John Andrew Barrett
Encyclopedia
John Andrew Barrett is a Scottish
Liberal Democrat politician
and the former Member of Parliament
(MP) for Edinburgh West
.
, Tasmania
, John Barrett was educated at the Forrester High School in Edinburgh
, Telford College
and Napier Polytechnic
(as it then was). He joined the Scottish Liberal Party
in 1980 and was the election agent
for Veronica Crerar when she won the South East Corstorphine ward in 1984. He was also the election agent at council and parliamentary elections for Donald Gorrie
. John Barrett was elected to the City of Edinburgh Council for South-East Corstorphine
ward in 1995 and was elected Chairman of the Liberal Democrat Group from 1995 to 2001. He was the election agent
for Donald Gorrie
in Edinburgh West when the Liberal Democrats won the seat from the Conservatives at the 1997 General Election
.
He married Carol, a graduate of Edinburgh College of Art
and well known wildlife artist. They have one daughter, Sarah, and two granddaughters, Maria and Hope. They live in Edinburgh.
. John Barrett won the nomination to defend Edinburgh West
at the 2001 general election
, which he did by 7,589 votes. He made his maiden speech
in the House of Commons on 13 July 2001. John Barrett sat on the International Development Select Committee between 2001 and 2007, and was made a party spokesman on International Development
in 2003. He was promoted by Charles Kennedy
in December 2005 to Shadow Minister of State for Scotland, while continuing as a spokesman on International Development. Since 2008 he has also been a spokesman on Work and Pensions
with a focus on disability issues.
Barrett has fought prominent campaigns; for Trade Justice
, against Post Office
closures, opposing the war in Iraq, supporting renewables
and opposing nuclear power, against the replacement of Trident and for a number of animal welfare issues alongside the Scottish SPCA, including one to ban the trade in cat and dog fur. Following the boundary changes in 2005, Edinburgh West now includes the areas of Stenhouse
and Murrayfield
. He was re-elected in the United Kingdom general election, 2005
, with a majority of 13,600 over the nearest (Conservative
) candidate, in a seat which the Lib Dems had won for the first time only eight years before.
Barrett is a founding member of the Beveridge Group
within the Liberal Democrats. He is also the President of the Scottish Liberal Club, serves on the Scottish and Federal Liberal Democrat national executive committees, is leading the party's legacy programme in Scotland and continues to campaign for the Liberal Democrats. Outside politics he works with Atlantic Screen Music, is involved with a number of charities working in the developing world - including India 800 and as an ambassador for CBM. He trains parliamentarians in emerging democracies with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy
, is on the Advisory Council of the Edinburgh International Film Festival
and is a member of the Royal Bank of Scotland's Microfinance Advisory Board. On 25 July 2009, Barrett announced that he would be standing down from Parliament at the 2010 general election. In only two seats in the UK, Edinburgh West and Cambridge, were retiring Liberal Democrats able to successfuly see their own party hold on to their seats. He was succeeded as MP for Edinburgh West by fellow Liberal Democrat Mike Crockart.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Liberal Democrat politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and the former 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 Edinburgh West
Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh West is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , first used in the 1885 general election...
.
Background and early career
Born in HobartHobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, John Barrett was educated at the Forrester High School in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Telford College
Edinburgh's Telford College
Edinburgh's Telford College, named after Thomas Telford, the great Scottish civil engineer, was established in 1968. The College is a corporate institution governed by a Board of Management whose members are representative of key industrial and commercial sectors, professional organisations and...
and Napier Polytechnic
Napier University
Edinburgh Napier is one of the largest higher education institutions in Scotland with over 17,000 students, including nearly 5,000 international students, from more than 100 nations worldwide.-History:...
(as it then was). He joined the Scottish Liberal Party
Scottish Liberal Party
The Scottish Liberal Party was the dominant political party of Victorian Scotland, and although its importance declined with the rise of the Labour and Unionist parties during the 20th century, it was still a significant force when it finally merged with the Social Democratic Party in Scotland, to...
in 1980 and was the election agent
Election agent
In elections in the United Kingdom, as well as in certain other similar political systems such as India's, an election agent is the person legally responsible for the conduct of a candidate's political campaign and to whom election material is sent to by those running the election. In elections in...
for Veronica Crerar when she won the South East Corstorphine ward in 1984. He was also the election agent at council and parliamentary elections for Donald Gorrie
Donald Gorrie
Donald Cameron Easterbrook Gorrie is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician, and former Member of the Scottish Parliament for Central Scotland Region. He was also a Member of Parliament from 1997 until 2001, representing Edinburgh West....
