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Jim Fitzpatrick (politician)
Encyclopedia
James Fitzpatrick is a British
Labour Party
politician
, who has been the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Poplar and Limehouse
since the 2010 General Election. From 1997
to the 2010 election he was the member for Poplar and Canning Town. He was Minister of State
for Farming and the Environment
at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
during the Brown Ministry
.
, Scotland
and was educated locally at the Holyrood R.C. Secondary School
in Crosshill
. From 1970 he was a trainee with Tytrak in Glasgow, before moving to London in 1973 to become a driver
with Mintex. In 1974 he became a firefighter
with the London Fire Brigade
, being decorated with the Fire Brigade Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in 1994, and left the fire service upon his election to Westminster
.
He is married to Dr
Sheila Fitzpatrick and has two children from a previous marriage. He supports West Ham United Football Club, enjoys watching cricket
and is also a vegetarian
.
Constituency Labour Party
for a year in 1989, and was chairman of the Greater London
Labour Party for nine years from 1991.
for the newly-created seat of Poplar and Canning Town in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
at the 1997 General Election
with a majority of 18,915 and has remained the MP there since. He made his maiden speech
in the House of Commons on 17 June 1997.
In 1999 he was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary
(PPS) to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Alan Milburn
, until becoming the Secretary of State for Health
later in the same year. After the 2001 General Election
Fitzpatrick became a member of the Tony Blair
Government as an Assistant Government Whip
, becoming a Lord Commissioner to the Treasury (Government Whip) in 2002. He was again promoted within the Whips Office in 2003 when he became the Vice-Chamberlain of HM's Household
.
, and was then appointed a junior minister
in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister with the role of Minister for London
, a role he took with him on his subsequent move to the Department of Trade and Industry in May 2006. In 2007 he argued against a CWU
strike
saying it would harm their cause.
On 29 June 2007 he moved to become the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
at the Department for Transport
, with Shipping amongst his responsibilities, and was replaced as Minister for London by Tessa Jowell
. In 2011, he was honoured with the Freedom
of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights
.
In 2008 during the Christmas
period, Fitzpatrick and his wife visited Bangladesh
, touring the development projects supported by the Canary Wharf Group
. The purpose of the trip was to re-visit the country since 1999, and see the regeneration projects that this group supports. During his visit, he visited the Football Academy in Dhaka
, also to Jagannathpur and Sylhet
, where many Bangladeshis in the UK originate from including many in his constituency.
Fitzpatrick was promoted to Minister
of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
in the June 2009 reshuffle.
In August 2009, Fitzpatrick decided to leave the wedding of a Muslim couple in his constituency when he was told it would be segregated by gender. In a local newspaper article, he blamed the Islamic Forum Europe
for encouraging segregation though the couple claimed Fitzpatrick had "hijacked [the wedding] for political gain." Fitzpatrick said he had left the wedding as discreetly as possible. “It was never my intention to offend Mr Islam and if he thinks that I done so then of course I will apologise to him.
, thus leaving that Party with no seats in Westminster.
He was the campaign manager for former Labour MP Oona King
in her failed attempt to become the Labour candidate in the 2012 London Mayoral Election
.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
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
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, who has been 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 Poplar and Limehouse
Poplar and Limehouse (UK Parliament constituency)
Poplar and Limehouse is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament using the first past the post system of election....
since the 2010 General 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 the 2010 election he was the member for Poplar and Canning Town. He was Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
for Farming and the Environment
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom...
at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom...
during the Brown Ministry
Brown Ministry
Gordon Brown took office as Prime Minister on 27 June 2007 and formed his Government. It ended, upon his resignation, on 11 May 2010. In his inaugural cabinet Brown appointed the UKs first female Home Secretary Jacqui Smith....
.
