Greg Pope
Encyclopedia
Gregory James "Greg" Pope (born 29 August 1960) is a former British
Labour Party
politician, who served as Member of Parliament
(MP) for Hyndburn
from 1992
until retiring at the 2010 general election. He was a government whip
until the reshuffle following the 2001 general election.
. He studied Politics at the University of Hull
, graduating in 1981.
, Pope is a signatory of the Henry Jackson Society
. He was a member of the backbench committee on Northern Ireland from 1997-2001.
In April 2000 as a whip, Pope inadvertently approved a Liberal Democrat clause in the government's utilities bill, committing the government to meet 10% of electricity requirements from green sources by 2010. Pope said: "We were doing a series of government amendments. I realised I'd shouted aye too many times. I'm not overjoyed about it." The error led the government to instruct its MPs to vote against the clause.
In July 2003, Pope admitted leaking confidential Foreign Affairs Select Committee evidence to The Guardian
newspaper chief political correspondent Patrick Wintour
. The move was described as an attempt to "bounce" MPs on the committee into clearing Alastair Campbell
of "sexing up" the so-called Dodgy Dossier
of evidence into the threat posed by Iraq
i leader Saddam Hussein
.
On 11 June 2009, Pope announced that he is to stand down at the next election.
for England and Wales (CESEW).
as his favourite album. "It changed music forever and meant we never had to listen to Boney M
again."
He married Catherine Fallon on 2 August 1985; they have three children.
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, who served as 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 Hyndburn
Hyndburn (UK Parliament constituency)
Hyndburn is a borough 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.-Boundaries:...
from 1992
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...
until retiring at the 2010 general election. He was a government whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
until the reshuffle following the 2001 general election.
Early life
He went to St Marys College R.C. Grammar School on Shear Brow in Blackburn, now St Mary's Sixth Form College, BlackburnSt. Mary's College, Blackburn
St Mary's College on Shear Brow , Blackburn, Lancashire, England was established by the Marist Fathers in 1925. It is now a modern college institute for students aged between 16 and 18...
. He studied Politics at the University of Hull
University of Hull
The University of Hull, known informally as Hull University, is an English university, founded in 1927, located in Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire...
, graduating in 1981.
Parliamentary career
Considered a BlairiteTony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, Pope is a signatory of the Henry Jackson Society
Henry Jackson Society
The Henry Jackson Society is a non-partisan association. The society's goals include the promotion of "democratic geopolitics". The society is named after after Henry M. Jackson, the late Democratic Senator from Washington State...
. He was a member of the backbench committee on Northern Ireland from 1997-2001.
In April 2000 as a whip, Pope inadvertently approved a Liberal Democrat clause in the government's utilities bill, committing the government to meet 10% of electricity requirements from green sources by 2010. Pope said: "We were doing a series of government amendments. I realised I'd shouted aye too many times. I'm not overjoyed about it." The error led the government to instruct its MPs to vote against the clause.
In July 2003, Pope admitted leaking confidential Foreign Affairs Select Committee evidence to The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper chief political correspondent Patrick Wintour
Patrick Wintour
Patrick Wintour is a British journalist, political editor of The Guardian. The son of the late Charles Vere Wintour by his marriage to Eleanor Trego Wintour , Wintour was educated at...
. The move was described as an attempt to "bounce" MPs on the committee into clearing Alastair Campbell
Alastair Campbell
Alastair John Campbell is a British journalist, broadcaster, political aide and author, best known for his work as Director of Communications and Strategy for Prime Minister Tony Blair between 1997 and 2003, having first started working for Blair in 1994...
of "sexing up" the so-called Dodgy Dossier
Dodgy Dossier
Iraq: Its Infrastructure of Concealment, Deception and Intimidation was a 2003 briefing document for the Blair Labour government...
of evidence into the threat posed by Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i leader Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
.
On 11 June 2009, Pope announced that he is to stand down at the next election.
Post Politics
On 19 April 2010 Pope was appointed as the deputy director of the Catholic Education ServiceCatholic Education Service
The Catholic Education Service is an agency of the Bishops Conference of England and Wales and a member of the Bishops’ Department for Catholic Education and Formation. CESEW’s mission is to promote and support Catholic education...
for England and Wales (CESEW).
Personal life
In a survey of MPs, Pope somewhat controversially chose Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex PistolsNever Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols is the only studio album by the highly influential and controversial English punk rock band The Sex Pistols...
as his favourite album. "It changed music forever and meant we never had to listen to Boney M
Boney M
Boney M. is a Eurodisco group created by German record producer Frank Farian. Originally based in Germany, the four original members of the group's official line-up were Jamaicans Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett, Maizie Williams from Montserrat and Bobby Farrell from Aruba...
again."
He married Catherine Fallon on 2 August 1985; they have three children.