Michael Carr (Lib Dem politician)
Encyclopedia
Michael Carr is a British
teacher, lecturer and politician for the Liberal Democrats. Originally a teacher, Carr became active in politics as a Conservative
councillor before joining the Social Democratic Party
. After two unsuccessful general election candidacies, Carr won a sensational by-election victory in 1991 to become the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ribble Valley
. His victory was short-lived as he lost the seat in the general election that followed a year later, and he twice failed to regain it.
. He was educated at St Josephs College, Blackpool
, and the Catholic College, Preston. After a year as an engineering apprentice, Carr became a local government administrative officer in 1964. He left this job four years later to work as a partner in the family newsagents.
. Later he obtained a Diploma in Special Educational Needs at the Bradford and Ilkley Community College. His first teaching jobs were as a geography teacher at Brookside secondary school and Stainsby School in Middlesbrough
, and in 1975 he was appointed head of geography at St Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic High School in Darwen
, Lancashire. He moved in 1982 to be head of general studies at Blackthorn County Secondary School in Bacup
where he remained for five years. He joined the Lancashire County Council
School Support Team dealing with disruptive behaviour in 1988.
Carr joined the National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers in 1975, and served as Rossendale district NAS/UWT secretary from 1984 to 1987. He was press officer for the Lancashire federation of the NAS/UWT from 1984 to 1987 and from 1988 to 1990.
Brought up a Roman Catholic, Carr later converted to Anglicanism
. He married, but after the birth of his son his wife died of cancer in 1979. Carr remarried in 1980 and had four sons and two daughters with his second wife who was the daughter of a farmer from East Anglia.
, Carr was a member of Sabden Parish Council from 1976 to 1978, and from 1979 to 1983. He was elected as a Conservative representing Sabden on Ribble Valley
borough council in 1979. He left the Conservatives and joined the Social Democratic Party
when the party was founded in 1981, motivated mainly by the Conservative council's lack of interest in providing cheap rural housing. He was not re-elected as a councillor in 1983. Carr was SDP candidate for Ribble Valley
at the 1983 general election
, polling 23% of the vote to take second place. He fought the seat again in 1987, with his share of the vote falling slightly to 21.4%. After the election Carr supported the merger of the SDP with the Liberal Party, and he joined the Liberal Democrats on their formation.
as Leader of the House of Lords
. This action vacated his seat and brought about a by-election
for a new MP which was held in early 1991. Carr was selected as Liberal Democrat candidate, and benefited from a campaign run by the same team which had won the Eastbourne by-election
four months before. Carr highlighted his local roots in contrast with the Conservative candidate who came from Swansea; one Liberal Democrat leaflet contained 26 mentions of the fact that Carr was local.
During the by-election Carr said that he found that the issue which most animated voters was the Community Charge
or Poll Tax, which the Major government were reviewing with a view to replacing but which was still being levied. He admitted that under the alternative local income tax system favoured by his party, a rate of 5.6% would be needed for Ribble Valley, meaning a bill of £550-£600 for each taxpayer which was significantly more than the Community Charge level.
heckled "Don't take your coat off, you'll not be stopping!". It was reported at the end of April that the local Liberal Democrats had asked to rent a venue for Carr to hold his constituency surgeries for no more than six months, rather than the three years offered.
Admitting he was breaking with tradition, Carr made his maiden speech the day after taking his seat because there was a Labour initiated debate on abolition of the Poll Tax. He reported some of the conversations he had had on the campaign trail, and then outlined the case for a local income tax. He used his professional knowledge to speak on teacher's pay, which was being reformed at the time he entered Parliament; in June 1991 he welcomed the appointment of an independent body to decide pay levels, explaining that morale in the profession was low because of previous government decisions.
Before arriving in Westminster to take his seat, Carr had made contact with nearby Conservative MP Ken Hargreaves
who was an organiser of the anti-abortion
campaign in Parliament, to offer his help. In December 1991 he presented a petition from Roman Catholic churches in his constituency opposing the use of abortifacient drug RU486
. He was called at Prime Minister's Questions
on 4 February 1992, and asked about a constituent who was told to wait 14 months for a hip replacement but offered the chance to pay to have the operation done privately without delay.
