Tony Mulhearn
Encyclopedia
Anthony Mulhearn is a British
political campaigner known for being a prominent member of the Socialist Party
and its predecessor, the Militant tendency
. A native of Liverpool
, Mulhearn was a member of the city council from 1984 to 1987 and also held the key role of President of the District Labour Party during this time.
before working variously as a baker, tailor, trainee ship steward, apprentice cabinet maker, apprentice printer, printer, Ford worker, taxi driver and part-time lecturer. Joining the Labour Party
in 1963, he fought Crosby
as the Labour candidate in the 1979 general election
.
, although due to boundary changes the constituency was abolished before the next general election
. Mulhearn was elected to Liverpool city council in May 1984 from St Mary's ward.
Mulhearn was a leading member of the controlling group on the city council, and in 1985 played a key role in the budgeting crisis which affected the council. He led the council delegation negotiating with the unions representing council staff when the council, running out of money, decided to issue redundancy notices to its entire workforce in September 1985. Mulhearn insisted that the council would succeed in getting extra funds from the Government, making the notices unnecessary; he also said that Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock
had been speaking "from a position of profound ignorance" when he condemned the move. Shortly afterward Mulhearn stood for the Labour candidacy in Knowsley North
, attempting to deselect sitting MP Robert Kilroy-Silk
.
In 1986, Mulhearn was expelled from the Labour Party following a series of hearings which the party had begun into the involvement of Militant tendency
supporters. He remained a councillor until March 1987, when the House of Lords
rejected the appeals of 47 Liverpool councillors against the district auditor's finding of 'wilful misconduct' in the council's delayed setting of its budget
in 1985.
) a history of the time when supporters of Militant were leading the council, published as "Liverpool: a city that dared to fight" in 1988. He worked as a taxi
driver from 1991 to 2001, and also studied part-time at Liverpool John Moores University
for a combined Social Sciences degree (including history, economics and politics). In 1996 he passed with first class honours for his dissertation (on Leon Trotsky
), and was given the prize for "most meritorious mature student".
He is currently an IT support co-ordinator for the Department for Work and Pensions
in Warrington
, while remaining active in politics as a member of Militant's successor the Socialist Party
and a member of the Campaign for a New Workers' 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...
political campaigner known for being a prominent member of the Socialist Party
Socialist Party (England and Wales)
The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today...
and its predecessor, the Militant tendency
Militant Tendency
The Militant tendency was an entrist group within the British Labour Party based around the Militant newspaper that was first published in 1964...
. A native of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Mulhearn was a member of the city council from 1984 to 1987 and also held the key role of President of the District Labour Party during this time.
Early life
Mulhearn was brought up in the Leeds Road and Fontenoy Road area of Everton, and went to a Secondary Modern schoolSecondary modern school
A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed in most of the United Kingdom from 1944 until the early 1970s, under the Tripartite System, and was designed for the majority of pupils - those who do not achieve scores in the top 25% of the eleven plus examination...
before working variously as a baker, tailor, trainee ship steward, apprentice cabinet maker, apprentice printer, printer, Ford worker, taxi driver and part-time lecturer. Joining the 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...
in 1963, he fought Crosby
Crosby (UK Parliament constituency)
Crosby was a constituency in Merseyside, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 until 2010. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
as the Labour candidate in the 1979 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
.
Municipal affairs
His involvement with municipal affairs began in March 1980 when Mulhearn became President of the Liverpool District Labour Party, a body which was responsible for overseeing the activities of Labour councillors on Liverpool city council. In June 1981 he was selected as Labour Party candidate for Liverpool ToxtethLiverpool Toxteth (UK Parliament constituency)
Liverpool Toxteth was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
, although due to boundary changes the constituency was abolished before the next 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...
. Mulhearn was elected to Liverpool city council in May 1984 from St Mary's ward.
Mulhearn was a leading member of the controlling group on the city council, and in 1985 played a key role in the budgeting crisis which affected the council. He led the council delegation negotiating with the unions representing council staff when the council, running out of money, decided to issue redundancy notices to its entire workforce in September 1985. Mulhearn insisted that the council would succeed in getting extra funds from the Government, making the notices unnecessary; he also said that Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock
Neil Kinnock
Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock is a Welsh politician belonging to the Labour Party. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995 and as Labour Leader and Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition from 1983 until 1992 - his leadership of the party during nearly nine years making him...
had been speaking "from a position of profound ignorance" when he condemned the move. Shortly afterward Mulhearn stood for the Labour candidacy in Knowsley North
Knowsley North (UK Parliament constituency)
Knowsley North was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 until 1997. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post voting system.-History:...
, attempting to deselect sitting MP Robert Kilroy-Silk
Robert Kilroy-Silk
Robert Michael Kilroy-Silk is an English former politician, former independent Member of the European Parliament, and former television presenter, best known for his daytime talk show Kilroy. He has been a university lecturer and Labour Party Member of Parliament...
.
In 1986, Mulhearn was expelled from the Labour Party following a series of hearings which the party had begun into the involvement of Militant tendency
Militant Tendency
The Militant tendency was an entrist group within the British Labour Party based around the Militant newspaper that was first published in 1964...
supporters. He remained a councillor until March 1987, when the House of Lords
Judicial functions of the House of Lords
The House of Lords, in addition to having a legislative function, historically also had a judicial function. It functioned as a court of first instance for the trials of peers, for impeachment cases, and as a court of last resort within the United Kingdom. In the latter case the House's...
rejected the appeals of 47 Liverpool councillors against the district auditor's finding of 'wilful misconduct' in the council's delayed setting of its budget
Rate-capping rebellion
The rate-capping rebellion was a campaign within English local councils in 1985 which aimed to force the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher to withdraw powers to restrict the spending of councils. The affected councils were almost all run by left-wing Labour Party leaderships...
in 1985.
Subsequent campaigning
After leaving Liverpool City Council Mulhearn wrote (together with Peter TaaffePeter Taaffe
Peter Taaffe is the general secretary of the Socialist Party of England and Wales SPEW and member of the International Executive Committee of the Committee for a Workers International , which claims sections in over 35 countries around the world.Taaffe was founding editor of the Marxist Militant...
) a history of the time when supporters of Militant were leading the council, published as "Liverpool: a city that dared to fight" in 1988. He worked as a taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
driver from 1991 to 2001, and also studied part-time at Liverpool John Moores University
Liverpool John Moores University
Liverpool John Moores University is a British 'modern' university located in the city of Liverpool, England. The university is named after John Moores and was previously called Liverpool Mechanics' School of Arts and later Liverpool Polytechnic before gaining university status in 1992, thus...
for a combined Social Sciences degree (including history, economics and politics). In 1996 he passed with first class honours for his dissertation (on Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
), and was given the prize for "most meritorious mature student".
He is currently an IT support co-ordinator for the Department for Work and Pensions
Department for Work and Pensions
The Department for Work and Pensions is the largest government department in the United Kingdom, created on June 8, 2001 from the merger of the employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security and headed by the Secretary of State for Work and...
in Warrington
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
, while remaining active in politics as a member of Militant's successor the Socialist Party
Socialist Party (England and Wales)
The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist party active in England and Wales.It publishes the weekly newspaper The Socialist and the monthly magazine Socialism Today...
and a member of the Campaign for a New Workers' Party
Campaign for a New Workers' Party
The Campaign For A New Workers' Party is an initiative of the Socialist Party of England and Wales that argues for the establishment of a new mass workers' party, involving trade union activists, socialists, anti-capitalists, and community, anti-war and environmental activists. It was launched at...
.