Paul Keetch
Encyclopedia
Paul Stuart Keetch is an English Liberal Democrat politician who served as the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Hereford
from 1997 to 2010.
. Keetch was elected a Liberal
to Hereford City Council in 1983. He was a self-employed business consultant from 1979-1995. Since 1996, he has been a non-executive director of the London Computer Company.
at the 1997 general election
. He was the Liberal Democrat spokesman for Foreign Affairs from 1999-2001, and Defence
from October 1999 until the May 2005 general election
.
In July 2005, Keetch succeeded Sharon Bowles
MEP
as Chair of the Liberal International British Group
. He also sat on the Foreign Affairs Select Committee. He founded the Cider APPG
.
Keetch announced in December 2006 that he would step down at the 2010 general election. As with all other members, Keetch relinquished his rights as an MP when Parliament dissolved on 12 April 2010.
In 2007 the Liberal Democrats selected Sarah Carr as their candidate to replace Keetch for the revised Hereford and South Herefordshire constituency at the 2010 general election.
On 8 July 2007 he was taken seriously ill whilst travelling to the United States
on a Virgin Atlantic flight from Heathrow Airport. Onboard medics treated him as the pilot turned the aeroplane back to London, and he was admitted to London Chest Hospital
. The following day a spokesman described his condition as "stable", though the cause of his illness remained undetermined. Doctors eventually diagnosed him with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation
and fitted an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator
to combat any relapses, though his condition was described as a "one-off".
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 Hereford
Hereford (UK Parliament constituency)
Hereford was, until 2010, a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Since 1918, it had elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system....
from 1997 to 2010.
Early life
He went to Hereford High School for Boys (grammar school, since 1976 the comprehensive Aylestone School), then Hereford Sixth Form CollegeHereford Sixth Form College
Hereford Sixth Form College is a co-educational state funded sixth form college in Hereford, England.It offers some 40 subjects at A-Level and 10 at GCSE. It is on the A465 in Aylestone Hill, in the east of Hereford, opposite Wye Valley Nuffield Hospital and next to Hereford College of Arts and...
. Keetch was elected a Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
to Hereford City Council in 1983. He was a self-employed business consultant from 1979-1995. Since 1996, he has been a non-executive director of the London Computer Company.
Political career
Keetch was elected to be the MP for HerefordHereford (UK Parliament constituency)
Hereford was, until 2010, a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Since 1918, it had elected one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system....
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...
. He was the Liberal Democrat spokesman for Foreign Affairs from 1999-2001, and Defence
Defense (military)
Defense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...
from October 1999 until the May 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 July 2005, Keetch succeeded Sharon Bowles
Sharon Bowles
Sharon Margaret Bowles is a Liberal Democrat politician and Member of the European Parliament for the South East England region of the United Kingdom...
MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
as Chair of the Liberal International British Group
Liberal International British Group
The Liberal International British Group is a UK organisation which promotes the work of The Liberal International and assists with contacts between UK Liberal Democrats and worldwide Liberal movements...
. He also sat on the Foreign Affairs Select Committee. He founded the Cider APPG
All-Party Parliamentary Group
An all-party parliamentary group is a grouping in the UK parliament that is composed of politicians from all political parties.-All-party parliamentary groups:...
.
Keetch announced in December 2006 that he would step down at the 2010 general election. As with all other members, Keetch relinquished his rights as an MP when Parliament dissolved on 12 April 2010.
In 2007 the Liberal Democrats selected Sarah Carr as their candidate to replace Keetch for the revised Hereford and South Herefordshire constituency at the 2010 general election.
Personal life
He married Claire Elizabeth Baker on 21 December 1991 and together they have one son.On 8 July 2007 he was taken seriously ill whilst travelling to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on a Virgin Atlantic flight from Heathrow Airport. Onboard medics treated him as the pilot turned the aeroplane back to London, and he was admitted to London Chest Hospital
London Chest Hospital
The London Chest Hospital, located in Bethnal Green in London, adjacent to Victoria Park, is a hospital run by the Barts and the London NHS Trust. It was founded in 1848, and first opened in 1855....
. The following day a spokesman described his condition as "stable", though the cause of his illness remained undetermined. Doctors eventually diagnosed him with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation
Ventricular fibrillation
Ventricular fibrillation is a condition in which there is uncoordinated contraction of the cardiac muscle of the ventricles in the heart, making them quiver rather than contract properly. Ventricular fibrillation is a medical emergency and most commonly identified arrythmia in cardiac arrest...
and fitted an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator
An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator is a small battery-powered electrical impulse generator which is implanted in patients who are at risk of sudden cardiac death due to ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. The device is programmed to detect cardiac arrhythmia and correct it...
to combat any relapses, though his condition was described as a "one-off".
Further reading
- Welcoming a flood defence report in 2004
- Telegraph report of Paul Keetch being taken seriously ill whilst on a flight to the USA on 08th July 2007
- Hereford Times- Paul Keetch thanks wellwishers from his hospital bed on 13th July 2007
- Telegraph - MP Paul Keetch's 'affair' with SAS author's wife
- The Sun - MP who dares, grins
External links
- Paul Keetch MP official site
- Paul Keetch MP profile at the site of Liberal Democrats
- Hereford Liberal Democrats
- ePolitix.com - Paul Keetch
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Paul Keetch MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Paul Keetch MP
- The Public Whip - Paul Keetch
- BBC News - Paul Keetch profile 30 March 2006