Michael Gallagher (British politician)
Encyclopedia
Michael Gallagher is a British
miner, politician and software development company executive. He was the only Member of the European Parliament
to have been a member of the Social Democratic Party
, when he left the Labour Party
in 1984.
in the mining area of County Durham
, and attended St Mary Magdalene Junior School and St Joseph's Secondary Modern School in the town. He himself became a miner on leaving school; he was employed in the Nottinghamshire
coalfield.
from 1967 to 1969. He then obtained a Trade Union Congress scholarship to the University of Wales
from 1970 to 1972 and to the University of Nottingham (Workers Educational Association section) from 1972 to 1974.
, in 1970 Gallagher was elected to Mansfield Borough Council, and in 1973 to Nottinghamshire County Council. He fought Rushcliffe
at the February 1974 general election
. As a supporter of British membership of the European Communities
, Gallagher became interested in membership of the European Parliament
at the first direct elections; he was sponsored by the NUM and in the 1979 elections he was elected as Labour MEP for Nottingham
with a very small majority.
. He described the Labour group of MEPs at the time as "really two groups of people who don't see eye to eye on anything".
The Nottingham constituency was subject to boundary changes at the 1984 elections, and Gallagher chose to abandon it and seek re-election as an SDP candidate in Lancashire Central
. This was not a target seat for the SDP and Gallagher came third in the poll.
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...
miner, politician and software development company executive. He was the only Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
to have been a member of the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
, when he left 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...
in 1984.
Mining career
Gallagher was born in SeahamSeaham
Seaham, formerly Seaham Harbour, is a small town in County Durham, situated south of Sunderland and east of Durham. It has a small parish church, St Mary the Virgin, with a late 7th century Anglo Saxon nave resembling the church at Escomb in many respects. St Mary the Virgin is regarded as one of...
in the mining area of County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, and attended St Mary Magdalene Junior School and St Joseph's Secondary Modern School in the town. He himself became a miner on leaving school; he was employed in the Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
coalfield.
Education
He was a member of the National Union of Mineworkers and was a Branch Official of the Union from 1967 to 1970. Through the auspices of the Union he went on a day release course at the University of NottinghamUniversity of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
from 1967 to 1969. He then obtained a Trade Union Congress scholarship to the University of Wales
University of Wales
The University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
from 1970 to 1972 and to the University of Nottingham (Workers Educational Association section) from 1972 to 1974.
Politics
Active in the Labour PartyLabour 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...
, in 1970 Gallagher was elected to Mansfield Borough Council, and in 1973 to Nottinghamshire County Council. He fought Rushcliffe
Rushcliffe (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:-Elections in the 80's:-Notes and references:...
at the February 1974 general election
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
. As a supporter of British membership of the European Communities
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, Gallagher became interested in membership of the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
at the first direct elections; he was sponsored by the NUM and in the 1979 elections he was elected as Labour MEP for Nottingham
Nottingham (European Parliament constituency)
Prior to its uniform adoption of proportional representation in 1999, the United Kingdom used first-past-the-post for the European elections in England, Scotland and Wales...
with a very small majority.
European Parliament
He used his position at the European Parliament to call for more development of the mining industry. However, the change of policy of the Labour Party in the early 1980s led to his increasing disillusionment with the state of politics. In December 1983 Gallagher resigned from the Labour Party, and on 5 January 1984 he joined the Social Democratic PartySocial Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
. He described the Labour group of MEPs at the time as "really two groups of people who don't see eye to eye on anything".
The Nottingham constituency was subject to boundary changes at the 1984 elections, and Gallagher chose to abandon it and seek re-election as an SDP candidate in Lancashire Central
Lancashire Central (European Parliament constituency)
Prior to its uniform adoption of proportional representation in 1999, the United Kingdom used first-past-the-post for the European elections in England, Scotland and Wales...
. This was not a target seat for the SDP and Gallagher came third in the poll.