Greg Mulholland
Encyclopedia
Gregory Thomas Mulholland (born 31 August 1970) is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom
, and is the Member of Parliament
for Leeds North West
. He was first elected at the 2005 general election
, winning the seat from Labour
and was re-elected with an increased majority at the 2010 general election. Before his parliamentary career, he served as a councillor for Headingley
. He has served as a Liberal Democrat spokesman for Health, Schools and International Development.
, Mulholland attended St. Ambrose College
near Altrincham
and studied politics at the University of York
, going on to achieve an MA
in Public Administration and Public Policy. While at York University he played at centre for the university rugby league
team in matches against Bradford, Leeds, Manchester and Hull. He then worked in marketing for five years, including two years spent in Edinburgh
, working on several national promotional campaigns.
His first experience in politics was canvassing in the Knowsley North
by-election in 1986, while studying politics for A-level.
He had a long-standing interest and involvement in international development, trade justice and debt campaigns. He was an active member of the campaigning groups TIDAL (Trade Injustice and Debt Action Leeds) and CAFOD
.
lor for Headingley
ward. From 2004-2005 he was the lead member for corporate services, until his election to Parliament in 2005. He was also the Liberal Democrat group's spokesperson on the Leeds Supertram
, approval for which was turned down in 2006.
for the constituency of Leeds North West
. This West Yorkshire
constituency extends from inner-city Leeds
through suburban and rural areas to the towns of Otley
and Yeadon
. The seat had been held by the Conservative party from 1979 to 1997 and by the Labour party from 1997 to 2005. In the general election of 2010 the seat was retained by the Liberal Democrats with an increased majority.
In the 2006 Liberal Democrat leadership election
Mulholland backed Chris Huhne
, who eventually finished second behind Menzies Campbell
. In the 2007 Liberal Democrat leadership election
he supported Nick Clegg
.
spokesperson
from 2005-2006. In 2006 he was appointed Shadow Spokesperson on Schools
, and in 2007 he became Shadow Spokesperson on Health
. He is also a member of the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee
.
Mulholland is a member of 27 all-party parliamentary groups
including 4 as chair or co-chair and 7 as vice chair.
' (property speculation in Green Belt
land). However, the bill did not receive a second reading and was dropped before becoming law.
. He called a public meeting and presented a 5,000-signature petition to Parliament after one ward was closed. He has also campaigned alongside other Leeds MPs for a new children's hospital in the city, questioning the then Prime Minister
Tony Blair
over the issue at Prime Minister's Questions
.
However, Mulholland faced criticism for aspects of this campaign. An article in a Liberal Democrat Focus leaflet featuring Mulholland and distributed in Leeds claimed that the government had axed plans to build a new £204 million Children's Hospital at St. James's, which had been backed by all the city's MPs. The Government claimed that this was untrue and that the decision had been made by the Leeds Hospital Trust without the Government's prior knowledge. Caroline Flint
, Minister of State for Public Health, described the statement as: "taking political grandstanding too far. The article is not true, it is a complete misrepresentation."
Political Awards for helping to secure the release of Mirza Tahir Hussain
from prison in Pakistan.
He has tabled Early Day Motion
s on a variety of subjects including support for small breweries, winter fuel payments for the severely disabled under 60, and against biometric data collection in schools.
In 2008, Mulholland was recorded describing health minister Ivan Lewis
as an "arsehole" after Lewis refused to let him intervene in a Westminster Hall debate on hospice funding. He later publicly defended his comment.
Mulholland has also been active in seeking to expose companies which wish to move out of the Leeds area to reduce costs. In 2011 he tabled an Early Day Motion
in parliament calling for a boycott of brands owned by Carlsberg due to their brewery being moved from Leeds.
As a Roman Catholic, Mulholland describes himself as holding 'pro-life' views and has a strong voting record against abortion, embryology and euthanasia.
", based at Westminster, to bring greater prominence and attention to rugby league within Parliament. He plays left wing for the team.
in the north-west of the constituency
. Outside politics, his interests include real ale, rugby league
and hillwalking
. He is a fan of Middlesbrough football club
.
