Alan Keen
Encyclopedia
David Alan Keen was a British
Labour
Co-operative
politician
, who was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Feltham and Heston from 1992 until his death.
and Redcar
area in the present day unitary authority
of Redcar and Cleveland
in the north east of England
. He went to Sir William Turners Grammar School in Redcar
. He joined the British Army
in 1960 and after nearly three years of service, in 1963, he started his career with the Fire Protection Industry where he remained until his election to the House of Commons
. He also worked as a tactical scout for Middlesbrough F.C.
for eighteen years.
from 1986–90 and was elected to Parliament at the 1992 general election
when he unseated the sitting Conservative
MP Patrick Ground
. In Parliament he has served on both the Education
(1995–96) and the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee
s (1997–99 and since 2001).
. Keen had claimed to be opposed to expansion at Heathrow for many years; stating in his consultation publication on the issue he is "opposed to an additional runway" and although he was in favour of expansion up to the present boundaries "there has to be a limit" and he believed "that limit has been reached" Conservative Councillor Barbara Reid of Hounslow Council, said the Keens were “completely ignoring their constituents and letting them down.”, noting that "90 per cent of people in every survey we have done do not support the third runway". Further controversy arose when Keen suggested the third runway would "hardly affect my constituents at all".
, the couple used their combined second homes allowances to buy an apartment in an up-market development at Waterloo
on the South Bank of the River Thames
, claiming £175,000 over five years. The Waterloo apartment is nine miles from their constituency home in Brentford
, a 30-minute drive from Westminster
. MPs who reside near the Keens in Brentford, such as Home Office
Minister Phil Woolas
who lives in the next street, are able to commute from there to Westminster. The couple claimed for both the interest payments on the Waterloo flat and the cost of re-mortgaging their Brentford home. The Fees Office agreed with the couple's argument that this was claimable because it was used to raise equity for the flat. The mortgage also included the cost of "compulsory" life insurance attached to the mortgages, a practice which is now banned. In total the Keens have claimed almost £1.7 million in expenses over seven years.
In 2009, their Brentford home was occupied by squatters after it was unoccupied for 9–12 months following a dispute with a building firm undertaking renovation work. The squatters' declared aim was to turn the house into a centre for war refugees, in response to Mrs Keen's support for the British invasion of Iraq.
In defending their part in the expenses scandal the Keen's stated "we have advocated, strongly supported, and voted for the introduction of Freedom of Information legislation
. We are pleased that the point has been reached when full details of MPs' expenses are being published on a regular basis for everyone to see". However, in November 2009, arsonists repeatedly attacked an office block containing Mrs Keen's constituency offices in reaction to the revelations over their expense claims. Keen voted against the reform of MP's expenses in 2008.
A formal investigation into the Keens' expenses by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards
ruled in March that the Keens had breached the expenses rules and that he regarded the breach of the rules as "serious", and involving "significant public funds". He suggested that the Keens should pay back four months worth of their claims - some £5,678. However, The Commons Standards and Privileges Committee of MPs took disagreed with his findings and reduced the repayment to £1,500.
, whom he married in 1980, joined him in the Commons at the 1997 general election
when she was elected for the neighbouring seat of Brentford and Isleworth. but Ann was defeated in the 2010 general election. His sister-in-law, Sylvia Heal
was an MP from 1997-2010 and Deputy Speakers of the House of Commons before retiring at the 2010 election. He and his wife lived in his wife's former constituency at Brentford
.
Keen employed son David for at least 8 years as his constituency manager and senior caseworker. He also had a further son and a daughter from a previous marriage. He died on 10 November 2011 from cancer, aged 73.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
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...
Co-operative
Co-operative Party
The Co-operative Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom committed to supporting and representing co-operative principles. The party does not put up separate candidates for any UK election itself. Instead, Co-operative candidates stand jointly with the Labour Party as "Labour...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, 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 Feltham and Heston from 1992 until his death.
Early life
Although born in London, Alan Keen was brought up in the GrangetownGrangetown, North Yorkshire
Grangetown is a township in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the outskirts of Middlesbrough between the town and ICI Wilton. It is approximately 3.3 miles east of Middlesbrough centre and 4.4 miles from Redcar. Although...
and Redcar
Redcar
Redcar is a seaside resort in the north east of England, and a major town in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire. It lies east-northeast of Middlesbrough by the North Sea coast...
area in the present day unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
of Redcar and Cleveland
Redcar and Cleveland
The borough of Redcar & Cleveland is a unitary authority in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England consisting of Redcar, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Guisborough, and small towns such as Brotton, Eston, Skelton and Loftus. It had a resident population of 139,132 in 2001, and is part of the Tees...
in the north east of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He went to Sir William Turners Grammar School in Redcar
Redcar
Redcar is a seaside resort in the north east of England, and a major town in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire. It lies east-northeast of Middlesbrough by the North Sea coast...
. He joined the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in 1960 and after nearly three years of service, in 1963, he started his career with the Fire Protection Industry where he remained until his election to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. He also worked as a tactical scout for Middlesbrough F.C.
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...
for eighteen years.
Parliamentary career
He served as a member of Hounslow Borough CouncilLondon Borough of Hounslow
-Political composition:Since the borough was formed it has been controlled by the Labour Party on all but two occasions. In 1968 the Conservatives formed a majority for the first and last time to date until they lost control to Labour in 1971. Labour subsequently lost control of the council in the...
from 1986–90 and was elected to Parliament 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...
when he unseated the sitting 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 Patrick Ground
Patrick Ground
Reginald Patrick Ground, QC is a British Conservative politician.He served as a councillor on the London Borough of Hammersmith from 1968 to 1971 representing Parson's Green ward, and later chaired the Fulham Society....