. He told the press that he saw no sign of movement away from him, commenting that local small businesses were still "clobbered by the uniform business rate and by a deep recession made worse by government policies". On polling day, Carr was defeated by Nigel Evans
, who beat him by 6,542 votes. After his defeat he went back to teaching but was initially only able to find positions as a supply teacher. He fought the Ribble Valley seat at the 1997 election
and was defeated again. After the election Carr (who was in the process of divorcing) said that he would now put his political ambitions on hold and spend more time looking after his children. Carr was persuaded to return and was a candidate there in the 2001 election
, coming second again.
borough council in Greensclough ward in the 2004 local election
, losing by 40 votes. He was selected to fight a council by-election in Longholme ward in autumn 2004 but his nomination papers were not submitted in time. Living in Weir
, he called on Rossendale
borough council to fence off a "deathtrap" building site where local children had been seen playing. At the 2005 general election
he came third with 6,670 votes.
In autumn 2005 Carr was Liberal Democrat candidate in a Rossendale council by-election in Hareholme ward, coming in third place as Labour gained the seat from the Conservatives. A further attempt to win Greensclough ward in the 2006 local elections
produced a greater defeat, and when he fought in 2007
he finished in third place with 23% of the vote. He was bottom of the poll in the 2008 contest
in the ward. Since 2006 Carr has been helping Bacup Borough Football Club
as a part-time promotions manager. In August 2010, Carr wrote to the local newspaper, noting that "I am seldom tempted these days to air my views via letters to papers". He criticised hypocrisy and tribalism in the Labour Party.
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...
teacher, lecturer and politician for the Liberal Democrats. Originally a teacher, Carr became active in politics as a 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...
councillor before joining the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
. After two unsuccessful general election candidacies, Carr won a sensational by-election victory in 1991 to become the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ribble Valley
Ribble Valley (UK Parliament constituency)
Ribble Valley 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....
. His victory was short-lived as he lost the seat in the general election that followed a year later, and he twice failed to regain it.
Early life
Carr was born in Preston, and grew up in the Ribble Valley village of SabdenSabden
Sabden is a village and civil parish in Ribble Valley, and the Forest of Pendle, Lancashire.-Location:Sabden is located south of Pendle Hill, in a valley about north-west of Padiham.-Demographics:In the 2001 census, Sabden had a population of 1,371....
. He was educated at St Josephs College, Blackpool
St. Mary's Catholic College (Blackpool)
St. Mary's Catholic College is a school in Layton, Blackpool, Lancashire. The school is a specialist Mathematics and Computing College.With over 1800 pupils, it is the largest Roman Catholic secondary school in Lancashire. The school is on the site of the former Convent of the Holy Child Jesus , on...
, and the Catholic College, Preston. After a year as an engineering apprentice, Carr became a local government administrative officer in 1964. He left this job four years later to work as a partner in the family newsagents.
Career
In 1970 Carr decided on a change of career and embarked on a course at the Margaret McMillan Memorial College of Education in Bradford from where he obtained a Certificate in EducationCertificate in Education
The Certificate in Education is a professional qualification for teachers in the United Kingdom. There have been two incarnations of the Cert Ed over the years.-New Cert Ed:...
. Later he obtained a Diploma in Special Educational Needs at the Bradford and Ilkley Community College. His first teaching jobs were as a geography teacher at Brookside secondary school and Stainsby School in Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
, and in 1975 he was appointed head of geography at St Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic High School in Darwen
Darwen
Darwen is a market town and civil parish located within Lancashire, England. Along with its northerly neighbour, Blackburn, it forms the Borough of Blackburn with Darwen — a unitary authority area...
, Lancashire. He moved in 1982 to be head of general studies at Blackthorn County Secondary School in Bacup
Bacup
Bacup is a town within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, England. It is located amongst the South Pennines, along Lancashire's eastern boundary with West Yorkshire. The town sits within a rural setting in the Forest of Rossendale, amongst the steep-sided upper-Irwell Valley, through which the...
where he remained for five years. He joined the Lancashire County Council
Lancashire County Council
Lancashire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. It currently consists of 84 councillors, and is controlled by the Conservative Party, who won control of the council in the local council elections in June 2009, ending 28 years of...
School Support Team dealing with disruptive behaviour in 1988.
Carr joined the National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers in 1975, and served as Rossendale district NAS/UWT secretary from 1984 to 1987. He was press officer for the Lancashire federation of the NAS/UWT from 1984 to 1987 and from 1988 to 1990.
