Ian Gibson (politician)
Encyclopedia
Ian Gibson is a British
Labour Party
politician, who was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Norwich North from 1997
to 2009
. He resigned from the House of Commons on 5 June 2009 after he was barred from standing as a Labour candidate by the Labour Party
for the general election.
, Scotland and was educated locally at the Dumfries Academy
, before attending the University of Edinburgh
where he acquired a Bachelor of Science
degree in Genetics and a doctorate
. He continued his studies in the United States of America at both Indiana University
and the University of Washington
. He worked continuously for the University of East Anglia
from 1965 until his election thirty-two years later. He initially worked as a scientist until 1971, was then a senior biology lecturer, then became the Dean of the School of Biological Sciences in 1991 and an honorary professor in 2003.
trade union for twenty four years from 1972, and joined the Labour Party as late as 1983 after seven years in the Socialist Workers Party
. He unsuccessfully contested Norwich North at the 1992 General Election
where he was defeated by the sitting Conservative
MP Patrick Thompson
by just 266 votes. He was elected to the House of Commons at the 1997 General Election
, Thompson had retired and Gibson beat the new Tory candidate by 9,470, and remained the MP there until his resignation in 2009. He made his maiden speech
on 17 June 1997. He was the coach of the cross-party parliamentary football team.
He was most recently a member of the Select Committee on Innovation Universities Science and skills. He was a member of the science and technology select committee from his election in 1997 and served as its chairman between 2001-5. He was chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer. Whilst he was the dean of biology at the University of East Anglia
he was the head of a research team investigating cancer, and has been awarded a 'Champion' award by Macmillan Cancer Relief for his work in support of people with cancer. He was a major campaigner against top-up fees for universities. He suffered a minor stroke on a visit to Ramallah
, West Bank
in September 2004.
He attracted controversy in August 2006 after claiming inbreeding in his constituency may have played a part in its rising number of diabetes
cases. However, he did later apologise for these remarks, stating he did not mean to cause offence.
, who reported that he claimed for a flat in which his daughter lived rent-free before selling it to her for half its market value. Subsequently, he was barred from standing in the next general election by a disciplinary panel of the Labour Party.
Believing that after the panel's decision his position was "untenable", he resigned as an MP
(by the traditional procedural device of becoming Crown Steward and Bailiff of the three Chiltern Hundreds of Stoke, Desborough and Burnham
), thereby forcing a by-election
. The resultant byelection was won by Chloe Smith
, the Conservative Party
candidate, with a majority of 7,348 (reversing a previous Labour majority of 5,459).
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 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 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 Norwich North 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 2009
Norwich North by-election, 2009
The 2009 Norwich North by-election was a by-election for the United Kingdom Parliament's House of Commons constituency of Norwich North. The by-election took place due to the resignation of Ian Gibson after being banned from standing as a Labour candidate for the next general election...
. He resigned from the House of Commons on 5 June 2009 after he was barred from standing as a Labour candidate by the 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...
for the general election.
Early life and academic career
Ian Gibson was born in DumfriesDumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
, Scotland and was educated locally at the Dumfries Academy
Dumfries Academy
Dumfries Academy is one of four secondary schools in the town of Dumfries in South West Scotland.-History:Dumfries Academy has existed in its present form, though not in the buildings it currently occupies, since 1804...
, before attending the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
where he acquired a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in Genetics and a doctorate
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
. He continued his studies in the United States of America at both Indiana University
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
and the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
. He worked continuously for the University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
from 1965 until his election thirty-two years later. He initially worked as a scientist until 1971, was then a senior biology lecturer, then became the Dean of the School of Biological Sciences in 1991 and an honorary professor in 2003.
Parliamentary career
He was a member of the executive of the Manufacturing, Science and FinanceManufacturing, Science and Finance
Manufacturing, Science and Finance was a trade union in Britain...
trade union for twenty four years from 1972, and joined the Labour Party as late as 1983 after seven years in the Socialist Workers Party
Socialist Workers Party (Britain)
The Socialist Workers Party is a far left party in Britain founded by Tony Cliff. The SWP's student section has groups at a number of universities...
