John Healey
Encyclopedia
John Healey is a British
Labour Party
politician
, who has been the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Wentworth and Dearne
since 1997
, and former Minister of State for Housing and Planning
. In 2010 he was elected to the shadow cabinet and appointed shadow health secretary. He was replaced in this role by Andy Burnham in October 2011.
and was educated at the Lady Lumley's School
in Pickering
and at the independent St Peter's School, York
. Healey studied Social and Political Science at Christ's College, Cambridge
where he received a BA
in 1982. He worked as a journalist
and the deputy editor
of the internal magazine of the Palace of Westminster
, The House Magazine for a year in 1983. In 1984 he became a full-time disability rights
campaigner
for several national charities.
Healey joined Issues Communications in 1990 as a campaign manager before becoming the head of communications
at the Manufacturing, Science and Finance
trade union
in 1992. He was appointed as the campaign director with the Trades Union Congress
in 1994 in which capacity he remained until his election to the House of Commons. He was also a tutor at the Open University Business School.
Healey's first venture into Parliamentary politics was an unsuccessful attempt to gain the Ryedale
seat at the 1992 general election
. As the Labour candidate, Healey finished in third place, some 30,076 votes behind the sitting Conservative
John Greenway
.
for the 1997 general election he won by a convincing margin after a long campaign. It was rumoured that the Labour leadership had tried to insert the former Conservative MP for Stratford-on-Avon
, Alan Howarth, who had crossed the floor
and joined the Labour Party in 1995.
The other prospective candidates were journalist
Yvette Cooper
who went on to be selected for Pontefract and Castleford
and Rotherham Cllrs. Ken Wyatt and Cllr. Roger Stone. Finally Healey was chosen for this very safe Labour seat.
Cllr. Stone went on to become leader of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council where he has a close and positive working relationship with all three of the borough's MPs.
At the 1997 general election
, Healey successfully contested the seat of Wentworth
, which had become available following the retirement of the Labour MP Peter Hardy
. Healey held the seat with a majority of 23,959 and has remained the MP to date.
to the Chancellor of the Exchequer
Gordon Brown
in 1999. He was given an executive position following the 2001 general election
in an appointment as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Education and Skills.
Healey was promoted in 2002 to the position of Economic Secretary to the Treasury and nominally again following the 2005 general election
when he took the role of Financial Secretary to the Treasury
.
Healey's responsibilities included government statistics, (including the Office of National Statistics which is to become an independent body after passage of the current bill he has been steering through parliament), along with implementation of the government's 10 year strategy for science and innovation, which directs spending of around £5 billion a year. Inter alia, this has led to the controversial abolition of the Research Assessment Exercise
. However, he has never made a speech on this area of responsibility and did not answer questions about it.
On 29 June 2007, he was moved to the Department for Communities and Local Government
as a result of a government reshuffle. His position as Financial Secretary was filled by Jane Kennedy
. Shortly after his appointment he was announced as the Floods Recovery Minister, with responsibility for assisting the recovery from recent widespread flooding across the United Kingdom. It was announced he would be appointed to the Privy Council
in October 2008.
In a Cabinet reshuffle on 5 June 2009, he was appointed Minister of State (Housing), replacing Margaret Beckett
who had resigned.
John Healey has held the following positions:
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph
in July 2009, the outgoing Chairman of the Sustainable Development Commission
, Jonathon Porritt
described Healey as 'just the most deeply disappointing person to work with' saying Healy took 'a spoiler role' with him from post to post that was 'deeply unhelpful'.
and they have one son. He opposes the minimum wage
being set at a different level for young people and he campaigns for medals
to be awarded to Suez Canal Zone veteran
s. He is a member of Amnesty International
.
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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
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 Wentworth and Dearne
Wentworth and Dearne (UK Parliament constituency)
Wentworth and Dearne is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created for the 2010 general election, and elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
since 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 former Minister of State for Housing and Planning
Department for Communities and Local Government
The Department for Communities and Local Government is the UK Government department for communities and local government in England. It was established in May 2006 and is the successor to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, established in 2001...
. In 2010 he was elected to the shadow cabinet and appointed shadow health secretary. He was replaced in this role by Andy Burnham in October 2011.