Brought up a Roman Catholic, Carr later converted to Anglicanism
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. He married, but after the birth of his son his wife died of cancer in 1979. Carr remarried in 1980 and had four sons and two daughters with his second wife who was the daughter of a farmer from East Anglia.
Politics
Initially a member of the Conservative PartyConservative 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...
, Carr was a member of Sabden Parish Council from 1976 to 1978, and from 1979 to 1983. He was elected as a Conservative representing Sabden on Ribble Valley
Ribble Valley
Ribble Valley is a local government district with borough status within the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Clitheroe. Other places include Whalley, Longridge and Ribchester. The area is so called due to the River Ribble which flows in its final stages...
borough council in 1979. He left the Conservatives and joined the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
when the party was founded in 1981, motivated mainly by the Conservative council's lack of interest in providing cheap rural housing. He was not re-elected as a councillor in 1983. Carr was SDP candidate for Ribble Valley
Ribble Valley (UK Parliament constituency)
Ribble Valley 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....
at the 1983 general election
United 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...
, polling 23% of the vote to take second place. He fought the seat again in 1987, with his share of the vote falling slightly to 21.4%. After the election Carr supported the merger of the SDP with the Liberal Party, and he joined the Liberal Democrats on their formation.
By-election
When John Major formed his government in November 1990, he appointed the sitting MP for Ribble Valley David WaddingtonDavid Waddington, Baron Waddington
David Charles Waddington, Baron Waddington, GCVO, DL, QC, PC , is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons from 1968 to 1990, and was then made a life peer...
as Leader of the House of Lords
Leader of the House of Lords
The Leader of the House of Lords is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Lords. The role is always held in combination with a formal Cabinet position, usually one of the sinecure offices of Lord President of the Council,...
. This action vacated his seat and brought about a by-election
Ribble Valley by-election, 1991
The Ribble Valley by-election, in Lancashire, England, was called in 1991 following the elevation of United Kingdom MP David Waddington to the House of Lords....
for a new MP which was held in early 1991. Carr was selected as Liberal Democrat candidate, and benefited from a campaign run by the same team which had won the Eastbourne by-election
Eastbourne by-election, 1990
The Eastbourne by-election, 1990 was a by-election held on 18 October 1990 for the British House of Commons constituency of Eastbourne in East Sussex....
four months before. Carr highlighted his local roots in contrast with the Conservative candidate who came from Swansea; one Liberal Democrat leaflet contained 26 mentions of the fact that Carr was local.
During the by-election Carr said that he found that the issue which most animated voters was the Community Charge
Community Charge
The Community Charge, popularly known as the "poll tax", was a system of taxation introduced in replacement of the rates to part fund local government in Scotland from 1989, and England and Wales from 1990. It provided for a single flat-rate per-capita tax on every adult, at a rate set by the...
or Poll Tax, which the Major government were reviewing with a view to replacing but which was still being levied. He admitted that under the alternative local income tax system favoured by his party, a rate of 5.6% would be needed for Ribble Valley, meaning a bill of £550-£600 for each taxpayer which was significantly more than the Community Charge level.
Member of Parliament
With a majority of 4,601, Carr won the by-election and declared in his victory speech that "If ever there was any doubt of the issue that was going to settle this by-election there is no doubt now. When the poll tax is finally put to rest in the grave, its epitaph will read 'Here lies the poll tax, killed in Ribble Valley'." When he took his seat on 12 March, Labour MP Dennis SkinnerDennis Skinner
Dennis Edward Skinner is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Bolsover since 1970, the Chairman of the Labour Party from 1988 to 1989, and has sat on the National Executive Committee numerous times since 1978.Born in Clay Cross, Derbyshire, Skinner is the...
heckled "Don't take your coat off, you'll not be stopping!". It was reported at the end of April that the local Liberal Democrats had asked to rent a venue for Carr to hold his constituency surgeries for no more than six months, rather than the three years offered.
Admitting he was breaking with tradition, Carr made his maiden speech the day after taking his seat because there was a Labour initiated debate on abolition of the Poll Tax. He reported some of the conversations he had had on the campaign trail, and then outlined the case for a local income tax. He used his professional knowledge to speak on teacher's pay, which was being reformed at the time he entered Parliament; in June 1991 he welcomed the appointment of an independent body to decide pay levels, explaining that morale in the profession was low because of previous government decisions.
