Paul Goggins
Encyclopedia
Paul Gerard Goggins is a British
Labour Party
politician
, who has been the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Wythenshawe and Sale East since 1997
, and was a Minister of State
at the Northern Ireland Office
.
and was educated locally at St Bede's College
, before going on to study at the Roman Catholic seminary
Ushaw College
in Durham
(1971–1973). He went on to study at the Birmingham Polytechnic (now Birmingham City University
) where he received a Certificate in Residential Care of Children and Young People
in 1976. Later, he received a Certificate of Qualification in Social Work from the Manchester Polytechnic
in 1982.
He worked as a child care worker with the 'Liverpool Catholic Social Services' for a year in 1974, before becoming an officer in charge at the Wigan
Children's Home in 1976. He was appointed as project director for the NCH
Action for Children in Salford in 1984. He became the national director for Church Action on Poverty
, a national church-based campaigning organisation, in 1989 where he remained until his election to Westminster
.
for eight years in 1990. He was elected to the House of Commons at the 1997 general election
for the newly created Wythenshawe and Sale East seat vacated by the retirement of Alf Morris
, the former veteran Labour MP for Manchester Wythenshawe
. Goggins held the seat with a majority of 15,019 and has remained the MP there since. He made his maiden speech
on 20 May 1997.
He served on the social security
select committee from 1997 until he was appointed as the Parliamentary Private Secretary
(PPS) to Minister of State at the Department of Social Security John Denham in 1998, moving with Denham to the Department of Health
in 1999.
In 2000 he was appointed PPS to the Secretary of State for Education and Employment David Blunkett
, and he remained Blunketts's PPS following the 2001 General Election
in his new position as Home Secretary
. It is during this period that, according to Blunkett, Goggins was lumbered with the nickname 'Mrs Goggins'.
He was promoted to the government of Tony Blair
in 2003, where he was made the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office
with the role of prison
s and probation
minister. He became the parliamentary under Secretary for State with responsibility for the voluntary and community sector. He forged links with various community and voluntary sector organisations such as ARVAC The Association for Research in the Voluntary and Community Sector. In May 2006, he was appointed as a junior minister at the Northern Ireland Office
.
He is the co-founder of the All Party Parliamentary Friends of CAFOD
group and is Secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Group on poverty
.
and they have two sons (born 1980 and June 1985) and a daughter.
He is a season ticket
holder at Manchester City F.C.
A member of the Christian Socialist
Movement who has broadcast on the BBC Radio 4
Thought for the Day
slot on the Today programme
. In an interview on BBC Radio Five Live
in 2004 he claimed that his family was the inspiration for the Mrs. Goggins character in the Postman Pat
series. The Manchester Airport lies within his constituency boundaries.
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
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 Wythenshawe and Sale East since 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...
, and was a 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...
at the Northern Ireland Office
Northern Ireland Office
The Northern Ireland Office is a United Kingdom government department responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and is based in Northern Ireland at Stormont House.-Role:...
.
Early life
Paul Goggins was born in ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and was educated locally at St Bede's College
St Bede's College, Manchester
St Bede's College, Manchester is an independent Roman Catholic day school situated on Alexandra Road South in the Whalley Range area of the city, and is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
, before going on to study at the Roman Catholic seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
Ushaw College
Ushaw College
Ushaw College was a Roman Catholic seminary near Durham, England that closed in 2011. Ushaw was the principal seminary in the north of England for the training of Catholic priests.-History:...
in Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
(1971–1973). He went on to study at the Birmingham Polytechnic (now Birmingham City University
Birmingham City University
Birmingham City University is a British university in the city of Birmingham, England. It is the second largest of three universities in the city, the other two being the Aston University and University of Birmingham...
) where he received a Certificate in Residential Care of Children and Young People
Child welfare
Child protection is used to describe a set of usually government-run services designed to protect children and young people who are underage and to encourage family stability...
in 1976. Later, he received a Certificate of Qualification in Social Work from the Manchester Polytechnic
Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University is a university in North West England. Its headquarters and central campus is in the city of Manchester, but there are outlying facilities in the county of Cheshire. It is the third largest university in the United Kingdom in terms of student numbers, behind the...
in 1982.
He worked as a child care worker with the 'Liverpool Catholic Social Services' for a year in 1974, before becoming an officer in charge at the Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
Children's Home in 1976. He was appointed as project director for the NCH
NCH
Action for Children is a national children’s charity in the United Kingdom that supports and speaks out for the most vulnerable and neglected children, young people, families and their communities....
Action for Children in Salford in 1984. He became the national director for Church Action on Poverty
Church Action on Poverty
Church Action on Poverty is a UK-based national ecumenical Christian social justice charity, committed to tackling poverty in the United Kingdom. CAP works in partnership with churches and with people in poverty themselves to find solutions to poverty, locally, nationally and globally.CAP was...