Early life
John Healey was born in WakefieldWakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
and was educated at the Lady Lumley's School
Lady Lumley's School
Lady Lumley's School is a specialist sports and language college in Pickering, North Yorkshire, England, and is one of the most popular in the Ryedale region. It was founded around 200 years ago by Lady Lumley, a local Lady of the Manor. OFSTED rate Lady Lumley's as "good".The school has many links...
in Pickering
Pickering, North Yorkshire
Pickering is an ancient market town and civil parish in the Ryedale district of the county of North Yorkshire, England, on the border of the North York Moors National Park. It sits at the foot of the Moors, overlooking the Vale of Pickering to the south...
and at the independent St Peter's School, York
St Peter's School, York
St Peter's School is a co-educational independent boarding and day school located in the English City of York, with extensive grounds on the banks of the River Ouse...
. Healey studied Social and Political Science at Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
where he received 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 1982. He worked as a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and the deputy editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
of the internal magazine of the Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
, The House Magazine for a year in 1983. In 1984 he became a full-time disability rights
Disability rights movement
The disability rights movement is the movement to secure equal opportunities and equal rights for people with disabilities. The specific goals and demands of the movement are: accessibility and safety in transportation, architecture, and the physical environment, equal opportunities in independent...
campaigner
Political campaign
A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, wherein representatives are chosen or referendums are decided...
for several national charities.
Healey joined Issues Communications in 1990 as a campaign manager before becoming the head of communications
Communication studies
Communication Studies is an academic field that deals with processes of communication, commonly defined as the sharing of symbols over distances in space and time. Hence, communication studies encompasses a wide range of topics and contexts ranging from face-to-face conversation to speeches to mass...
at the Manufacturing, Science and Finance
Manufacturing, Science and Finance
Manufacturing, Science and Finance was a trade union in Britain...
trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
in 1992. He was appointed as the campaign director with the 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...
in 1994 in which capacity he remained until his election to the House of Commons. He was also a tutor at the Open University Business School.
Healey's first venture into Parliamentary politics was an unsuccessful attempt to gain the Ryedale
Ryedale (UK Parliament constituency)
Ryedale was a constituency in North Yorkshire 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...
seat 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...
. As the Labour candidate, Healey finished in third place, some 30,076 votes behind 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...
John Greenway
John Greenway
John Robert Greenway is a former British politician who sat as the Conservative Member of Parliament for Ryedale from 1987 until the constituency's abolition in 2010.-Early life:...
.
Selection
Although John Healey had not been the first choice as the Labour candidate in WentworthWentworth, South Yorkshire
Wentworth is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 1,223.- History :...
for the 1997 general election he won by a convincing margin after a long campaign. It was rumoured that the Labour leadership had tried to insert the former Conservative MP for Stratford-on-Avon
Stratford-on-Avon (UK Parliament constituency)
-By-elections:-Notes and references:...
, Alan Howarth, who had crossed the floor
Crossing the floor
In politics, crossing the floor has two meanings referring to a change of allegiance in a Westminster system parliament.The term originates from the British House of Commons, which is configured with the Government and Opposition facing each other on rows of benches...
and joined the Labour Party in 1995.
The other prospective candidates were journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
Yvette Cooper
Yvette Cooper
Yvette Cooper is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford since 2010, having previously been MP for Pontefract and Castleford since 1997. She served in the Cabinet between 2008 and 2010. She is the Shadow Home Secretary...
who went on to be selected for Pontefract and Castleford
Pontefract and Castleford (UK Parliament constituency)
Pontefract and Castleford was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until the 2010 general election. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
and Rotherham Cllrs. Ken Wyatt and Cllr. Roger Stone. Finally Healey was chosen for this very safe Labour seat.
Cllr. Stone went on to become leader of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council where he has a close and positive working relationship with all three of the borough's MPs.
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...
, Healey successfully contested the seat of Wentworth
Wentworth (UK Parliament constituency)
Wentworth was a parliamentary constituency in South Yorkshire. Originally created in 1918 and was abolished in 1950, the name was revived when a new constituency was created from 1983 to 2010. Throughout its history, Wentworth was a safe seat for the Labour Party.-Boundaries:Wentworth constituency...
, which had become available following the retirement of the Labour MP Peter Hardy
Peter Hardy, Baron Hardy of Wath
Peter Hardy, Baron Hardy of Wath, DL was a British Labour politician.The son of a Wath-upon-Dearne miner, Hardy was educated at Wath upon Dearne Grammar School. He trained as a teacher at Westminster College, London, and Sheffield University, rising to be head of English at Mexborough County...
. Healey held the seat with a majority of 23,959 and has remained the MP to date.
