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Ian LaveryMP
Lavery speaking at TULO Reception
Member of Parliament for Wansbeck
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 May 2010
Preceded by	Denis Murphy
Majority	7,031 (18.4%)
President of the National Union of Mineworkers
In office 2002–2010
Preceded by	Arthur Scargill
Succeeded by	Nicky Wilson
Personal details
Born	(1963-01-06) 6 January 1963 (age 62) Ashington, Northumberland, England
Political party	Labour
Children	Ian, Jr., Liam
Profession	Miner
Website	www.ianlavery.org.uk

Ian Lavery (born 6 January 1963) is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wansbeck since the 2010 general election. Lavery was the President of the National Union of Mineworkers.

Early life

Lavery has lived in Ashington all of his life. After leaving old East School school, Lavery started on a youth training scheme, before working in the construction industry. Following a recruitment campaign by the National Coal Board, he commenced work at Lynemouth Colliery in January 1980. In July 1980 Lavery started a mining craft apprenticeship. In 1981 he transferred to Ellington Colliery and went to college, receiving a HNC in Mining.

Miners' Strike 1984–85 and Presidency of the NUM

During the 1984–85 Miners' Strike Lavery was the only apprentice in the North East area who refused to go to work. He was arrested seven times during the strike.

In 1986, Lavery was elected onto the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) committee at Ellington Colliery as Compensation Secretary. Later, he was voted on to the Northumberland Executive Committee, and then on to the North East Area Executive Committee. He claims that because of his union activity, he was barred by management from completing his HND qualification:

"I was the only one in the whole of the North East Area who had completed the HNC who wasn't given that opportunity. I went to see the manager, not that I would have gone by the way, and he said that they didn't think I would be interested. I asked him if he had thought to ask me, and he said no, not really, and he was smiling as he said it."

Following the miners strike, Lavery became a more active member of the Labour Party and Trade Union movement. He rose through the ranks to become the first cabinet Chairman of the Wansbeck District Council. Following this appointment, Lavery would then be appointed General Secretary of the Northumberland area through the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). In 1992 Lavery stood for the National Executive Committee of the NUM. In the subsequent ballot, he was elected in the first round having gained more than 50 per cent of the vote. When Arthur Scargill stepped down as NUM President in August 2002, Lavery was elected through the normal balloting procedures, although he stood unopposed. He was perceived by many in the NUM as "the natural successor to Arthur Scargill". Under his leadership membership of the union fell from over 200,000 to just 1,855 members in 2011.

Member of Parliament

In February 2010 Lavery became the prospective parliamentary candidate for the Labour Party for Wansbeck and was duly elected Member of Parliament (MP) on 6 May 2010 with a reduced majority of 7,031.

On 8 May 2015, Lavery was re-elected as the Member of Parliament for Wansbeck with 19,276 votes. Despite his party suffering nationally, Lavery's majority increased to 10,881 (28.2%) from 7,031 in 2010. Chris Galley of the Conservatives party came second with 8,336 votes, Melanie Hurst of UKIP third with 7,014 votes with Chris Hedley of the green party finishing 4th with 2,407 votes. Lavery spoke of how honoured he was to be re-elected as Wansbeck's Member of Parliament.

"It is an absolute honour to be re-elected by an increased majority and getting 50 per cent of the vote. It’s fantastic to represent Wansbeck. I’ll represent every single person regardless of their political persuasion. I’ll stand up for everybody and I will shout loud on behalf of my constituents because they are certainly the best. My thanks go to the voters for giving me this huge honour.”

Lavery has been critical of New Labour figures, particularly those who have enjoyed lucrative work in the private sector, who prominently voice resistance to any attempt by the Labour Party to shift away from Blairite policies. Lavery speaks in the commons on matters such as local regeneration, employment, energy, climate change, poverty, internationalism and sport. Lavery also chairs the trade union group.

One of Lavery's main acts within Parliament was to bring forward a Ten Minute Rule bill on the Government's introduction of the Bedroom Tax.The Bill passed its first reading with a vote of 226 to 1, with Conservative Party whips reportedly instructing their MPs not to vote. Despite Lavery's efforts, the bill failed to pass in its second reading, with a vote of 253 in favour, and 304 against.

From 2010–11 Lavery was part of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, and since 2010 has been a member of the Regulatory Reform Committee. Lavery was also a member of Draft Deregulation Bill Committee during 2013, and a member of the Energy and Climate Change Committee since 2010.

He was appointed as PPS to Labour’s deputy leader Harriet Harman, but was forced to resign in 2012 after going against the party whip to increase the pension age.

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.

