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John Mann (politician)
Encyclopedia
John Mann is a British
Labour Party
politician
who has been the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Bassetlaw
since 2001
, after the retirement of previous MP Joe Ashton
.
John Mann serves on the Treasury Select Committee
. Previously he has been Parliamentary Private Secretary
(PPS) to Tessa Jowell
and Richard Caborn
.
, West Yorkshire (now a suburb of Leeds
) from 1965-67. He then attended Pudsey Waterloo Junior school from 1967-71. He went to the independent Bradford Grammar School
(via a scholarship). Mann has a degree in Economics from Manchester University and Diploma in Training Management. Active in the Labour Party from his youth (Pudsey South Labour Party), his activities have taken him from residence in London (he was a councillor in the London Borough of Lambeth
), to Lewes
in East Sussex
, Baldock
in Hertfordshire
and Worksop in Bassetlaw. He was chair of the National Organisation of Labour Students
from 1983-4.
Before entering Parliament he previously worked for the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union
as Head of Research and Education and as the National Training Officer at the TUC
National Education Centre in North London (now closed). Mann has also been a party employee and a trade union liaison officer. He was an ally of disgraced former Labour MP Phil Woolas
. Mann is a member of Unite
and GMB
, YHA, the British Mountaineering Council
, IPD
and the Co-operative Party
.
He married Joanna White in July 1986 in Leeds. They have two daughters and a son in their mid-teens and early 20s. He supports Leeds United.
, gathered written and oral evidence on antisemitism in Britain and published a report of their findings on 7 September 2006. The panel's recommendations included improved reporting and recording of antisemitic attacks; a crackdown on anti-Jewish activity on university campuses; and improved international co-operation to prevent the spread of racist material online. In May 2009 John Mann received the American Jewish Committee
's Jan Karski Award in recognition of his commitment to fighting antisemitism in all of its forms.
.
Mann is a trained economist having received a BA in economics at Manchester University.
, John Mann was the first Labour MP to call for Gordon Brown to resign after the 2010 General Election. He previously wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister demanding a number of changes to the Labour party structures.
Mann has continued to advocate similar policies, for instance in his Fabian Society
pamphlet 'The Real Deal: Drugs Policy that Works'.
calling for Salvia divinorum
to be banned in the UK.
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 Bassetlaw
Bassetlaw (UK Parliament constituency)
Bassetlaw is a parliamentary 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.-Boundaries:...
since 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...
, after the retirement of previous MP Joe Ashton
Joseph Ashton (politician)
Joseph William Ashton OBE , usually known as Joe Ashton, is a British Labour Party politician who was known for his defence of the rights of Labour Members of Parliament against the demands of the left-wing of the party to subject them to mandatory reselection.-Early career:Ashton was born and...
.
John Mann serves on the Treasury Select Committee
Treasury Committee
The House of Commons Treasury Committee is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
. Previously he has been 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 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...
and Richard Caborn
Richard Caborn
Richard George Caborn PC is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Central from 1983 to 2010...
.
Early life
Mann is the son of James (Jim) and Brenda Mann. He attended Waterloo Infants school, PudseyPudsey
Pudsey is a market town in West Yorkshire, England. Once an independent town, it was incorporated into the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds in 1974, and is located midway between Bradford and Leeds city centres. It has a population of 32,391....
, West Yorkshire (now a suburb of Leeds
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...
) from 1965-67. He then attended Pudsey Waterloo Junior school from 1967-71. He went to the independent Bradford Grammar School
Bradford Grammar School
Bradford Grammar School is a co-educational, independent school in Frizinghall, Bradford, West Yorkshire. Headmaster, Stephen Davidson is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference . The school was founded in 1548 and granted its Charter by King Charles II in 1662...
(via a scholarship). Mann has a degree in Economics from Manchester University and Diploma in Training Management. Active in the Labour Party from his youth (Pudsey South Labour Party), his activities have taken him from residence in London (he was a councillor in the London Borough of Lambeth
London Borough of Lambeth
The London Borough of Lambeth is a London borough in south London, England and forms part of Inner London. The local authority is Lambeth London Borough Council.-Origins:...
), to Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
in East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, Baldock
Baldock
Baldock is a historic market town in the local government district of North Hertfordshire in the ceremonial county of Hertfordshire, England where the River Ivel rises. It lies north of London, southeast of Bedford, and north northwest of the county town of Hertford...
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...
and Worksop in Bassetlaw. He was chair of the National Organisation of Labour Students
Labour Students
Labour Students is a student organisation affiliated to the British Labour Party.Membership comprises affiliated college and university clubs . Membership of Labour Students is through membership of a university or college Labour Club. Affiliation is open to any Labour Club generally supportive of...
from 1983-4.
Before entering Parliament he previously worked for the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union
Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union
The Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union was a British trade union. It merged with the MSF to form Amicus in 2001.The history of the union can be traced back to the formation of the "Old Mechanics" of 1826, which grew into the Amalgamated Society of Engineers in 1851...
as Head of Research and Education and as the National Training Officer at the TUC
Trades Union Congress
The Trades Union Congress is a national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions in the United Kingdom, representing the majority of trade unions...