In 2009, he completed the Belfast
marathon
in 3 hrs 18 mins 50 secs, and the "Wessex 100 mile" walk in 38 hrs 24 mins, as a "126 mile challenge" to raise money for local charities, along with Otley & Yeadon councillor Ryk Downes and university lecturer Martin Rivett.
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...
, and is 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 Leeds North West
Leeds North West (UK Parliament constituency)
Leeds North West is a parliamentary constituency in the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire which is 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....
. He was first elected 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....
, winning the seat from 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...
and was re-elected with an increased majority at the 2010 general election. Before his parliamentary career, he served as a councillor for Headingley
Headingley
Headingley is a suburb of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road...
. He has served as a Liberal Democrat spokesman for Health, Schools and International Development.
Early life
Born in ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Mulholland attended St. Ambrose College
St. Ambrose College
St. Ambrose College is a leading state Voluntary Aided, Christian Brothers' Roman Catholic boys' grammar school located in Hale Barns, Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. It was founded in 1946. In 2005, St Ambrose College became a mathematics and computing college and the school is today...
near Altrincham
Altrincham
Altrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington...
and studied politics at the University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
, going on to achieve an MA
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Public Administration and Public Policy. While at York University he played at centre for the university rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
team in matches against Bradford, Leeds, Manchester and Hull. He then worked in marketing for five years, including two years spent in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, working on several national promotional campaigns.
His first experience in politics was canvassing in the 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:...
by-election in 1986, while studying politics for A-level.
He had a long-standing interest and involvement in international development, trade justice and debt campaigns. He was an active member of the campaigning groups TIDAL (Trade Injustice and Debt Action Leeds) and CAFOD
CAFOD
The Catholic Agency For Overseas Development, previously known as the Catholic Fund for Overseas Development, is a United Kingdom-based international aid agency working to alleviate poverty and suffering in developing. It is funded by the Catholic community in England and Wales, the UK government...
.
Councillor
In 2003, he was elected as a Leeds City CouncilLeeds City Council
Leeds City Council is the local authority for the City of Leeds metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England.-History:The city council was established in 1974, with the first elections being held in advance in 1973...
lor for Headingley
Headingley
Headingley is a suburb of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road...
ward. From 2004-2005 he was the lead member for corporate services, until his election to Parliament in 2005. He was also the Liberal Democrat group's spokesperson on the Leeds Supertram
Leeds Supertram
The Leeds Supertram was a proposed light rail/tram system in Leeds and West Yorkshire in England.-Initial proposals:Proposals for the reinstatement of trams or a light rail system in Leeds which were withdrawn in 1959 have been ongoing since the 1970s with various plans for varying light rail...
, approval for which was turned down in 2006.
Constituency and party
Mulholland was elected to Parliament at the 2005 general electionUnited 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....
for the constituency of Leeds North West
Leeds North West (UK Parliament constituency)
Leeds North West is a parliamentary constituency in the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire which is 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....
. This West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
constituency extends from inner-city Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
through suburban and rural areas to the towns of Otley
Otley
-Transport:The main roads through the town are the A660 to the south east, which connects Otley to Bramhope, Adel and Leeds city centre, and the A65 to the west, which goes to Ilkley and Skipton. The A6038 heads to Guiseley, Shipley and Bradford, connecting with the A65...
and Yeadon
Yeadon, West Yorkshire
Yeadon is a town within the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, in West Yorkshire, England. It is home to Leeds Bradford International Airport.-History:...
. The seat had been held by the Conservative party from 1979 to 1997 and by the Labour party from 1997 to 2005. In the general election of 2010 the seat was retained by the Liberal Democrats with an increased majority.
In the 2006 Liberal Democrat leadership election
Liberal Democrats leadership election, 2006
In the 2006 Liberal Democrats leadership election, Sir Menzies Campbell was elected to succeed Charles Kennedy as Leader of the Liberal Democrats, the third-largest political party in the United Kingdom....