During Prime Minister's Questions on 19 March 2015 Lavery asked the Prime Minister for an apology to the North East after an increase in the cost of living, decrease in wages and shorter life expectancy's. The Prime Minister replied that in the Wansbeck constituency unemployment benefit count had fallen 28% and the youth claimant count had fallen by 32% during the last Parliament.

Controversies

Lavery was arrested numerous times during the miner's strike and in 1985 was also convicted of a charge of football hooliganism. Lavery accused the police of fabricating the hooliganism charges due to his trade union activity, saying in 2005 "In court they told lie after lie, and I was fined . . . That is why I have absolutely no respect for the police.”

In 2011 during Prime Minister's Question Time Lavery asked a question about health advisor Mark Britnell, whom he mistook as being appointed by the Conservative Party, whereas in fact Britnell was appointed by the Labour Party. Lavery condemned Britnell's actions, only for David Cameron to point out that Britnell was in fact an advisor to the Labour administration. Lavery also got Britnell's first name wrong.

In 2014 Lavery posed for a photograph with his son who had blackened his face to look like Michael Jackson. The photograph caused an outcry among some of Lavery's constituents who said they found it offensive.

Personal life

Lavery married his wife Hilary in 1986, they have two sons, Ian Jnr and Liam. Liam is a town councillor for the college ward of Ashington.

Lavery employs his wife as a parliamentary assistant, and in 2012 attracted attention for giving her a taxpayer-funded pay rise from between £5,000–£9,999 to between £20,000–£24,999.

Lavery is a Trustee of; CISWO in the North East Area, Northumberland Aged Mineworkers' Homes Association and Woodhorn Colliery Museum, he is a Patron of Headway for South East Northumberland as well as Wansbeck Disability Forum and is Chair of Ashington Community Football Club and the Hirst Welfare Centre. Lavery is also Chairman and trustee of the Pitman Painters.

References

1. "Who's Who". ukwhoswho.com. Retrieved 10 February 2015.(subscription required)
2. "The Great Debate Contributors: Ian Lavery". thegreatdebate.org.uk. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
3. Apprentice protest
4. "An Interview with Ian Lavery, Lavery, president of the National Union of Mineworkers". Capital and Class. 29 (3): 29–42. Autumn 2005. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
5. ^ "Ian Lavery Labour Party MP in Wansbeck – about me". Ian Lavery. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
6. Lavery as potential successor to Arthur Scargill
7. "Documents lodged on the website of the Trades Union Certification Officer". The website of the Trades Union Certification Officer. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
8. "Labour Win". Labour Win. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
9. ^ "Ian Lavery MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
10. http://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/local-news/labour-s-ian-lavery-honoured-to-be-re-elected-as-wansbeck-mp-1-7251782
11. http://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/local-news/labour-s-ian-lavery-honoured-to-be-re-elected-as-wansbeck-mp-1-7251782
12. Lavery, Ian (7 February 2015). "We Will Not Be Their Fools". morningstaronline.co.uk. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
13. "Trade Union Group". Trade Union Group. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
14. Lavery, Ian. "Ian Lavery MP on bedroom tax: Parliament must axe charge on being poor". The Mirror. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
15. "Bid to scrap bedroom tax to get second Commons reading". 24dash.com. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
16. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm140226/debtext/140226-0002.htm#140226113000002
17. "Energy and Climate Change Committee – membership". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
18. Pearson, Adrian (7 December 2012). "Wansbeck MP Ian Lavery resigns as aide over pensions battle". journallive. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
19. Eaton, George (26 January 2015). "The Labour left demand a change of direction - why their intervention matters". New Statesman. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
20. "Engagements". theyworkforyou.com. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
21. http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2015-03-18b.754.3&s=speaker%3A24963#g761.1
22. Wray, Capital & Class, No. 87, Autumn 2005
23. "David Cameron 'had never heard' of adviser who warned on NHS reforms". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
24. "Anti-racism MP under fire after posing with son blacked up to look like Michael Jackson". The Telegraph. 11 March 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
25. "Liam Lavery – College Ward – Councillors". Ashington Town Council. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
26. Lyons, James (13 September 2013). "MPs' expenses: Taxpayer-funded pay rises for dozens of MPs' relatives worth up to £327,000". Mirror. Retrieved 10 February 2015.

External links

• Official website
• Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
• Voting record at Public Whip
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou

Template:Persondata

• 1962 births
• Living people
• English miners
• Presidents of the National Union of Mineworkers (Great Britain)
• People from Ashington
• Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies
• UK MPs 2010–15
• UK MPs 2015–20
• Labour Party (UK) MPs