Chris Pond
Encyclopedia
Christopher Richard Pond, (born 25 September 1952) is a former Labour Party
politician in the United Kingdom
. He was Member of Parliament
(MP) for Gravesham
in Kent, from 1997
to 2005
.
in 1984) in Southgate, London
. At the University of Sussex
, he gained a BA
in Economics in 1974.
From 1974-5, he was a research assistant in Economics at Birkbeck College
. From 1975-9, he was a research officer at the Low Pay Unit (now called the Low Pay Commission). He lectured in Economics at the Civil Service College (now called the National School of Government
) from 1979-80. From 1981-2, he was a visiting lecturer in Economics at the University of Kent
. At the University of Surrey
, he was a visiting professor from 1984-6. He was a consultant for the Open University
from 1987-8, and 1991-2.
, Pond unsuccessfully contested the Welwyn Hatfield
constituency.
He won the Gravesham seat at the 1997 general election
, beating the sitting Conservative Party
MP, Jacques Arnold
. He was re-elected at the 2001 general election
, and served as a member of the Social Security Select Committee, Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Treasury and then minister in the Department for Work and Pensions
.
Pond introduced a Private Members Bill, the Employment of Children Bill in 1998, which subsequently led to greater protection for children at work. He campaigned with the Marchioness Action Group for a Public Inquiry into the sinking of the Marchioness, for greater safety measures and for the introduction of lifeboats on the Thames. At the May 2005 general election
, he lost his seat in Parliament
to the Conservative Party
candidate, Adam Holloway
.
In February 2005, Pond was arrested by the police after an alleged incident of criminal damage. He had removed a sign illegally threatening to clamp his heavily pregnant wife’s car and placed it on the door of a neighbour who he believed had been responsible, leaving traces of glue. After the decision whether to prosecute him was referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions and to the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, Pond received a police caution.
After leaving parliament in 2005, Pond was appointed as Chief Executive of The National Council for One Parent Families. In 2007 he became Director of Financial Capability at the Financial Services Authority
. Since 2005, he has been Chair of Capacitybuilders, a Cabinet Office sponsored funding agency for charities and social enterprises. He is a Trustee of the End Child Poverty Campaign and of the National Family and Parenting Institute. He is also an independent director of Cape Claims Services, an asbestos compensation scheme.
in 1990. They have one daughter, but divorced in 1999. He is now married to Lorraine (former councillor and mayor of Tower Hamlets). They have a daughter aged 4 and a son aged 15 months.
Chris has run 16 marathons, eleven of them in London, raising thousands for charity. He ran the London Marathon
again in April 2009 in support of Gingerbread (the charity for lone parents), Macmillan Cancer Care and United Response
(the learning disability and mental health charity)
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 in the United Kingdom
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...
. He was 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 Gravesham
Gravesham (UK Parliament constituency)
Gravesham 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...
in Kent, 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 2005
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
.
Early life
He went to the Minchenden School (became comprehensive in 1967, and was merged into the Broomfield SchoolBroomfield School (Arnos Grove)
-History:Broomfield was originally named Arnos School was founded in 1938 at the school's current site and took on the senior pupils of Bowes School, which thus became exclusively a primary school. It later became a secondary modern school...
in 1984) in Southgate, London
Southgate, London
Southgate is an area of north London, England, primarily within the London Borough of Enfield, although parts of its western fringes lie within the London Borough of Barnet. It is located around north of Charing Cross. The name is derived from being the south gate to Enfield Chase...
. At the University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
, he gained a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Economics in 1974.
From 1974-5, he was a research assistant in Economics at Birkbeck College
Birkbeck, University of London
Birkbeck, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It offers many Master's and Bachelor's degree programmes that can be studied either part-time or full-time, though nearly all teaching is...
. From 1975-9, he was a research officer at the Low Pay Unit (now called the Low Pay Commission). He lectured in Economics at the Civil Service College (now called the National School of Government
National School of Government
The National School of Government is a part of the Cabinet Office that runs training, organisational development and consultancy courses for UK civil servants and private individual learners...
) from 1979-80. From 1981-2, he was a visiting lecturer in Economics at the University of Kent
University of Kent
The University of Kent, previously the University of Kent at Canterbury, is a public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom...
. At the University of Surrey
University of Surrey
The University of Surrey is a university located within the county town of Guildford, Surrey in the South East of England. It received its charter on 9 September 1966, and was previously situated near Battersea Park in south-west London. The institution was known as Battersea College of Technology...
, he was a visiting professor from 1984-6. He was a consultant for the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
from 1987-8, and 1991-2.
Parliamentary career
At the 1987 general electionUnited 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...
, Pond unsuccessfully contested the Welwyn Hatfield
Welwyn Hatfield (UK Parliament constituency)
Welwyn Hatfield is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1974 as 'Welwyn and Hatfield'.- Boundaries :...
constituency.
He won the Gravesham seat 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...
, beating the sitting Conservative Party
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, Jacques Arnold
Jacques Arnold
Jacques Arnold Arnold is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was the Member of Parliament for Gravesham in Kent from 1987, when he succeeded Tim Brinton, until he lost his seat in the landslide 1997 election...
. He was re-elected at the 2001 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
, and served as a member of the Social Security Select Committee, Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Treasury and then minister in the Department for Work and Pensions
Department for Work and Pensions
The Department for Work and Pensions is the largest government department in the United Kingdom, created on June 8, 2001 from the merger of the employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security and headed by the Secretary of State for Work and...
.
Pond introduced a Private Members Bill, the Employment of Children Bill in 1998, which subsequently led to greater protection for children at work. He campaigned with the Marchioness Action Group for a Public Inquiry into the sinking of the Marchioness, for greater safety measures and for the introduction of lifeboats on the Thames. At the May 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
, he lost his seat in Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
to the Conservative Party
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...
candidate, Adam Holloway
Adam Holloway
Adam James Harold Holloway is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Gravesham.-Early life:...
.
In February 2005, Pond was arrested by the police after an alleged incident of criminal damage. He had removed a sign illegally threatening to clamp his heavily pregnant wife’s car and placed it on the door of a neighbour who he believed had been responsible, leaving traces of glue. After the decision whether to prosecute him was referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions and to the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, Pond received a police caution.
After leaving parliament in 2005, Pond was appointed as Chief Executive of The National Council for One Parent Families. In 2007 he became Director of Financial Capability at the Financial Services Authority
Financial Services Authority
The Financial Services Authority is a quasi-judicial body responsible for the regulation of the financial services industry in the United Kingdom. Its board is appointed by the Treasury and the organisation is structured as a company limited by guarantee and owned by the UK government. Its main...
. Since 2005, he has been Chair of Capacitybuilders, a Cabinet Office sponsored funding agency for charities and social enterprises. He is a Trustee of the End Child Poverty Campaign and of the National Family and Parenting Institute. He is also an independent director of Cape Claims Services, an asbestos compensation scheme.
Personal life
He married Carole TongueCarole Tongue
Carole Tongue, FRSA is a former Member of the European Parliament for London East, , and Deputy Leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party, ....
in 1990. They have one daughter, but divorced in 1999. He is now married to Lorraine (former councillor and mayor of Tower Hamlets). They have a daughter aged 4 and a son aged 15 months.
Chris has run 16 marathons, eleven of them in London, raising thousands for charity. He ran the London Marathon
London Marathon
The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...
again in April 2009 in support of Gingerbread (the charity for lone parents), Macmillan Cancer Care and United Response
United Response
United Response is a top 50 charity operating in England and Wales, providing a range of support and services for more than 1,500 people with learning disabilities, mental health needs or physical disabilities...
(the learning disability and mental health charity)