Mulholland backed Chris Huhne
Chris Huhne
Christopher Murray Paul-Huhne, generally known as Chris Huhne is a British politician and cabinet minister, who is the current Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for the Eastleigh constituency in Hampshire...
, who eventually finished second behind Menzies Campbell
Menzies Campbell
Sir Walter Menzies "Ming" Campbell, CBE, QC, MP is a British Liberal Democrat politician and advocate, and a retired sprinter. He is the Member of Parliament for North East Fife, and was the Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2 March 2006 until 15 October 2007.Campbell held the British record...
. In the 2007 Liberal Democrat leadership election
Liberal Democrats leadership election, 2007
The 2007 Liberal Democrats leadership election was held following the resignation of Sir Menzies Campbell as leader on 15 October 2007, after 19 months as leader of the Liberal Democrats, the third-largest political party in the United Kingdom. Vincent Cable, the deputy leader of the parliamentary...
he supported Nick Clegg
Nick Clegg
Nicholas William Peter "Nick" Clegg is a British Liberal Democrat politician who is currently the Deputy Prime Minister, Lord President of the Council and Minister for Constitutional and Political Reform in the coalition government of which David Cameron is the Prime Minister...
.
Positions held
After his election to Parliament, he was appointed his party's junior International DevelopmentDepartment for International Development
The Department For International Development is a United Kingdom government department with a Cabinet Minister in charge. It was separated from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1997. The goal of the department is "to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty". The current...
spokesperson
Liberal Democrat Frontbench Team
The Liberal Democrats are the third-largest political party in the United Kingdom. While in opposition, the Liberal Democrat leader appointed a team of Members of Parliament and Peers to speak for the party on different issues. Their areas of responsibility broadly corresponded to those of...
from 2005-2006. In 2006 he was appointed Shadow Spokesperson on Schools
Department for Children, Schools and Families
The Department for Children, Schools and Families was a department of the UK government, between 2007 and 2010, responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education...
, and in 2007 he became Shadow Spokesperson on Health
Department of Health (United Kingdom)
The Department of Health is a department of the United Kingdom government with responsibility for government policy for health and social care matters and for the National Health Service in England along with a few elements of the same matters which are not otherwise devolved to the Scottish,...
. He is also a member of the House of Commons 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...
.
Mulholland is a member of 27 all-party parliamentary groups
All-Party Parliamentary Group
An all-party parliamentary group is a grouping in the UK parliament that is composed of politicians from all political parties.-All-party parliamentary groups:...
including 4 as chair or co-chair and 7 as vice chair.
Expenses
During and after the 2009 expenses scandal, Greg Mulholland's expense claims were generally without controversy and he was described as an angel by the Telegraph after he called for stricter regulations. He has only ever rented a property at the tax-payer's expense, and not charged for mortgage interest. He did, however, have two claims rejected: for a cot & playpen, then later to have photographs reframed.Land Banking
In November 2005, Mulholland proposed the Sale of Green Belt Land Bill to prevent 'land bankingLand banking
Land banking is the practice of purchasing raw land with the intent to hold on to it until such a time as it is profitable to sell it on to others for more than was initially paid...
' (property speculation in Green Belt
Green belt
A green belt or greenbelt is a policy and land use designation used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges which have a linear character and may run through an...
land). However, the bill did not receive a second reading and was dropped before becoming law.
Healthcare
Mulholland took part in a community campaign in his constituency against further cuts at the Wharfedale Hospital in OtleyOtley
-Transport:The main roads through the town are the A660 to the south east, which connects Otley to Bramhope, Adel and Leeds city centre, and the A65 to the west, which goes to Ilkley and Skipton. The A6038 heads to Guiseley, Shipley and Bradford, connecting with the A65...
. He called a public meeting and presented a 5,000-signature petition to Parliament after one ward was closed. He has also campaigned alongside other Leeds MPs for a new children's hospital in the city, questioning the then Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
over the issue at Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime minister's questions is a constitutional convention in the United Kingdom that takes place every Wednesday during which the prime minister spends half an hour answering questions from members of parliament...
