Chris Williamson (politician)

Chris Williamson
Member of Parliament
for Derby North
In office
6 May 2010 – 7 May 2015
Preceded by Bob Laxton
Succeeded by Amanda Solloway
Personal details
Born (1956-09-16) 16 September 1956
Derby, England
Nationality British
Political party Labour
Spouse(s) Maggie Amsbury[1]
Alma mater Leicester Polytechnic

Christopher Williamson (born 16 September 1956[2]) is a British Labour Party politician, who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Derby North from 2010 until 2015.

Williamson was also previously a local councilor in Derby, representing the Normanton ward from 1991 until his resignation in 2011.[3] He was twice leader of Derby City Council.

Early Life

Born in Derby, he attended the St John Fisher Primary School in Alvaston; Castle Donington High School, and St Thomas More High School, Allenton before Leicester Polytechnic (now De Montfort University) where he obtained a CQSW in 1985.

He worked as a mechanical engineering apprentice for a year from 1972 before working six years as a bricklayer. He was a social worker in Derby between 1983 and 1986 before working as a welfare rights officer. He has been vegan since the 1970s.[4]

Political Career

Williamson joined the Labour Party in 1976 and became a councillor in 1991 and became Leader of the Labour Group on Derby City Council. He was Leader of Derby City Council on two separate occasions. He is a member of the League Against Cruel Sports and is vice chair of the Local Government Anti Poverty Forum.[5]

He was the second newly elected MP of the 2010 intake to make his maiden speech in the House of Commons, speaking in response to the Queen's Speech on 25 May 2010. In October 2010, he became a shadow minister for communities and local government after only four months as an MP but after the reshuffle of the party in 2013 his role as shadow minister was replaced by Lyn Brown and he was elected onto the Communities and Local Government Select Committee.

He was one of 16 signatories of an open letter to Ed Miliband in January 2015 calling on the party to commit to oppose further austerity, take rail franchises back into public ownership and strengthen collective bargaining arrangements.[6]

At the 2015 general election, Williamson lost the Derby North seat to Amanda Solloway of the Conservative Party.

References

  1. ↑ "House of Commons - The Register of Members' Financial Interests - Part 2: Part 2". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  2. ↑ "Who's Who". Ukwhoswho.com. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  3. ↑ "DERBY North MP Chris Williamson has resigned from his position as councillor for Normanton after 20 years.". This is Derbyshire. 26 March 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  4. ↑ Kerry McCarthy MP full transcript (column 898), World Vegan Day, Adjournment Debate, House of Commons, 1 November 2011.
  5. ↑ "Chris Williamson - Parliamentary candidates". Ukpolitics.telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  6. ↑ Eaton, George (26 January 2015). "The Labour left demand a change of direction - why their intervention matters". New Statesman. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Bob Laxton		 Member of Parliament for Derby North
2010–2015 		Succeeded by
Amanda Solloway


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