. He unsuccessfully contested Norwich North 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...
where he was defeated by 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 Thompson
Patrick Thompson
Hugh Patrick Thompson, known as Patrick Thompson, is a British Conservative Party politician. Educated at Felsted School and Cambridge University...
by just 266 votes. He was elected to the House of 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...
, Thompson had retired and Gibson beat the new Tory candidate by 9,470, and remained the MP there until his resignation in 2009. He made his maiden speech
Maiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
on 17 June 1997. He was the coach of the cross-party parliamentary football team.
He was most recently a member of the Select Committee on Innovation Universities Science and skills. He was a member of the science and technology select committee from his election in 1997 and served as its chairman between 2001-5. He was chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer. Whilst he was the dean of biology at the University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
he was the head of a research team investigating cancer, and has been awarded a 'Champion' award by Macmillan Cancer Relief for his work in support of people with cancer. He was a major campaigner against top-up fees for universities. He suffered a minor stroke on a visit to Ramallah
Ramallah
Ramallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank located 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem, adjacent to al-Bireh. It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority...
, West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
in September 2004.
He attracted controversy in August 2006 after claiming inbreeding in his constituency may have played a part in its rising number of diabetes
Diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus, often simply referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced...
cases. However, he did later apologise for these remarks, stating he did not mean to cause offence.
Expenses controversy
In May 2009, Gibson became embroiled in the MPs' expenses scandal detailed by The Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, who reported that he claimed for a flat in which his daughter lived rent-free before selling it to her for half its market value. Subsequently, he was barred from standing in the next general election by a disciplinary panel of the Labour Party.
Believing that after the panel's decision his position was "untenable", he resigned as an MP
Resignation from the British House of Commons
Members of Parliament sitting in the House of Commons in the United Kingdom are technically forbidden to resign. To circumvent this prohibition, a legal fiction is used...
(by the traditional procedural device of becoming Crown Steward and Bailiff of the three Chiltern Hundreds of Stoke, Desborough and Burnham
Chiltern Hundreds
Appointment to the office of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the three Chiltern Hundreds of Stoke, Desborough and Burnham is a sinecure appointment which is used as a device allowing a Member of the United Kingdom Parliament to resign his or her seat...
), thereby forcing a by-election
Norwich North by-election, 2009
The 2009 Norwich North by-election was a by-election for the United Kingdom Parliament's House of Commons constituency of Norwich North. The by-election took place due to the resignation of Ian Gibson after being banned from standing as a Labour candidate for the next general election...
. The resultant byelection was won by Chloe Smith
Chloe Smith
Chloe Rebecca Smith is a British politician and the Conservative Member of Parliament for Norwich North. She was elected to the seat in a by-election on 23 July 2009 following the resignation of Labour MP Ian Gibson after the MPs' expenses scandal.-Early life:Born in Ashford, Kent, she was aged 3...
, 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, with a majority of 7,348 (reversing a previous Labour majority of 5,459).
Personal life
He has been married to Elizabeth Frances Lubbock since March 1974 and they have two daughters. He is a supporter of Norwich City F.C.Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
Publications
- Anti-Sense Technology by Ian Gibson, 1997
- Too Little Too Late?: Government Investment in Nanotechnology by Ian Gibson, 2004, The Stationery Office Books ISBN 0-215-01644-0
- Within Reach the EUs New Chemical Strategy by Ian Gibson, The Stationery Office Books ISBN 0-215-01706-4
- Advanced Manufacturing Technology for Medical Applications by Ian Gibson, 2005, John Wiley & Sons Ltd ISBN 0-470-01688-4
External links
- Ian Gibson's profile, from The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
’s "Ask Aristotle" - Ian Gibson on TheyWorkForYou.com
- Ian Gibson's voting record on Public WhipPublic WhipThe Public Whip is a parliamentary informatics project that analyses and publishes the voting history of MPs in the Parliament of the United Kingdom....