Patrick Hall
Encyclopedia
Patrick Hall is a British
Labour Party
politician, who was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Bedford
from 1997
to 2010.
, the University of Birmingham
and Oxford Polytechnic
. He joined Bedford Borough
Council in 1975 as a local government planning officer
, becoming the borough's Town Centre Coordinator, he remained employed by the council until his election to Parliament
.
1989-97 and was a member of the North Bedfordshire Community Health Council. He contested Bedfordshire North at the 1992 General Election
, but was defeated by the veteran Conservative
MP Trevor Skeet
by 11,618 votes.
He was elected to the House of Commons at the 1997 General Election
for the new seat of Bedford and Kempston
with a majority of 8,300. He was re-elected at the 2001 and 2005 election, albeit with reduced majorities. He made his maiden speech
on 30 July 1997.http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmhansrd/vo970730/debtext/70730-01.htm#70730-01_spnew0.
Patrick was Parliamentary Private Secretary to Caroline Flint MP, the former Minister for Europe until June 2009.
Patrick was not in favour of a public vote on the EU Referendum, though has stated on his own Parliamentary website in the past that Tony Blair did promise an EU vote in the Labour 2005 election manifesto, so as a result of being elected on that platform would so honour such a pledge.
Patrick twice voted in favour of amending the Government's declaration of war on Iraq to reflect the belief that the case for war was yet unproven. However, the majority of MPs voted against making such changes to the motion.
Patrick voted with the Government in favour of introducing ID cards.
Patrick voted in favour of student top up fees and has shown his support in the house by voting with the Government for the introduction of the anti-terrorist laws.
His expense claims as an MP for 2007/8 were £131,390. This was one of the lowest total claims of all MPs.
He was beaten in the 2010 General Election by Conservative candidate Richard Fuller
, who had also challenged him unsuccessfully in 2005, by 17546 votes to 16193. He had been the first Labour MP ever to hold the Bedford seat for more than a single term.
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...
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...
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,...
(MP) for Bedford
Bedford (UK Parliament constituency)
Bedford is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The seat was established in its current form in 1997, restoring a centuries old name. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election...
from 1997
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
to 2010.
Early life
Patrick Hall was educated at the independent Bedford Modern SchoolBedford Modern School
Bedford Modern School is a British co-educational independent school in the Harpur area of Bedford, in the county of Bedfordshire, in England.Bedford Modern comprises a junior school and a senior school...
, the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
and Oxford Polytechnic
Oxford Brookes University
Oxford Brookes University is a new university in Oxford, England. It was named to honour the school's founding principal, John Brookes. It has been ranked as the best new university by the Sunday Times University Guide 10 years in a row...
. He joined Bedford Borough
Bedford (borough)
Bedford is a unitary authority with the status of a borough in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. Its council is based at Bedford, which is also the county town of Bedfordshire. The borough contains a single urban area, the 69th largest in the United Kingdom that comprises Bedford and...
Council in 1975 as a local government planning officer
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
, becoming the borough's Town Centre Coordinator, he remained employed by the council until his election to Parliament
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
.
Parliamentary career
He was elected as a councillor to the Bedfordshire County CouncilBedfordshire County Council
Bedfordshire County Council was the county council of the non-metropolitan county of Bedfordshire in England. It was established in 1889 and was abolished on 1 April 2009. The county council was based in Bedford. It was replaced with three unitary authorities: Bedford Borough Council, Central...
1989-97 and was a member of the North Bedfordshire Community Health Council. He contested Bedfordshire North 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...
, but was defeated by the veteran 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...
MP Trevor Skeet
Trevor Skeet
Sir Trevor Herbert Harry Skeet was a New Zealand lawyer and a British Conservative politician.Skeet was born in New Zealand and was educated at King's College, Auckland and New Zealand University. He served with the New Zealand Army and Navy during World War II...
by 11,618 votes.
He was elected to the House of Commons at the 1997 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
for the new seat of Bedford and Kempston
Bedford (UK Parliament constituency)
Bedford is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The seat was established in its current form in 1997, restoring a centuries old name. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election...
with a majority of 8,300. He was re-elected at the 2001 and 2005 election, albeit with reduced majorities. He made his maiden speech
Maiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
on 30 July 1997.http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmhansrd/vo970730/debtext/70730-01.htm#70730-01_spnew0.
Patrick was Parliamentary Private Secretary to Caroline Flint MP, the former Minister for Europe until June 2009.
Patrick was not in favour of a public vote on the EU Referendum, though has stated on his own Parliamentary website in the past that Tony Blair did promise an EU vote in the Labour 2005 election manifesto, so as a result of being elected on that platform would so honour such a pledge.
Patrick twice voted in favour of amending the Government's declaration of war on Iraq to reflect the belief that the case for war was yet unproven. However, the majority of MPs voted against making such changes to the motion.
Patrick voted with the Government in favour of introducing ID cards.
Patrick voted in favour of student top up fees and has shown his support in the house by voting with the Government for the introduction of the anti-terrorist laws.
His expense claims as an MP for 2007/8 were £131,390. This was one of the lowest total claims of all MPs.
He was beaten in the 2010 General Election by Conservative candidate Richard Fuller
Richard Fuller
Richard Fuller is an American classical pianist and interpreter of the fortepiano repertoire.-Early life and musical education:Born in Washington, Fuller initially studied piano with his mother, Georgette Fuller...
, who had also challenged him unsuccessfully in 2005, by 17546 votes to 16193. He had been the first Labour MP ever to hold the Bedford seat for more than a single term.