Early and personal life
Fitzpatrick was born in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, 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...
and was educated locally at the Holyrood R.C. Secondary School
Holyrood R.C. Secondary School
Holyrood Secondary School, commonly referred to as Holyrood, is a Catholic secondary school in the south-side of Glasgow, Scotland. Holyrood is widely known as being Europe's largest state secondary school. It is near Crosshill railway station, Hampden Park, A728 and the new, M74 Motorway...
in Crosshill
Crosshill
Crosshill is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated south of the River Clyde. In earlier maps the area is called Corsehill, which means Gorse hill, so the name is probably a corruption of this earlier name, and does not refer to a cross...
. From 1970 he was a trainee with Tytrak in Glasgow, before moving to London in 1973 to become a driver
Driving
Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a land vehicle, such as a car, truck or bus.Although direct operation of a bicycle and a mounted animal are commonly referred to as riding, such operators are legally considered drivers and are required to obey the rules of the road...
with Mintex. In 1974 he became a firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
with the London Fire Brigade
London Fire Brigade
The London Fire Brigade is the statutory fire and rescue service for London.Founded in 1865, it is the largest of the fire services in the United Kingdom and the fourth-largest in the world with nearly 7,000 staff, including 5,800 operational firefighters based in 112 fire...
, being decorated with the Fire Brigade Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in 1994, and left the fire service upon 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...
.
He is married to Dr
Doctor (title)
Doctor, as a title, originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb docēre . It has been used as an honored academic title for over a millennium in Europe, where it dates back to the rise of the university. This use spread...
Sheila Fitzpatrick and has two children from a previous marriage. He supports West Ham United Football Club, enjoys watching cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
and is also a vegetarian
Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets , with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat...
.
Political career
He was elected as the chair of the BarkingBarking (UK Parliament constituency)
Barking is a 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. It has elected Labour MPs since its creation in 1945, usually with strong majorities.- Boundaries :The...
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 1989, and was chairman of the Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
Labour Party for nine years from 1991.
Member of Parliament
He was elected to the House of Commons as Member of ParliamentMember 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,...
for the newly-created seat of Poplar and Canning Town in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It is in the eastern part of London and covers much of the traditional East End. It also includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks...
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 18,915 and has remained the MP there since. 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...
in the House of Commons on 17 June 1997.
In 1999 he was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
(PPS) to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury is the third most senior ministerial position in HM Treasury, after the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer . In recent years, the office holder has usually been given a junior position in the British Cabinet...
Alan Milburn
Alan Milburn
Alan Milburn is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Darlington from 1992 until 2010...
, until becoming the Secretary of State for Health
Secretary of State for Health
Secretary of State for Health is a UK cabinet position responsible for the Department of Health.The first Boards of Health were created by Orders in Council dated 21 June, 14 November, and 21 November 1831. In 1848 a General Board of Health was created with the First Commissioner of Woods and...
later in the same year. After 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...
Fitzpatrick became a member of the Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
Government as an Assistant Government Whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
, becoming a Lord Commissioner to the Treasury (Government Whip) in 2002. He was again promoted within the Whips Office in 2003 when he became the Vice-Chamberlain of HM's Household
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
The Vice-Chamberlain of the Household is usually a junior government whip in the British House of Commons and is an officer of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. He or she is the Deputy to the Lord Chamberlain of the Household. The Vice-Chamberlain's main role is to compile...
.
2005 Parliament
Fitzpatrick was re-elected in the 2005 General ElectionUnited 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....
, and was then appointed a junior minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister with the role of Minister for London
Minister for London
The Minister for London was a United Kingdom ministerial post that is part of the government of London. The post was scrapped by David Cameron after he came to office in 2010...
, a role he took with him on his subsequent move to the Department of Trade and Industry in May 2006. In 2007 he argued against a CWU
Communication Workers Union (UK)
The Communication Workers Union is the main trade union in the United Kingdom for people working for telephone, cable, DSL and postal delivery companies, with 215,000 members....
strike
Strike
Strike may refer to:-Refusal to work or perform:* Strike action, also known as a walkout, a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to perform work...
saying it would harm their cause.
