London...
. He has been a vegetarian for 25 years.
He was appointed Chairman of Forest Green Rovers in May 2010, and is now a Co-Vice Chairman.