Tommy McAvoy
Encyclopedia
Thomas McLaughlin McAvoy, Baron McAvoy PC
(born 14 December 1943) is a British
Labour Co-operative
politician who was the Member of Parliament
for Rutherglen and Hamilton West
from 2005
to 2010, having previously been MP for Rutherglen
from 1987 to 2005. McAvoy was Deputy Chief Whip
of the Government, otherwise known as Treasurer of the Household
, from 2008 to 2010.
McAvoy worked as a storeman at the Hoover
factory in Cambuslang
, and was a shop steward for the Amalgamated Engineering Union
; following the succession of trade union mergers, he is now a member of Unite the Union
(Amicus
Section). McAvoy and his wife Eleanor have four sons.
In 1982, McAvoy was elected to Strathclyde Regional Council, and served until elected to Parliament in 1987 as the Labour Co-operative
member for Glasgow, Rutherglen
. From 2005 to 2010, he sat as the member for Rutherglen and Hamilton West
.
He was an opposition whip
from 1990 to 1993 and again from 1996 to 1997. According to The Guardian
: "...[his] personal crusades have been for peace in Northern Ireland and against abortion" (Andrew Roth
, The Guardian).
When the Labour Party came into government in 1997, McAvoy was appointed as Comptroller of HM Household
, the third highest position in the Government Whips' office. He retained the same job until 2008, becoming one of the longest serving Comptrollers in history. He was appointed to the Privy Council
in 2003. In October 2008, he was promoted to Treasurer of the Household
and Deputy Chief Whip.
McAvoy has achieved the rare feat among whips of remaining popular with Labour MPs. An early day motion
in July 2006 noted "the difficult task he has of securing government business whilst accommodating the parliamentary, political and personal requirements of 352 Labour colleagues" and congratulated him for "the respect he has earned from all sides of the House for his ability to perform these duties"; it was signed by 135 MPs.
On 20 February 2010, McAvoy announced that he would stand down at the next general election. The seat was retained by Labour with the election of Tom Greatrex
. On 22 June 2010, McAvoy was created a life peer
as Baron McAvoy, of Rutherglen in Lanarkshire, and was introduced
in the House of Lords
that day.
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(born 14 December 1943) is a British
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 Co-operative
Labour Co-operative
Labour and Co-operative describes those candidates in British elections standing on behalf of both the Labour Party and the Co-operative Party, based on a national agreement between the two parties....
politician who was 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,...
for Rutherglen and Hamilton West
Rutherglen and Hamilton West (UK Parliament constituency)
Rutherglen and Hamilton West is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which was first used in the general election of 2005...
from 2005
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....
to 2010, having previously been MP for Rutherglen
Rutherglen (UK Parliament constituency)
Rutherglen was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 2005...
from 1987 to 2005. McAvoy was Deputy Chief Whip
Chief Whip
The Chief Whip is a political office in some legislatures assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system that ensures that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires.-The Whips Office:...
of the Government, otherwise known as Treasurer of the Household
Treasurer of the Household
The position of Treasurer of the Household is theoretically held by a household official of the British monarch, under control of the Lord Steward's Department, but is, in fact, a political office held by one of the government's Deputy Chief Whips in the House of Commons...
, from 2008 to 2010.
McAvoy worked as a storeman at the Hoover
The Hoover Company
The Hoover Company started out as an American floor care manufacturer based in North Canton, Ohio. It also established a major base in the United Kingdom and for most of the early-and-mid-20th century, it dominated the electric vacuum cleaner industry, to the point where the "hoover" brand name...
factory in Cambuslang
Cambuslang
Cambuslang is a suburban town on the south-eastern outskirts of Glasgow, Scotland. It is within the local authority area of South Lanarkshire. Historically, it was a large rural Parish incorporating nearby hamlets of Newton, Flemington, and Halfway. It is known as "the largest village in...
, and was a shop steward for the Amalgamated Engineering 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...
; following the succession of trade union mergers, he is now a member of Unite the Union
Unite the Union
Unite – the Union, known as Unite, is a British and Irish trade union, formed on 1 May 2007, by the merger of Amicus and the Transport and General Workers' Union...
(Amicus
Amicus
Amicus was the United Kingdom's second-largest trade union, and the largest private sector union, formed by the merger of Manufacturing Science and Finance, the AEEU agreed in 2001, and two smaller unions, UNIFI and the GPMU...
Section). McAvoy and his wife Eleanor have four sons.
In 1982, McAvoy was elected to Strathclyde Regional Council, and served until elected to Parliament in 1987 as the Labour Co-operative
Labour Co-operative
Labour and Co-operative describes those candidates in British elections standing on behalf of both the Labour Party and the Co-operative Party, based on a national agreement between the two parties....
member for Glasgow, Rutherglen
Rutherglen (UK Parliament constituency)
Rutherglen was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 2005...
. From 2005 to 2010, he sat as the member for Rutherglen and Hamilton West
Rutherglen and Hamilton West (UK Parliament constituency)
Rutherglen and Hamilton West is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which was first used in the general election of 2005...
.
He was an opposition whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
from 1990 to 1993 and again from 1996 to 1997. According to The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
: "...[his] personal crusades have been for peace in Northern Ireland and against abortion" (Andrew Roth
Andrew Roth
Andrew Roth was a biographer and journalist known for his compilation of Parliamentary Profiles, a directory of British Members of Parliament, which is available online in The Guardian...
, The Guardian).
When the Labour Party came into government in 1997, McAvoy was appointed as Comptroller of HM Household
Comptroller of the Household
The Comptroller of the Household is an ancient position in the English royal household, currently the second-ranking member of the Lord Steward's department, and often a cabinet member. He was an ex officio member of the Board of Green Cloth, until that body was abolished in the reform of the local...
, the third highest position in the Government Whips' office. He retained the same job until 2008, becoming one of the longest serving Comptrollers in history. He was appointed to the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
in 2003. In October 2008, he was promoted to Treasurer of the Household
Treasurer of the Household
The position of Treasurer of the Household is theoretically held by a household official of the British monarch, under control of the Lord Steward's Department, but is, in fact, a political office held by one of the government's Deputy Chief Whips in the House of Commons...
and Deputy Chief Whip.
McAvoy has achieved the rare feat among whips of remaining popular with Labour MPs. An early day motion
Early 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...
in July 2006 noted "the difficult task he has of securing government business whilst accommodating the parliamentary, political and personal requirements of 352 Labour colleagues" and congratulated him for "the respect he has earned from all sides of the House for his ability to perform these duties"; it was signed by 135 MPs.
On 20 February 2010, McAvoy announced that he would stand down at the next general election. The seat was retained by Labour with the election of Tom Greatrex
Tom Greatrex
Thomas James Greatrex is a British Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Rutherglen and Hamilton West since 2010. He is presently Shadow Energy Minister.-Early life:Greatrex was born in Kent...
. On 22 June 2010, McAvoy was created a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baron McAvoy, of Rutherglen in Lanarkshire, and was introduced
Introduction (House of Lords)
Introduction is a ceremony in the House of Lords whereby new members are "introduced" to the existing membership. Introductions in the Lords are more elaborate than those in the House of Commons.-Origins:...
in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
that day.
External links
- Official Website
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Tommy McAvoy MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Tommy McAvoy MP
- BBC News Profile