In government
Healey served as a member of the education and employment select committee from 1997 until he became the Parliamentary Private SecretaryParliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to the Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
in 1999. He was given an executive position following 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...
in an appointment as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Education and Skills.
Healey was promoted in 2002 to the position of Economic Secretary to the Treasury and nominally again following the 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....
when he took the role of Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury is a junior Ministerial post in the British Treasury. It is the 4th most significant Ministerial role within the Treasury after the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and the Paymaster General...
.
Healey's responsibilities included government statistics, (including the Office of National Statistics which is to become an independent body after passage of the current bill he has been steering through parliament), along with implementation of the government's 10 year strategy for science and innovation, which directs spending of around £5 billion a year. Inter alia, this has led to the controversial abolition of the Research Assessment Exercise
Research Assessment Exercise
The Research Assessment Exercise is an exercise undertaken approximately every 5 years on behalf of the four UK higher education funding councils to evaluate the quality of research undertaken by British higher education institutions...
. However, he has never made a speech on this area of responsibility and did not answer questions about it.
On 29 June 2007, he was moved to the Department for Communities and Local Government
Department for Communities and Local Government
The Department for Communities and Local Government is the UK Government department for communities and local government in England. It was established in May 2006 and is the successor to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, established in 2001...
as a result of a government reshuffle. His position as Financial Secretary was filled by Jane Kennedy
Jane Kennedy (politician)
Jane Elizabeth Kennedy is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Liverpool Wavertree from 1992 until she stood down in 2010...
. Shortly after his appointment he was announced as the Floods Recovery Minister, with responsibility for assisting the recovery from recent widespread flooding across the United Kingdom. It was announced he would be appointed to the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
in October 2008.
In a Cabinet reshuffle on 5 June 2009, he was appointed Minister of State (Housing), replacing Margaret Beckett
Margaret Beckett
Margaret Mary Beckett is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Derby South since 1983, rising to become the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party under John Smith, from 18 July 1992 to 12 May 1994, and briefly serving as Leader of the Party following Smith's death...
who had resigned.
John Healey has held the following positions:
- November 1999-June 2001 - Parliamentary Private Secretary to Gordon Brown as Chancellor of the Exchequer
- June 2001-May 2002 - Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Skills
- May 2002-May 2005 - Economic Secretary to the TreasuryEconomic Secretary to the TreasuryThe Economic Secretary to the Treasury is the fifth most senior ministerial post in the UK Treasury, after the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Paymaster-General and the Financial Secretary...
- May 2005-June 2007 - Financial Secretary to the TreasuryFinancial Secretary to the TreasuryFinancial Secretary to the Treasury is a junior Ministerial post in the British Treasury. It is the 4th most significant Ministerial role within the Treasury after the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and the Paymaster General...
- June 2007-June 2009 - Minister of State for Local Government
- July 2007-June 2009 - Minister for Flood Recovery
- June 2009–May 2010 - Minister of State for Housing
- May 2010-October 2010 - Shadow Minister of State for Housing
- October 2010 – Present - Shadow Secretary of State for Health
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph
The 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...
in July 2009, the outgoing Chairman of the Sustainable Development Commission
Sustainable Development Commission
The Sustainable Development Commission was a non-departmental public body responsible for advising the UK Government, Scottish Government, Welsh Assembly Government, and Northern Ireland Executive on sustainable development....
, Jonathon Porritt
Jonathon Porritt
Jonathon Espie Porritt, CBE, is an English environmentalist and writer. Porritt appears frequently in the media, writing in magazines, newspapers and books, and appearing on radio and television regularly.-Early life and family background:...
described Healey as 'just the most deeply disappointing person to work with' saying Healy took 'a spoiler role' with him from post to post that was 'deeply unhelpful'.
In opposition
Healey came second in the election for the shadow cabinet in 2010, and was appointed shadow health secretary. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11494915Personal life
Healey married Jackie Bate on 25 October 1993 in LambethLambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
and they have one son. He opposes the minimum wage
Minimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...
being set at a different level for young people and he campaigns for medals
Order (decoration)
An order or order of merit is a visible honour, awarded by a government, dynastic house or international organization to an individual, usually in recognition of distinguished service to a nation or to humanity. The distinction between orders and decorations is somewhat vague, except that most...
to be awarded to Suez Canal Zone veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
s. He is a member of Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
.
External links
- John Healey MP official constituency website
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