.
However, Mulholland faced criticism for aspects of this campaign. An article in a Liberal Democrat Focus leaflet featuring Mulholland and distributed in Leeds claimed that the government had axed plans to build a new £204 million Children's Hospital at St. James's, which had been backed by all the city's MPs. The Government claimed that this was untrue and that the decision had been made by the Leeds Hospital Trust without the Government's prior knowledge. Caroline Flint
Caroline Flint
Caroline Louise Flint is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Don Valley since 1997. She served as the Minister of State for Housing and Planning in 2008, and later as the Minister for Europe until her resignation in 2009, citing the leadership of Gordon...
, Minister of State for Public Health, described the statement as: "taking political grandstanding too far. The article is not true, it is a complete misrepresentation."
Other
In 2007, he was nominated for best campaigning politician in the Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
Political Awards for helping to secure the release of Mirza Tahir Hussain
Mirza Tahir Hussain
Mirza Tahir Hussain is a British man released on 17 November 2006 after spending 18 years on death row in Pakistan for the murder of a taxicab driver named Jamshed Khan in 1988, a crime which he says he committed in self-defence, as Khan pulled out a gun and tried to sexually assault him. In the...
from prison in Pakistan.
He has tabled 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...
s on a variety of subjects including support for small breweries, winter fuel payments for the severely disabled under 60, and against biometric data collection in schools.
In 2008, Mulholland was recorded describing health minister Ivan Lewis
Ivan Lewis
Ivan Lewis is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Bury South since 1997. Lewis served in a variety of junior ministerial positions, including as Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.-Personal life:Lewis was born to a British Jewish...
as an "arsehole" after Lewis refused to let him intervene in a Westminster Hall debate on hospice funding. He later publicly defended his comment.
Mulholland has also been active in seeking to expose companies which wish to move out of the Leeds area to reduce costs. In 2011 he tabled 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 parliament calling for a boycott of brands owned by Carlsberg due to their brewery being moved from Leeds.
As a Roman Catholic, Mulholland describes himself as holding 'pro-life' views and has a strong voting record against abortion, embryology and euthanasia.
Voting record
According to TheyWorkForYou.com, at October 2011 Mulholland is a quite regular rebel against his party.Rugby League
Mulholland set up a rugby league team called "Political AnimalsPolitical Animals
Political Animals are a rugby league club founded in 2010 by MP for Leeds North West, Greg Mulholland. It is intended to be made up of 'parliamentarians, councillors and political staff from all political parties.' The team will play their home games at Headingley Stadium...
", based at Westminster, to bring greater prominence and attention to rugby league within Parliament. He plays left wing for the team.
Personal life
He married Raegan on 13 August 2004. They have three daughters, Isabel (born 25 July 2005), Madeleine (born 29 September 2008) and Ava (born 19 July 2010), and live in OtleyOtley
-Transport:The main roads through the town are the A660 to the south east, which connects Otley to Bramhope, Adel and Leeds city centre, and the A65 to the west, which goes to Ilkley and Skipton. The A6038 heads to Guiseley, Shipley and Bradford, connecting with the A65...
in the north-west of the constituency
Leeds North West (UK Parliament constituency)
Leeds North West is a parliamentary constituency in the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire which is 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....
. Outside politics, his interests include real ale, rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
and hillwalking
Hillwalking
In the British Isles, the terms hillwalking or fellwalking are commonly used to describe the recreational outdoor activity of walking on hills and mountains, often with the intention of visiting their summits...
. He is a fan of Middlesbrough football club
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
.
In 2009, he completed the Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
in 3 hrs 18 mins 50 secs, and the "Wessex 100 mile" walk in 38 hrs 24 mins, as a "126 mile challenge" to raise money for local charities, along with Otley & Yeadon councillor Ryk Downes and university lecturer Martin Rivett.
External links
- Greg Mulholland MP official constituency website
- Profile at the Liberal Democrats