On 29 June 2007 he moved to become the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
A Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State is the lowest of three tiers of government minister in the government of the United Kingdom, junior to both a Minister of State and a Secretary of State....
at the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
, with Shipping amongst his responsibilities, and was replaced as Minister for London by Tessa Jowell
Tessa Jowell
Tessa Jowell is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Dulwich and West Norwood since 1992. Formerly a member of both the Blair and Brown Cabinets, she is currently the Shadow Minister for the Olympics and Shadow Minister for London.-Early life:Tessa Jane...
. In 2011, he was honoured with the Freedom
Freeman
- Things :* An individual not tied to land under medieval serfdom, unlike a villein or serf* A person who has been awarded Freedom of the City or "Freedom of the Company" in a Livery Company* Freeman * Freeman...
of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights
Worshipful Company of Shipwrights
The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London.The Shipwrights' Company has not, unlike other Livery Companies, ever received a Royal Charter; instead, it is considered incorporated "by prescription" because the body had for a long time used this title...
.
In 2008 during the Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
period, Fitzpatrick and his wife visited Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, touring the development projects supported by the Canary Wharf Group
Canary Wharf Group
Canary Wharf Group plc is the owner and developer of nearly of property at Canary Wharf in London. It is notable because over the last 10 years it has constructed more office space in London than any other developer...
. The purpose of the trip was to re-visit the country since 1999, and see the regeneration projects that this group supports. During his visit, he visited the Football Academy in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
, also to Jagannathpur and Sylhet
Sylhet
Sylhet , is a major city in north-eastern Bangladesh. It is the main city of Sylhet Division and Sylhet District, and was granted metropolitan city status in March 2009. Sylhet is located on the banks of the Surma Valley and is surrounded by the Jaintia, Khasi and Tripura hills...
, where many Bangladeshis in the UK originate from including many in his constituency.
Fitzpatrick was promoted to Minister
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom...
in the June 2009 reshuffle.
In August 2009, Fitzpatrick decided to leave the wedding of a Muslim couple in his constituency when he was told it would be segregated by gender. In a local newspaper article, he blamed the Islamic Forum Europe
Islamic Forum Europe
The Islamic Forum of Europe is an Islamic organisation based in London with branches throughout the United Kingdom. Its website states it has branches in "most of the European countries including: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden...
for encouraging segregation though the couple claimed Fitzpatrick had "hijacked [the wedding] for political gain." Fitzpatrick said he had left the wedding as discreetly as possible. “It was never my intention to offend Mr Islam and if he thinks that I done so then of course I will apologise to him.
2010 Parliament
Following boundary changes, Fitzpatrick contested the newly-created Poplar and Limehouse constituency in 2010, and was re-elected with a 4.7% swing to Labour, contrary to the national swing. With the realigned boundaries, the seat had been considered the Conservative Party's target seat number 105; Fitzpatrick also defeated the Respect Party's sitting MP, George GallowayGeorge Galloway
George Galloway is a British politician, author, journalist and broadcaster who was a Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2010. He was formerly an MP for the Labour Party, first for Glasgow Hillhead and later for Glasgow Kelvin, before his expulsion from the party in October 2003, the same year...
, thus leaving that Party with no seats in Westminster.
He was the campaign manager for former Labour MP Oona King
Oona King
Oona Tamsyn King, Baroness King of Bow is a Baroness and Member of the House of Lords, and former Chief Diversity Officer of Channel 4. She previously had served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Bow from 1997 until 2005, when she was defeated by Respect candidate George...
in her failed attempt to become the Labour candidate in the 2012 London Mayoral Election
London mayoral election, 2012
The 2012 London mayoral election will be held on Thursday 3 May 2012 to elect the Mayor of London. It will be the fourth such election since the post of Mayor of London was started in 2000...
.