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I served as the MP for Selby between 1997 and 2010 and for Keighley from 2017 to 2019. Together with former Keighley MP Bob Cryer, I am one of only three people since the war who have won two different marginal seats with less than 500 vote majorities. Born in Halifax, I still live in Burley in Wharfedale where I grew up. Whilst an MP I was a member of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and also the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee. 

As a former Chair of the Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform I remain committed to that cause. At the request of the National Union of Mineworkers, I chaired the penultimate deep coal mine to close (employee-owned Hatfield Colliery), so I understand the importance of both industry and a just transition to net zero. I am heavily involved in local and national campaigns to stop sewage from being discharged into our rivers and to secure a UK moratorium on new incineration projects.

I believe that for services like health, education and water the public and cooperative sectors are generally the best providers. I am very proud of what Labour Governments have achieved although I voted against the whip on issues such as the Iraq war. We can bring radical change again and pull together our country.

The first Labour MP for Keighley Hastings Lee Smith was elected 100 years ago. I was fortunate enough to serve in the House of Commons for two years as the seventh person to win the parliamentary seat on a Labour platform.

Working with others I helped to:

  1. Save Keighley Cougars from bankruptcy and transfer the club to new owners
  2. Kickstart the Keighley Arts Festival, Keighley Transport Heritage Festival and Keighley Park Run
  3. Campaign to stop the discharge of sewage into the River Wharfe and initiated the idea of making an application for bathing water status
  4. Support and encourage the Keighley and Aire Valley Campaign against Incineration 
  5. Start the campaign to rebuild Airedale General Hospital
  6. Secure the transfer of assets such as Silsden Town Hall, Ilkley and Haworth Toilets and Low Wood Scout Activity Centre from Bradford Council to local community groups and parish councils.
  7. Campaign successfully to reduce the local housing targets regarding green belt development
  8. Work with local schools and agencies to improve safeguarding programmes for children
  9. Get extra resources for Keighley Charity Project 6 to combat drug and alcohol dependency
  10. Assisted organisations involved in forthcoming development plans for Keighley and promoted local infrastructure projects such as the restoration of the rail line between Skipton and Colne which will open up another link across the Pennines
    If elected I will resume some of the local campaigns which, working with others, I pursued when I was the MP from 2017-2019. I will also start some new ones.

What am I up to now?

Since the General Election of 2019, I have been involved in a wide variety of activities.

  • Co-chairing the One Yorkshire Committee which campaigns to get more powers and resources for the county
  • Setting up the Yorkshire and Humber Labour Business Forum to promote the party’s economic message 
  • Supporting the campaign to make the club more inclusive and open to all - from whatever background - as a member of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
  • Contributing to national and local campaigns to remove sewage from our rivers and to place a moratorium on new incineration projects in England 
  • Working with a charity which encourages young Muslims to get involved in mainstream politics 
  • Organising events to encourage the development of trade between the United Kingdom and emerging democracies in the Balkans and Mongolia 
  • Helping to lead a successful campaign to save The Hermit pub in Burley Woodhead and prevent it from joining the 90 pubs which have closed in the county since the lockdown 
  • Campaigning to keep big sporting events like the Olympics on free to air tv to inspire the next generation to be active
  • Co-chairing the Keir Starmer Labour Leadership campaign in West Yorkshire
  • Serving as a member of the Regional Executive of the Yorkshire and Humber Labour Party
  • Being a member of the Steering Committees which respectively set up the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission and organised the 2022 Yorkshire Flood Forum 
  • Working to support Ukraine on projects designed to get more early warning systems to the country and to create a new government-backed agency to build back the economy after the war 
  • Contributing to the debate on how to best prevent flooding as Honorary Vice President of the Association of Drainage Authorities.