Colin Pickthall
Encyclopedia
Colin Pickthall in Dalton-in-Furness
(then Lancashire
, now Cumbria
) is a politician in the United Kingdom
. He was Labour
Member of Parliament
(MP) for West Lancashire
. He was first elected to the House of Commons in 1992
, and retired at the 2005 general election
.
Pickthall's father was a shipyard fitter. He attended Ulverston Grammar School
, and the University of Wales
, obtaining a B.A. Hons. English Literature and History. He then went on to the University of Lancaster, where he obtained an M.A. with the thesis "The Influence of Socialism on 20th. Century British Poetry." He became a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
and the Labour Party in 1963.
He married a Canadian
, Judith Ann in 1973; they have two daughters, Alisoun and Jenny. He initially worked as an English lecturer in the Ruffwood Comprehensive School and Edge Hill College of H.E.
(where he became the Head of European Studies)
At the 1987 general election
, Pickthall ran for Parliament in West Lancashire, but lost to a Conservative
by 1353 votes. Later, in 1989, he won the Ormskirk
seat on Lancashire
County Council
by a very small margin. However, this was sufficient for the Labour Party to take control of the County Council by one seat.
At the 1992 general election
, he took the West Lancashire parliamentary seat and in the following elections, in 1997 and 2001, he retained the seat with a substantial majority. In 1992 he became a member of the Select Committee on Agriculture, a post that he maintained until 1997. In 1997 he was appointed parliamentary private secretary
(PPS) to Alun Michael
MP, later serving Jack Straw
MP. He resigned as PPS in 2000 in response to a police investigation into his election expenses. He was later reinstated when the police investigation concluded there had been no wrong doing. In 2001 he was transferred to the Foreign Office, where he continued as Jack Straw's PPS.
Pickthall is considered a leftist, frequently campaigning about animal welfare
and environmental issues. He is opposed to hare coursing
(the Waterloo Cup
took place at Great Altcar
in his constituency) and hunting
. His support for the hunting ban
led to pro-hunt supporters leaving a dead fox on his doorstep in 2005. He retired from the House of Commons at the 2005 general election
. In October 2009 he resigned his position as a Labour Party Branch secretary.
Colin Pickthall is a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association
.
Dalton-in-Furness
Dalton-in-Furness is a small town of 8,394 people, north east of Barrow-in-Furness, in Cumbria, England.-History:Dalton is mentioned in the Domesday Book, written as "Daltune" as one of the townships forming the Manor of Hougun held by Earl Tostig. Historically, it was the capital of Furness...
(then Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, now Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
) is a politician in the United Kingdom
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...
. He was Labour
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...
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 West Lancashire
West Lancashire (UK Parliament constituency)
West Lancashire is a County constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
. He was first elected to the House of Commons in 1992
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
, and retired at the 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....
.
Pickthall's father was a shipyard fitter. He attended Ulverston Grammar School
Ulverston Victoria High School
Ulverston Victoria High School is a Mathematics and Computing Specialist school in the town of Ulverston, Cumbria, Northern England.-Ofsted:...
, and the University of Wales
University of Wales
The University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
, obtaining a B.A. Hons. English Literature and History. He then went on to the University of Lancaster, where he obtained an M.A. with the thesis "The Influence of Socialism on 20th. Century British Poetry." He became a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is an anti-nuclear organisation that advocates unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, international nuclear disarmament and tighter international arms regulation through agreements such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty...
and the Labour Party in 1963.
He married a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Judith Ann in 1973; they have two daughters, Alisoun and Jenny. He initially worked as an English lecturer in the Ruffwood Comprehensive School and Edge Hill College of H.E.
Edge Hill University
Edge Hill University is situated in Ormskirk, Lancashire, England. It has three faculties: Education, Health and Social Care, and Arts and Sciences.- History :...
(where he became the Head of European Studies)
At the 1987 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
, Pickthall ran for Parliament in West Lancashire, but lost to a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
by 1353 votes. Later, in 1989, he won the Ormskirk
Ormskirk
Ormskirk is a market town in West Lancashire, England. It is situated north of Liverpool city centre, northwest of St Helens, southeast of Southport and southwest of Preston.-Geography and administration:...
seat on Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
County Council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
by a very small margin. However, this was sufficient for the Labour Party to take control of the County Council by one seat.
At the 1992 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
, he took the West Lancashire parliamentary seat and in the following elections, in 1997 and 2001, he retained the seat with a substantial majority. In 1992 he became a member of the Select Committee on Agriculture, a post that he maintained until 1997. In 1997 he was appointed 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...
(PPS) to Alun Michael
Alun Michael
Alun Edward Michael is a British Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Cardiff South and Penarth since 1987. He was formerly First Minister of Wales and leader of the Welsh Labour Party from 1999 to 2000.-Education:Michael was born at Bryngwran Anglesey, son of...
MP, later serving Jack Straw
Jack Straw
Jack Straw , British politician.Jack Straw may also refer to:* Jack Straw , English* "Jack Straw" , 1971 song by the Grateful Dead* Jack Straw by W...
MP. He resigned as PPS in 2000 in response to a police investigation into his election expenses. He was later reinstated when the police investigation concluded there had been no wrong doing. In 2001 he was transferred to the Foreign Office, where he continued as Jack Straw's PPS.
Pickthall is considered a leftist, frequently campaigning about animal welfare
Animal welfare
Animal welfare is the physical and psychological well-being of animals.The term animal welfare can also mean human concern for animal welfare or a position in a debate on animal ethics and animal rights...
and environmental issues. He is opposed to hare coursing
Hare coursing
Hare coursing is the pursuit of hares with greyhounds and other sighthounds, which chase the hare by sight and not by scent. It is a competitive sport, in which dogs are tested on their ability to run, overtake and turn a hare, rather than a form of hunting aiming at the capture of game. It has a...
(the Waterloo Cup
Waterloo Cup
The Waterloo Cup was a coursing event. The three day event was run annually at Great Altcar in Lancashire, England from 1836 to 2005 and it used to attract tens of thousands of spectators to watch and gamble on the coursing matches...
took place at Great Altcar
Great Altcar
Great Altcar is a village and civil parish in West Lancashire, close to Formby on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain. The name Altcar is Norse meaning "marsh by the Alt". The church of St Michael and All Angels is a timber framed structure dating from 1879....
in his constituency) and hunting
Fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in its current...
. His support for the hunting ban
Hunting Act 2004
The Hunting Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The effect of the Act is to outlaw hunting with dogs in England and Wales from 18 February 2005...
led to pro-hunt supporters leaving a dead fox on his doorstep in 2005. He retired from the House of Commons at the 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 October 2009 he resigned his position as a Labour Party Branch secretary.
Colin Pickthall is a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association
British Humanist Association
The British Humanist Association is an organisation of the United Kingdom which promotes Humanism and represents "people who seek to live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs." The BHA is committed to secularism, human rights, democracy, egalitarianism and mutual respect...
.
External links
- Official Web Site of Colin Pickthall (archiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
link, was dead)