Tom Levitt
Encyclopedia
Tom Levitt is a British
Labour Party
politician, and was the longest-serving Labour Member of Parliament
(MP) for High Peak
, from 1997
to 2010.
in 1954, Levitt grew up in Leek
, Staffordshire
. He was one of the first intake of boys when a girls' grammar school became comprehensive Westwood High
. He is a Biology
graduate from Lancaster University
and has a teaching qualification from Oxford University.
As a consultant on disabled access to services and information (1993–97), Levitt wrote three books: Sound Policies, Sound Practice and Clear Access. These deal with the way local authorities provide services for people with hearing and visual impairments. Levitt also worked as a successful Deaf Awareness trainer.
Since leaving Parliament in May 2010, he has established himself as a writer and consultant on business/charity partnerships.
after 14 years service at all levels of local government, including Derbyshire County Council. He was for a year a vice chair of Education. He was also a member of the management committee of High Peak Citizens Advice Bureau. As one of the few MPs with a qualification in British Sign Language
, Levitt was an elected Trustee of the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) from 1998 to 2003. He chaired the Community Development Foundation from 2004 to 2010.
From 1997 to 2003 Levitt was on the Standards & Privileges Committee
, responsible for monitoring standards of MPs’ professional conduct. In 2004 he sat on the Scrutiny Committee for the Draft Disability Bill.
Following his election he held various junior positions. He was Parliamentary Private Secretary
to Barbara Roche
MP (1999–2003), first in the Home Office
and then in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Following this he was the Parliamentary Private Secretary
to Hilary Benn
, the Secretary of State for International Development
, from 2003–2007. He was a member of the Work and Pensions Committee
from 2007 and assistant to the Regional Minister for the East Midlands.
Levitt is known to be in favour of the Longdendale Bypass
, which would run through the north of his former constituency. In November 2009 Levitt told the Labour Party that he would not be a candidate at the 2010 general election.
Levitt is a patron of the charity READ International
.
Mr Levitt spent £8,013 on a new bathroom in his London flat; however, only £6,335 of this was paid because he had exceeded the maximum spend. This was in addition to an initial claim of £5,281 for renovation work on his London flat. Mr Levitt has said that he believed he had been ‘moderate’ in his claims for accommodation in London.
In 2007 it had been revealed that Mr Levitt had, of all MPs, claimed the eighth highest total expenses—£168,660 in 2006–2007, an increase of £29,103 on the previous year. Despite the adverse reaction in the local press, in following years Levitt's expenses remained at the same level, with £164,620 claimed in 2007–2008, and £168,318 claimed in 2008–2009.
since 1991. He is married to Teresa Levitt and the couple have three grown-up children. He is a keen cricket fan, enjoys skiing and swims regularly. He also enjoys going to the theatre and walking.
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, and was the longest-serving Labour 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 High Peak
High Peak (UK Parliament constituency)
- Elections in the 2000s :- Elections in the 1990s :- Elections in the 1980s :-Elections in the 1970s:-Elections in the 1960s:...
, 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 2010.
Early life
Although born in CreweCrewe
Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
in 1954, Levitt grew up in Leek
Leek, Staffordshire
Leek is a market town in the county of Staffordshire, England, on the River Churnet. It is an ancient borough and was granted its royal charter in 1214.It is the administrative centre for the Staffordshire Moorlands District Council...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
. He was one of the first intake of boys when a girls' grammar school became comprehensive Westwood High
Westwood College (Leek)
Westwood College, formerly known as Westwood High School is a state school for 13–19 year-olds in Leek, Staffordshire. Westwood is a Specialist School run by Staffordshire County Council, specialising in both Modern Languages and Visual Arts. It is set in the grounds of an old manor house built in...
. He is a Biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
graduate from Lancaster University
Lancaster University
Lancaster University, officially The University of Lancaster, is a leading research-intensive British university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established by Royal Charter in 1964 and initially based in St Leonard's Gate until moving to a purpose-built 300 acre campus at...
and has a teaching qualification from Oxford University.
Profession
Levitt taught in comprehensive schools and also in further education. He is the author of a textbook on intertidal ecology.As a consultant on disabled access to services and information (1993–97), Levitt wrote three books: Sound Policies, Sound Practice and Clear Access. These deal with the way local authorities provide services for people with hearing and visual impairments. Levitt also worked as a successful Deaf Awareness trainer.