, a national church-based campaigning organisation, in 1989 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...
.
Political career
He was elected as a councillor in the City of SalfordCity of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
for eight years in 1990. He was elected to the House of Commons 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...
for the newly created Wythenshawe and Sale East seat vacated by the retirement of Alf Morris
Alf Morris
Alfred Morris, Baron Morris of Manchester, AO, QSO, PC is a British Labour Co-operative politician and disability campaigner.-Political career:Morris served as Member of Parliament for Manchester Wythenshawe from 1964 until 1997...
, the former veteran Labour MP for Manchester Wythenshawe
Manchester Wythenshawe (UK Parliament constituency)
Manchester Wythenshawe was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Wythenshawe suburb of Manchester. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
. Goggins held the seat with a majority of 15,019 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...
on 20 May 1997.
He served on the social security
Department of Social Security
The Department of Social Security is the name of a defunct governmental agency in the United Kingdom.The DSS replaced the older Department of Health and Social Security, from 1988 until 2001, when it was itself largely replaced as a department of the Government of the United Kingdom by the...
select committee from 1997 until he was appointed as the 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 Minister of State at the Department of Social Security John Denham in 1998, moving with Denham to the Department of Health
Department of Health (United Kingdom)
The Department of Health is a department of the United Kingdom government with responsibility for government policy for health and social care matters and for the National Health Service in England along with a few elements of the same matters which are not otherwise devolved to the Scottish,...
in 1999.
In 2000 he was appointed PPS to the Secretary of State for Education and Employment David Blunkett
David Blunkett
David Blunkett is a British Labour Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, having represented Sheffield Brightside from 1987 to 2010...
, and he remained Blunketts's PPS following 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...
in his new position as Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
. It is during this period that, according to Blunkett, Goggins was lumbered with the nickname 'Mrs Goggins'.
He was promoted to the government of 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...
in 2003, where he was made the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
with the role of prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
s and probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
minister. He became the parliamentary under Secretary for State with responsibility for the voluntary and community sector. He forged links with various community and voluntary sector organisations such as ARVAC The Association for Research in the Voluntary and Community Sector. In May 2006, he was appointed as a junior minister at the Northern Ireland Office
Northern Ireland Office
The Northern Ireland Office is a United Kingdom government department responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and is based in Northern Ireland at Stormont House.-Role:...
.
He is the co-founder of the All Party Parliamentary Friends of CAFOD
CAFOD
The Catholic Agency For Overseas Development, previously known as the Catholic Fund for Overseas Development, is a United Kingdom-based international aid agency working to alleviate poverty and suffering in developing. It is funded by the Catholic community in England and Wales, the UK government...
group and is Secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Group on poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
.
Personal life
He married Wyn Bartley in 1977 in CrosbyCrosby, Merseyside
Crosby is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. Historically part of Lancashire it is situated north of Bootle, south of Southport, Formby and west of Netherton-History:...
and they have two sons (born 1980 and June 1985) and a daughter.
He is a season ticket
Season ticket
A season ticket is a ticket that grants privileges over a defined period of time.-Sport:In sport, a season ticket grants the holder access to all regular-season home games for one season without additional charges. The ticket usually offers a discounted price over purchasing a ticket for each of...
holder at Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
A member of the Christian Socialist
Christian socialism
Christian socialism generally refers to those on the Christian left whose politics are both Christian and socialist and who see these two philosophies as being interrelated. This category can include Liberation theology and the doctrine of the social gospel...
Movement who has broadcast on the BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
Thought for the Day
Thought for the Day
Thought for the Day is a daily scripted slot on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 offering "reflections from a faith perspective on issues and people in the news", broadcast at around 7.45 each Monday to Saturday morning...
slot on the Today programme
Today programme
Today is BBC Radio 4's long-running early morning news and current affairs programme, now broadcast from 6.00 am to 9.00 am Monday to Friday, and 7.00 am to 9.00 am on Saturdays. It is also the most popular programme on Radio 4 and one of the BBC's most popular programmes across its radio networks...
. In an interview on BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
in 2004 he claimed that his family was the inspiration for the Mrs. Goggins character in the Postman Pat
Postman Pat
Postman Pat is a British stop-motion animated children's television series first produced by Woodland Animations. It is aimed at pre-school children, and concerns the adventures of Pat Clifton, a postman in the fictional village of Greendale .Postman Pat's first 13-episode season was screened on...
series. The Manchester Airport lies within his constituency boundaries.
External links
News items
- Ending 50% remission of offenders in Northern Ireland in September 2007
- Revealing Northern Ireland drinks the most fizzy drinks per capita in the UK in June 2006
- Discussing Racial Hatred Bill in January 2006
- Launching North West Faith Forum in January 2006
- Making Magic Mushrooms illegal in July 2005
Audio clips
- Women's Parliamentary Radio Short podcast on Paul Goggins' Get Well UK pilot project