Before arriving in Westminster to take his seat, Carr had made contact with nearby Conservative MP Ken Hargreaves
Ken Hargreaves
Joseph Kenneth "Ken" Hargreaves MBE was the Conservative Member of Parliament for the Hyndburn constituency in Lancashire from 1983 to 1992...
who was an organiser of the anti-abortion
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
campaign in Parliament, to offer his help. In December 1991 he presented a petition from Roman Catholic churches in his constituency opposing the use of abortifacient drug RU486
Mifepristone
Mifepristone is a synthetic steroid compound used as a pharmaceutical. It is a progesterone receptor antagonist used as an abortifacient in the first months of pregnancy, and in smaller doses as an emergency contraceptive. During early trials, it was known as RU-38486 or simply RU-486, its...
. He was called at Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime minister's questions is a constitutional convention in the United Kingdom that takes place every Wednesday during which the prime minister spends half an hour answering questions from members of parliament...
on 4 February 1992, and asked about a constituent who was told to wait 14 months for a hip replacement but offered the chance to pay to have the operation done privately without delay.
Defeat
Carr faced a tough fight to retain his seat 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...
. He told the press that he saw no sign of movement away from him, commenting that local small businesses were still "clobbered by the uniform business rate and by a deep recession made worse by government policies". On polling day, Carr was defeated by Nigel Evans
Nigel Evans
Nigel Martin Evans is a British politician. Since 1992 he has been Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the Ribble Valley constituency. Since 2010 he has been First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means, a deputy speaker.-Career:...
, who beat him by 6,542 votes. After his defeat he went back to teaching but was initially only able to find positions as a supply teacher. He fought the Ribble Valley seat at the 1997 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...
and was defeated again. After the election Carr (who was in the process of divorcing) said that he would now put his political ambitions on hold and spend more time looking after his children. Carr was persuaded to return and was a candidate there in the 2001 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...
, coming second again.
Rossendale politics
Carr later became a college lecturer. In January 2004 he was selected as Liberal Democrat candidate for Rossendale and Darwen constituency. He stood for RossendaleRossendale
Rossendale is a local government district with borough status. It is made up of a number of small former mill towns in Lancashire, England centered around the valley of the River Irwell in the industrial North West...
borough council in Greensclough ward in the 2004 local election
Rossendale Council election, 2004
Elections to Rossendale Council were held on 10 June 2004. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party gained overall control of the council from no overall control.After the election, the composition of the council was*Conservative 25...
, losing by 40 votes. He was selected to fight a council by-election in Longholme ward in autumn 2004 but his nomination papers were not submitted in time. Living in Weir
Weir, Lancashire
Weir is an outlying area of Bacup in the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, England. Anciently, Weir constituted a hamlet, but underwent urbanisation and, later, suburbanisation to emerge as a residential suburb of Bacup town....
, he called on Rossendale
Rossendale
Rossendale is a local government district with borough status. It is made up of a number of small former mill towns in Lancashire, England centered around the valley of the River Irwell in the industrial North West...
borough council to fence off a "deathtrap" building site where local children had been seen playing. At 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....
he came third with 6,670 votes.
In autumn 2005 Carr was Liberal Democrat candidate in a Rossendale council by-election in Hareholme ward, coming in third place as Labour gained the seat from the Conservatives. A further attempt to win Greensclough ward in the 2006 local elections
Rossendale Council election, 2006
Elections to Rossendale Council were held on 4 May 2006. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.After the election, the composition of the council was*Conservative 25*Labour 9...
produced a greater defeat, and when he fought in 2007
Rossendale Council election, 2007
Elections to Rossendale Council were held on 3 May 2007. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.After the election, the composition of the council was*Conservative 22*Labour 12...
he finished in third place with 23% of the vote. He was bottom of the poll in the 2008 contest
Rossendale Council election, 2008
Elections to Rossendale Council were held on 1 May 2008. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party gained overall control of the council from no overall control...
in the ward. Since 2006 Carr has been helping Bacup Borough Football Club
Bacup Borough F.C.
Bacup Borough F.C. are an English football club based at West View in Bacup, Lancashire. They currently play in the North West Counties League Premier Division and are full members of the Lancashire County Football Association. They play at the The Brian Boys West View Stadium...
as a part-time promotions manager. In August 2010, Carr wrote to the local newspaper, noting that "I am seldom tempted these days to air my views via letters to papers". He criticised hypocrisy and tribalism in the Labour Party.