. In Parliament he has served on both the Education
Education & Skills Select Committee
The Education & Skills Select Committee was a Committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The official name was the House of Commons, Education and Skills Committee....
(1995–96) and the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee
Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee
The Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee is one of the Select Committees of the British House of Commons, established in 1997. It oversees the operations of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport which replaced the Department for National Heritage....
s (1997–99 and since 2001).
Heathrow Airport expansion
On 28 January 2009, Keen voted against a motion in Parliament calling on the government to review a decision to add a third runway to Heathrow AirportExpansion of London Heathrow Airport
The expansion of London Heathrow Airport involved the proposal by BAA Limited to build a third runway and a sixth terminal at Heathrow. The plan was supported by businesses, the aviation industry, the British Chambers of Commerce, the Confederation of British Industry, the Trades Union Congress and...
. Keen had claimed to be opposed to expansion at Heathrow for many years; stating in his consultation publication on the issue he is "opposed to an additional runway" and although he was in favour of expansion up to the present boundaries "there has to be a limit" and he believed "that limit has been reached" Conservative Councillor Barbara Reid of Hounslow Council, said the Keens were “completely ignoring their constituents and letting them down.”, noting that "90 per cent of people in every survey we have done do not support the third runway". Further controversy arose when Keen suggested the third runway would "hardly affect my constituents at all".
Expenses
Together with his MP wife Ann KeenAnn Keen
Ann Lloyd Keen is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Brentford and Isleworth from 1997, until she was defeated by Conservative candidate Mary Macleod in 2010.-Early life:...
, the couple used their combined second homes allowances to buy an apartment in an up-market development at Waterloo
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
on the South Bank of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
, claiming £175,000 over five years. The Waterloo apartment is nine miles from their constituency home in Brentford
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located at the confluence of the River Thames and the River Brent, west-southwest of Charing Cross. Its former ceremonial county was Middlesex.-Toponymy:...
, a 30-minute drive from Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
. MPs who reside near the Keens in Brentford, such as Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
Minister Phil Woolas
Phil Woolas
Philip James Woolas was a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Oldham East and Saddleworth from his election in 1997 to 2010. He was the Minister of State for Borders and Immigration in the Home Office, as well as being the Minister of State for the Treasury...
who lives in the next street, are able to commute from there to Westminster. The couple claimed for both the interest payments on the Waterloo flat and the cost of re-mortgaging their Brentford home. The Fees Office agreed with the couple's argument that this was claimable because it was used to raise equity for the flat. The mortgage also included the cost of "compulsory" life insurance attached to the mortgages, a practice which is now banned. In total the Keens have claimed almost £1.7 million in expenses over seven years.
In 2009, their Brentford home was occupied by squatters after it was unoccupied for 9–12 months following a dispute with a building firm undertaking renovation work. The squatters' declared aim was to turn the house into a centre for war refugees, in response to Mrs Keen's support for the British invasion of Iraq.
In defending their part in the expenses scandal the Keen's stated "we have advocated, strongly supported, and voted for the introduction of Freedom of Information legislation
Freedom of information in the United Kingdom
Freedom of information legislation in the United Kingdom is controlled by two Acts of the United Kingdom and Scottish Parliaments respectively, which both came into force on 1 January 2005.* Freedom of Information Act 2000...
. We are pleased that the point has been reached when full details of MPs' expenses are being published on a regular basis for everyone to see". However, in November 2009, arsonists repeatedly attacked an office block containing Mrs Keen's constituency offices in reaction to the revelations over their expense claims. Keen voted against the reform of MP's expenses in 2008.
A formal investigation into the Keens' expenses by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards
Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is an officer of the British House of Commons.He or she is appointed by a Resolution of the House of Commons and works a four-day week.- Tasks :...
ruled in March that the Keens had breached the expenses rules and that he regarded the breach of the rules as "serious", and involving "significant public funds". He suggested that the Keens should pay back four months worth of their claims - some £5,678. However, The Commons Standards and Privileges Committee of MPs took disagreed with his findings and reduced the repayment to £1,500.
Personal life
His wife, Ann KeenAnn Keen
Ann Lloyd Keen is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Brentford and Isleworth from 1997, until she was defeated by Conservative candidate Mary Macleod in 2010.-Early life:...
, whom he married in 1980, joined him in the 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...
when she was elected for the neighbouring seat of Brentford and Isleworth. but Ann was defeated in the 2010 general election. His sister-in-law, Sylvia Heal
Sylvia Heal
Sylvia Lloyd Heal is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Halesowen and Rowley Regis from 1997 to 2010, having previously been the MP for Mid Staffordshire from 1990 to 1992...
was an MP from 1997-2010 and Deputy Speakers of the House of Commons before retiring at the 2010 election. He and his wife lived in his wife's former constituency at Brentford
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located at the confluence of the River Thames and the River Brent, west-southwest of Charing Cross. Its former ceremonial county was Middlesex.-Toponymy:...
.
Keen employed son David for at least 8 years as his constituency manager and senior caseworker. He also had a further son and a daughter from a previous marriage. He died on 10 November 2011 from cancer, aged 73.
External links
- Alan Keen MP official constituency site