Alan Meale
Encyclopedia
Sir Joseph Alan Meale is a British
Labour Party
politician
who has been the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Mansfield
since 1987
.
and studied at Ruskin College, and Durham University
, his CV also mentions Sheffield Hallam
.
Meale's website lists his previous occupations as Author, Editor, Development Officer, Trade Union Official, Researcher, Political Adviser and Journalist.
and made his maiden speech on 3 July 1987 in the Tourism debate where he commented on the poverty, lack of provision, opportunity and services in the Mansfield community.
Meale was a whip from 1992 to 1994 when he became Parliamentary Private Secretary
to John Prescott
in Prescott's different roles until 1998.
He became Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
at the DETR under John Prescott
from January 1998 to January 1999.
In 1998 following allegations in the Sunday Times, Michael Ancram
accused him of cronyism by lobbying on behalf of Tony Kleanthous, the millionaire Greek-Cypriot chairman of Barnet football club
.
Kleanthous wanted to build a £14m stadium on green belt land, 140 miles from Meale's constituency. The Sunday Times article said that Britain's Greek-Cypriot community had paid for Meale and his wife to go to Cyprus and that Greek-Cypriot lobbying groups had donated thousands of pounds to Labour. Meale denied cronyism and Kleanthous denied making donations to Labour or representing Greek-Cypriots.
Meale was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions from 1998-99.
He became UK Government whip Council of Europe
Delegation in 2007 and acting Leader of the UK Delegation in 2010.
He has been the chair of the British Section of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Cyprus Group since 2007.
The Legg Report showed that Meale repaid £11,859.47.
sponsored by Conservative MP David Tredinnick
regretting the British Medical Association
's opposition to further National Health Service
funding of homeopathy
.
in the 2011 Birthday Honours
.
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
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who has been 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 Mansfield
Mansfield (UK Parliament constituency)
Mansfield is a county constituency 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.-Boundary review:...
since 1987
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
.
Early life
Meale attended St Joseph RC School in Bishop AucklandBishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland is a market town and civil parish in County Durham in north east England. It is located about northwest of Darlington and southwest of Durham at the confluence of the River Wear with its tributary the River Gaunless...
and studied at Ruskin College, and Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
, his CV also mentions Sheffield Hallam
Sheffield Hallam
Sheffield Hallam can refer to:* Sheffield Hallam University, a modern university in Yorkshire, England* Sheffield Hallam , a parliamentary constituency in Sheffield...
.
Meale's website lists his previous occupations as Author, Editor, Development Officer, Trade Union Official, Researcher, Political Adviser and Journalist.
Parliamentary career
Meale entered Parliament on 11 June 1987and made his maiden speech on 3 July 1987 in the Tourism debate where he commented on the poverty, lack of provision, opportunity and services in the Mansfield community.
Meale was a whip from 1992 to 1994 when he became Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to John Prescott
John Prescott
John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
in Prescott's different roles until 1998.
He became Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
A Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State is the lowest of three tiers of government minister in the government of the United Kingdom, junior to both a Minister of State and a Secretary of State....
at the DETR under John Prescott
John Prescott
John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
from January 1998 to January 1999.
In 1998 following allegations in the Sunday Times, Michael Ancram
Michael Ancram
Michael Andrew Foster Jude Kerr, 13th Marquess of Lothian, PC, QC , known as Michael Ancram, is a United Kingdom Conservative Party politician. He is a member of the House of Lords, former Member of Parliament, and a former member of the Shadow Cabinet...
accused him of cronyism by lobbying on behalf of Tony Kleanthous, the millionaire Greek-Cypriot chairman of Barnet football club
Barnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
.
Kleanthous wanted to build a £14m stadium on green belt land, 140 miles from Meale's constituency. The Sunday Times article said that Britain's Greek-Cypriot community had paid for Meale and his wife to go to Cyprus and that Greek-Cypriot lobbying groups had donated thousands of pounds to Labour. Meale denied cronyism and Kleanthous denied making donations to Labour or representing Greek-Cypriots.
Meale was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions from 1998-99.
He became UK Government whip Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
Delegation in 2007 and acting Leader of the UK Delegation in 2010.
He has been the chair of the British Section of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Cyprus Group since 2007.
Expenses
Meale was mentioned in the Parliamentary expenses scandal having claimed £13,000 over 4 years for gardening. The limit set retrospectively by Sir Thomas Legg was £1000 /year.The Legg Report showed that Meale repaid £11,859.47.
Alternative medicine
Meale was one of sixteen MPs to sign an early day motionEarly 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...
sponsored by Conservative MP David Tredinnick
David Tredinnick (politician)
David Arthur Stephen Tredinnick is a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom.He is a former officer in the Grenadier Guards and is Member of Parliament for Bosworth first elected in 1987....
regretting the British Medical Association
British Medical Association
The British Medical Association is the professional association and registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association’s headquarters are located in BMA House,...
's opposition to further National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
funding of homeopathy
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine in which practitioners claim to treat patients using highly diluted preparations that are believed to cause healthy people to exhibit symptoms that are similar to those exhibited by the patient...
.
Personal life
He married Diana Gilhespy on March 10, 1983. He has a son and daughter from his first marriage; his marriage to Diana is his second marriage. Meale was knightedKnight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in the 2011 Birthday Honours
2011 Birthday Honours
The Birthday Honours 2011 for the Commonwealth Realms were announced on 7 June 2011 in New Zealand and 11 June 2011 in United Kingdom to celebrate the Queen's Birthday of 2011.-Privy Councillors:...
.
External links
- Alan Meale MP official constituency site