George Howarth
Encyclopedia
George Edward Howarth is a British
Labour Party
politician
, who has been the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Knowsley North
from 1986
until 1997
, and since then for its replacement Knowsley North and Sefton East.
Born in Merseyside
, he was educated at the local Huyton
Secondary School, the Kirkby
College of Further Education, and the Liverpool John Moores University
. He went on to study at the University of Salford
. He served his apprenticeship
for four years from 1966 as an engineer, and then worked as an engineer until 1975 when he moved into teaching. In 1980 he joined Cooperative Development Services, and in 1982 was appointed the Chief Executive at the Walm Cooperative Centre. He became the Chief Executive of the Wales
Trades Union Congress
Centre in Cardiff
, a position he held before his election to the House of Commons.
Howarth was elected as a councillor to the Huyton District Council in 1971 and served in its successor the Knowsley Borough Council
until 1986, becoming its deputy leader from 1982-1983. He was the chair of the Knowsley South Constituency Labour Party for four years from 1981.
The sitting Labour MP for Knowsley North, Robert Kilroy-Silk
resigned from Parliament to follow a career in television with the BBC
. Howarth was elected on November 13, 1986 at the by-election with a safe majority of 6,724.
In Parliament he served as an opposition spokesperson on Environment
1989-1994 and Home Affairs
1994-1997. In 1997 he was appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office, and then at the same position at the Northern Ireland Office
in 1999. He left the government in 2001. He has served on select committees. He became a member of the Privy Council in 2005.
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 Knowsley North
Knowsley North (UK Parliament constituency)
Knowsley North was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1983 until 1997. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post voting system.-History:...
from 1986
Knowsley North by-election, 1986
The Knowsley North by-election, 1986 was a parliamentary by-election held on 13 November 1986 for the British House of Commons constituency of Knowsley North....
until 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...
, and since then for its replacement Knowsley North and Sefton East.
Born in Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, he was educated at the local Huyton
Huyton
Huyton is a suburb of Liverpool within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, with some parts belonging to the borough of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It is part of the Liverpool Urban Area and has close associations with its neighbour, Roby, having both formerly been part of the Huyton with...
Secondary School, the Kirkby
Kirkby
Kirkby is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in the metropolitan county of Merseyside in England. The town was developed from the 1950s through 1970s as a means to house the overspill of Liverpool. It is situated roughly north of Huyton, the administrative HQ of the borough and about...
College of Further Education, and the Liverpool John Moores University
Liverpool John Moores University
Liverpool John Moores University is a British 'modern' university located in the city of Liverpool, England. The university is named after John Moores and was previously called Liverpool Mechanics' School of Arts and later Liverpool Polytechnic before gaining university status in 1992, thus...
. He went on to study at the University of Salford
University of Salford
The University of Salford is a campus university based in Salford, Greater Manchester, England with approximately 20,000 registered students. The main campus is about west of Manchester city centre, on the A6, opposite the former home of the physicist, James Prescott Joule and the Working Class...
. He served his apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
for four years from 1966 as an engineer, and then worked as an engineer until 1975 when he moved into teaching. In 1980 he joined Cooperative Development Services, and in 1982 was appointed the Chief Executive at the Walm Cooperative Centre. He became the Chief Executive of the Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
Trades Union Congress
Trades Union Congress
The Trades Union Congress is a national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions in the United Kingdom, representing the majority of trade unions...
Centre in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, a position he held before his election to the House of Commons.
Howarth was elected as a councillor to the Huyton District Council in 1971 and served in its successor the Knowsley Borough Council
Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley
The Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley is a metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England. It comprises the towns of Kirkby, Prescot, Huyton, Whiston, Halewood and Cronton; Kirkby, Huyton, and Prescot being the major commercial centres...
until 1986, becoming its deputy leader from 1982-1983. He was the chair of the Knowsley South Constituency Labour Party for four years from 1981.
The sitting Labour MP for Knowsley North, Robert Kilroy-Silk
Robert Kilroy-Silk
Robert Michael Kilroy-Silk is an English former politician, former independent Member of the European Parliament, and former television presenter, best known for his daytime talk show Kilroy. He has been a university lecturer and Labour Party Member of Parliament...
resigned from Parliament to follow a career in television with the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. Howarth was elected on November 13, 1986 at the by-election with a safe majority of 6,724.
In Parliament he served as an opposition spokesperson on Environment
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom...
1989-1994 and Home Affairs
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,...
1994-1997. In 1997 he was appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office, and then at the same position at the Northern Ireland Office
Northern Ireland Office
The Northern Ireland Office is a United Kingdom government department responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and is based in Northern Ireland at Stormont House.-Role:...
in 1999. He left the government in 2001. He has served on select committees. He became a member of the Privy Council in 2005.