. John Barrett was elected to the City of Edinburgh Council for South-East Corstorphine
Corstorphine
Corstorphine was originally a village to the west of—and separate from—Edinburgh, Scotland, and is now a suburb of that city.Corstorphine retains a busy main street with many independent small shops, although a number have closed in recent years since the opening of several retail parks...
ward in 1995 and was elected Chairman of the Liberal Democrat Group from 1995 to 2001. He was the election agent
Election agent
In elections in the United Kingdom, as well as in certain other similar political systems such as India's, an election agent is the person legally responsible for the conduct of a candidate's political campaign and to whom election material is sent to by those running the election. In elections in...
for Donald Gorrie
Donald Gorrie
Donald Cameron Easterbrook Gorrie is a Scottish Liberal Democrat politician, and former Member of the Scottish Parliament for Central Scotland Region. He was also a Member of Parliament from 1997 until 2001, representing Edinburgh West....
in Edinburgh West when the Liberal Democrats won the seat from the Conservatives 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...
.
He married Carol, a graduate of Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art is an art school in Edinburgh, Scotland, providing tertiary education in art and design disciplines for over two thousand students....
and well known wildlife artist. They have one daughter, Sarah, and two granddaughters, Maria and Hope. They live in Edinburgh.
Parliamentary career
In 2000, Donald Gorrie decided to stand down from House of Commons to concentrate on the Scottish ParliamentScottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
. John Barrett won the nomination to defend Edinburgh West
Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh West is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , first used in the 1885 general election...
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...
, which he did by 7,589 votes. 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...
in the House of Commons on 13 July 2001. John Barrett sat on the International Development Select Committee between 2001 and 2007, and was made a party spokesman on International Development
Department for International Development
The Department For International Development is a United Kingdom government department with a Cabinet Minister in charge. It was separated from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1997. The goal of the department is "to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty". The current...
in 2003. He was promoted by Charles Kennedy
Charles Kennedy
Charles Peter Kennedy is a British Liberal Democrat politician, who led the Liberal Democrats from 9 August 1999 until 7 January 2006 and is currently a Member of Parliament for the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency....
in December 2005 to Shadow Minister of State for Scotland, while continuing as a spokesman on International Development. Since 2008 he has also been a spokesman on 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...
with a focus on disability issues.
Barrett has fought prominent campaigns; for Trade Justice
Trade justice
Trade justice is a campaign by non-governmental organisations lobbying for changes to the rules and practices of world trade so that poor people and the environment benefit...
, against Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
closures, opposing the war in Iraq, supporting renewables
Scottish Renewables
Scottish Renewables has been the representative body of the Scottish renewable energy industry since 1996, presenting a united voice to decision makers who make energy policy. Scottish Renewables represents over 300 members and member organisations are wide ranging across all technologies and...
and opposing nuclear power, against the replacement of Trident and for a number of animal welfare issues alongside the Scottish SPCA, including one to ban the trade in cat and dog fur. Following the boundary changes in 2005, Edinburgh West now includes the areas of Stenhouse
Stenhouse
Stenhouse is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It lies to the West of the City Centre, adjacent to Whitson and Saughton Mains and close to Broomhouse and Sighthill...
and Murrayfield
Murrayfield
Murrayfield is an affluent area in the west of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is to the east of Corstorphine and west of Roseburn. The A8 road runs east-west through the north of the area....
. He was re-elected in the United Kingdom general election, 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....
, with a majority of 13,600 over the nearest (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...
) candidate, in a seat which the Lib Dems had won for the first time only eight years before.
Barrett is a founding member of the Beveridge Group
Beveridge Group
The Beveridge Group is a centre-left group within the Liberal Democrat party in the UK. It was set up in 2001 by MPs Alistair Carmichael, Paul Holmes, John Barrett and John Pugh to promote debate within the party regarding public service provision....
within the Liberal Democrats. He is also the President of the Scottish Liberal Club, serves on the Scottish and Federal Liberal Democrat national executive committees, is leading the party's legacy programme in Scotland and continues to campaign for the Liberal Democrats. Outside politics he works with Atlantic Screen Music, is involved with a number of charities working in the developing world - including India 800 and as an ambassador for CBM. He trains parliamentarians in emerging democracies with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy
Westminster Foundation for Democracy
The Westminster Foundation for Democracy is a United Kingdom non-departmental public body set up to promote democratic institutions overseas. It was established in March 1992 and registered as a company limited by guarantee. It receives funding from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the...
, is on the Advisory Council of the Edinburgh International Film Festival
Edinburgh International Film Festival
The Edinburgh International Film Festival is an annual fortnight of cinema screenings and related events taking place each June. Established in 1947, it is the world's oldest continually running film festival...
and is a member of the Royal Bank of Scotland's Microfinance Advisory Board. On 25 July 2009, Barrett announced that he would be standing down from Parliament at the 2010 general election. In only two seats in the UK, Edinburgh West and Cambridge, were retiring Liberal Democrats able to successfuly see their own party hold on to their seats. He was succeeded as MP for Edinburgh West by fellow Liberal Democrat Mike Crockart.
External links
- John Barrett MP official site
- John Barrett MP profile at the site of Liberal Democrats
- John Barrett MP profile at the site of Scottish Liberal Democrats
- ePolitix.com - John Barrett MP
- Profile: John Barrett MP BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, 10 February 2005