National Education Centre in North London (now closed). Mann has also been a party employee and a trade union liaison officer. He was an ally of disgraced former Labour MP Phil Woolas
Phil Woolas
Philip James Woolas was a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Oldham East and Saddleworth from his election in 1997 to 2010. He was the Minister of State for Borders and Immigration in the Home Office, as well as being the Minister of State for the Treasury...
. Mann is a member of Unite
Unite
- Labor unions :*Unite the Union, a British and Irish trade union, formed by the merger of Amicus and T&G*Unite Union, a trade union in New Zealand*Unite Union , a trade union in Australia...
and GMB
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...
, YHA, the British Mountaineering Council
British Mountaineering Council
The British Mountaineering Council is the national representative body for England and Wales that exists to protect the freedoms and promote the interests of climbers, hill walkers and mountaineers, including ski-mountaineers...
, IPD
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development is Europe's largest professional institute for people management and development. It is located in Wimbledon, London, England. The organisation has over 135,000 members across 120 countries, and achieved chartered status in 2000...
and the Co-operative Party
Co-operative Party
The Co-operative Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom committed to supporting and representing co-operative principles. The party does not put up separate candidates for any UK election itself. Instead, Co-operative candidates stand jointly with the Labour Party as "Labour...
.
He married Joanna White in July 1986 in Leeds. They have two daughters and a son in their mid-teens and early 20s. He supports Leeds United.
Organising to Win
John Mann is a proactive campaigner in his constituency Bassetlaw and an advocate of using such strategies elsewhere . He has organised numerous campaigns in his constituency, examples of which include campaigning to save Bassetlaw Hospital Accident and Emergency Department, helping former coal miners fight double charging solicitors to get their compensation back , and fighting Bassetlaw District Council's policy of 'topple testing' headstones in local cemeteries . Mann keeps a weekly column in the Worksop Guardian and - along with other local figures - writes occasional pieces for the Retford Times.Combating Antisemitism
John Mann chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group against Antisemitism. The Group commissioned the All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Antisemitism in 2005. The inquiry panel, chaired by former Europe Minister Denis MacShaneDenis MacShane
Denis MacShane is a British politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Rotherham since the 1994 by-election and served as the Minister for Europe from 2002 until 2005, as well as being a current Policy Council member for Labour Friends of Israel.On 14 October 2010, it was announced...
, gathered written and oral evidence on antisemitism in Britain and published a report of their findings on 7 September 2006. The panel's recommendations included improved reporting and recording of antisemitic attacks; a crackdown on anti-Jewish activity on university campuses; and improved international co-operation to prevent the spread of racist material online. In May 2009 John Mann received the American Jewish Committee
American Jewish Committee
The American Jewish Committee was "founded in 1906 with the aim of rallying all sections of American Jewry to defend the rights of Jews all over the world...
's Jan Karski Award in recognition of his commitment to fighting antisemitism in all of its forms.
Treasury Select Committee
John Mann has been on the Treasury Select Committee twice, 2003–2005, and 2009–present, during which he has raised issues around debt, financial misselling (with particular reference to Credit Cards) and claims handlers.. Some commentators have noted Mann's reputation for asking brusque questions, particularly of senior bank executives and George OsborneGeorge Osborne
George Gideon Oliver Osborne, MP is a British Conservative politician. He is the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, a role to which he was appointed in May 2010, and has been the Member of Parliament for Tatton since 2001.Osborne is part of the old Anglo-Irish aristocracy, known in...
.
Mann is a trained economist having received a BA in economics at Manchester University.
Critic of Brown
A critic of Prime Minister Gordon BrownGordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
, John Mann was the first Labour MP to call for Gordon Brown to resign after the 2010 General Election. He previously wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister demanding a number of changes to the Labour party structures.
Heroin
One of Mann's earliest campaigns in his constituency was his inquiry against heroin use in the area. In September 2002, Mann called for more treatment for heroin users in North Nottinghamshire. The inquiry he instigated called for heroin addicts to be given the choice between treatment or jail. At the same time more local GPs were trained to help heroin addicts get their lives back under control. Following the reforms the number of addicts in treatment in Bassetlaw rose from 2 to 400, and acquisitive crime fell by 75% .Mann has continued to advocate similar policies, for instance in his Fabian Society
Fabian Society
The Fabian Society is a British socialist movement, whose purpose is to advance the principles of democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist, rather than revolutionary, means. It is best known for its initial ground-breaking work beginning late in the 19th century and continuing up to World...
pamphlet 'The Real Deal: Drugs Policy that Works'.
Legal Highs
Following a local newspaper story in October 2005, John Mann raised an Early Day MotionEarly 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 Salvia divinorum
Salvia divinorum
Salvia divinorum is a psychoactive plant which can induce dissociative effects and is a potent producer of "visions" and other hallucinatory experiences...
to be banned in the UK.
External links
- John Mann MP official site
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: John Mann MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - John Mann MP
- - Parliamentary Committee Against Antisemitism
- Voices on Antisemitism Interview with John Mann from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial MuseumUnited States Holocaust Memorial MuseumThe United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is the United States' official memorial to the Holocaust. Adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the USHMM provides for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history...
- - Comment in the Guardian 'When language becomes an actor'
- BBC Politics page