Since leaving Parliament in May 2010, he has established himself as a writer and consultant on business/charity partnerships.
Political career
Levitt was first elected to the House of Commons at the 1997 general electionUnited 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...
after 14 years service at all levels of local government, including Derbyshire County Council. He was for a year a vice chair of Education. He was also a member of the management committee of High Peak Citizens Advice Bureau. As one of the few MPs with a qualification in British Sign Language
British Sign Language
British Sign Language is the sign language used in the United Kingdom , and is the first or preferred language of some deaf people in the UK; there are 125,000 deaf adults in the UK who use BSL plus an estimated 20,000 children. The language makes use of space and involves movement of the hands,...
, Levitt was an elected Trustee of the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) from 1998 to 2003. He chaired the Community Development Foundation from 2004 to 2010.
From 1997 to 2003 Levitt was on the Standards & Privileges Committee
Committee on Standards and Privileges
The Standards and Privileges Committee of the United Kingdom House of Commons was established in 1995 to replace the earlier Committee of Privileges...
, responsible for monitoring standards of MPs’ professional conduct. In 2004 he sat on the Scrutiny Committee for the Draft Disability Bill.
Following his election he held various junior positions. He was 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...
to Barbara Roche
Barbara Roche
Barbara Maureen Roche is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Hornsey and Wood Green from 1992 until 2005, when she lost the seat, despite having previously enjoyed a majority of over 10,500.During her time in Government, she held several ministerial offices;...
MP (1999–2003), first in 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,...
and then in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Following this he was 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...
to Hilary Benn
Hilary Benn
Hilary James Wedgwood Benn is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Leeds Central since 1999. He served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for International Development from 2003 to 2007 and as the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs...
, the Secretary of State for International Development
Secretary of State for International Development
In the United Kingdom, the Secretary of State for International Development is a Cabinet minister responsible for the Department for International Development and for promoting development overseas, particularly in the third world...
, from 2003–2007. He was a member of the Work and Pensions Committee
Work and Pensions Committee
The Work and Pensions Select Committee is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The remit of the Committee is to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for Work and Pensions and its associated public bodies.-Membership:As...
from 2007 and assistant to the Regional Minister for the East Midlands.
Levitt is known to be in favour of the Longdendale Bypass
Longdendale Bypass
The Longdendale Bypass was a controversial road scheme in England by the Highways Agency. The aim was to alleviate traffic congestion on the A57 road/A628 road/A616 road routes that presently pass through the villages...
, which would run through the north of his former constituency. In November 2009 Levitt told the Labour Party that he would not be a candidate at the 2010 general election.
Levitt is a patron of the charity READ International
READ International
READ International is a charity that aims to improve access to education in East Africa by collecting school textbooks and children’s literature from primary and secondary schools throughout the UK, sorting through the books and sending the most relevant, up-to-date, and high quality ones to...
.
Expenses
During the furore over MPs' expenses in 2009, it was revealed Levitt had submitted a £16.50 claim in 2006 for a memorial wreath. Mr Levitt said the claim had been submitted by accident by a member of staff and that the claim had been rejected.Mr Levitt spent £8,013 on a new bathroom in his London flat; however, only £6,335 of this was paid because he had exceeded the maximum spend. This was in addition to an initial claim of £5,281 for renovation work on his London flat. Mr Levitt has said that he believed he had been ‘moderate’ in his claims for accommodation in London.
In 2007 it had been revealed that Mr Levitt had, of all MPs, claimed the eighth highest total expenses—£168,660 in 2006–2007, an increase of £29,103 on the previous year. Despite the adverse reaction in the local press, in following years Levitt's expenses remained at the same level, with £164,620 claimed in 2007–2008, and £168,318 claimed in 2008–2009.
Personal life
Levitt has lived in BuxtonBuxton
Buxton is a spa town in Derbyshire, England. It has the highest elevation of any market town in England. Located close to the county boundary with Cheshire to the west and Staffordshire to the south, Buxton is described as "the gateway to the Peak District National Park"...
since 1991. He is married to Teresa Levitt and the couple have three grown-up children. He is a keen cricket fan, enjoys skiing and swims regularly. He also enjoys going to the theatre and walking.