Phillip Whitehead
Encyclopedia
Phillip Whitehead, was a British
Labour
politician, television producer and writer.
Born in Matlock Bath
, Derbyshire
, he was adopted by a local family, and attended Lady Manners School
in Bakewell
and Exeter College
at Oxford University, where he obtained his BA
(and MA
).
Whitehead apparently went to Oxford following in his adoptive parents' footsteps as a Conservative. He was President of the Oxford University Conservative Association
and the Oxford Union
in 1961. However, by the end of his time there he had convinced himself that his true place was in the Labour Party (see ref 1, from Exeter College Register).
He retained a close association with Derbyshire, especially the Bakewell area, throughout his life. He died of a heart attack on New Year's Eve 2005, aged 68 at a hospital in Chesterfield
.
and ITV
from 1967 to 1970.
His political career began as a Labour Member of Parliament
for Derby North from 1970 to 1983.
Whitehead was a member of several parliamentary committees:
After his defeat at the 1983 general election
, Whitehead returned to television as a producer and director. He was also author of several books derived, with the exception of the Fabian Essays, from the television series' he produced:
In 1988 he was MacTaggart Memorial Lecturer at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
He was a Labour member of the European Parliament
from 1994 to his death, first serving as MEP for Staffordshire East and Derby
, and later as one of the members for the East Midlands
.
On 23 July 2004 he was elected chair of the Parliamentary Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. He was also member of the European Parliament's African, Caribbean and Pacific Joint Parliamentary Assembly and chair of the European Parliamentary Labour Party
.
Whitehead was taken ill on 31 December 2005 and died later that evening in hospital of a heart attack
.
A list of EP committees of which Whitehead was a member:
Other professional memberships held by Whitehead:
Labour
politician, television producer and writer.
Born in Matlock Bath
, Derbyshire
, he was adopted by a local family, and attended Lady Manners School
in Bakewell
and Exeter College
at Oxford University, where he obtained his BA
(and MA
).
Whitehead apparently went to Oxford following in his adoptive parents' footsteps as a Conservative. He was President of the Oxford University Conservative Association
and the Oxford Union
in 1961. However, by the end of his time there he had convinced himself that his true place was in the Labour Party (see ref 1, from Exeter College Register).
He retained a close association with Derbyshire, especially the Bakewell area, throughout his life. He died of a heart attack on New Year's Eve 2005, aged 68 at a hospital in Chesterfield
.
and ITV
from 1967 to 1970.
His political career began as a Labour Member of Parliament
for Derby North from 1970 to 1983.
Whitehead was a member of several parliamentary committees:
After his defeat at the 1983 general election
, Whitehead returned to television as a producer and director. He was also author of several books derived, with the exception of the Fabian Essays, from the television series' he produced:
In 1988 he was MacTaggart Memorial Lecturer at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
He was a Labour member of the European Parliament
from 1994 to his death, first serving as MEP for Staffordshire East and Derby
, and later as one of the members for the East Midlands
.
On 23 July 2004 he was elected chair of the Parliamentary Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. He was also member of the European Parliament's African, Caribbean and Pacific Joint Parliamentary Assembly and chair of the European Parliamentary Labour Party
.
Whitehead was taken ill on 31 December 2005 and died later that evening in hospital of a heart attack
.
A list of EP committees of which Whitehead was a member:
Other professional memberships held by Whitehead:
Labour
politician, television producer and writer.
Born in Matlock Bath
, Derbyshire
, he was adopted by a local family, and attended Lady Manners School
in Bakewell
and Exeter College
at Oxford University, where he obtained his BA
(and MA
).
Whitehead apparently went to Oxford following in his adoptive parents' footsteps as a Conservative. He was President of the Oxford University Conservative Association
and the Oxford Union
in 1961. However, by the end of his time there he had convinced himself that his true place was in the Labour Party (see ref 1, from Exeter College Register).
He retained a close association with Derbyshire, especially the Bakewell area, throughout his life. He died of a heart attack on New Year's Eve 2005, aged 68 at a hospital in Chesterfield
.
and ITV
from 1967 to 1970.
His political career began as a Labour Member of Parliament
for Derby North from 1970 to 1983.
Whitehead was a member of several parliamentary committees:
After his defeat at the 1983 general election
, Whitehead returned to television as a producer and director. He was also author of several books derived, with the exception of the Fabian Essays, from the television series' he produced:
In 1988 he was MacTaggart Memorial Lecturer at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
He was a Labour member of the European Parliament
from 1994 to his death, first serving as MEP for Staffordshire East and Derby
, and later as one of the members for the East Midlands
.
On 23 July 2004 he was elected chair of the Parliamentary Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. He was also member of the European Parliament's African, Caribbean and Pacific Joint Parliamentary Assembly and chair of the European Parliamentary Labour Party
.
Whitehead was taken ill on 31 December 2005 and died later that evening in hospital of a heart attack
.
A list of EP committees of which Whitehead was a member:
Other professional memberships held by Whitehead:
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
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, television producer and writer.
Born in Matlock Bath
Matlock Bath
Matlock Bath is a village south of Matlock in Derbyshire, England. Built along the River Derwent, it developed, in the 19th century, as a spa town and still thrives on tourism.-History:In 1698 warm springs were discovered and a Bath House was built...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, he was adopted by a local family, and attended Lady Manners School
Lady Manners School
Lady Manners School is an English secondary school and Specialist Music College as designated by the Specialist Schools Trust situated in Bakewell, a market town in the Peak District National Park, Derbyshire...
in Bakewell
Bakewell
Bakewell is a small market town in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire, England, deriving its name from 'Beadeca's Well'. It is the only town included in the Peak District National Park, and is well known for the local confection Bakewell Pudding...
and Exeter College
Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
at Oxford University, where he obtained his 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...
(and MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
).
Whitehead apparently went to Oxford following in his adoptive parents' footsteps as a Conservative. He was President of the Oxford University Conservative Association
Oxford University Conservative Association
The Oxford University Conservative Association, or OUCA is a student political organisation founded in 1924 whose members are drawn from the University of Oxford...
and the Oxford Union
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, Britain, whose membership is drawn primarily but not exclusively from the University of Oxford...
in 1961. However, by the end of his time there he had convinced himself that his true place was in the Labour Party (see ref 1, from Exeter College Register).
He retained a close association with Derbyshire, especially the Bakewell area, throughout his life. He died of a heart attack on New Year's Eve 2005, aged 68 at a hospital in Chesterfield
Chesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
.
Career
Whitehead was an independent documentary producer in early 1960s and later as an editor with the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
from 1967 to 1970.
His political career began as a Labour 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,...
for Derby North from 1970 to 1983.
Whitehead was a member of several parliamentary committees:
- Member, Council of Europe/WEU
- Member, Annan Committee on the Future of BroadcastingAnnan CommitteeThe Annan Committee on the future of broadcasting was established in April 1974 to discuss the United Kingdom broadcasting industry, including new technologies and their funding, the role and funding of the BBC, Independent Broadcasting Authority and programme standards.In February 1977 the...
- Member, Commons Select Committee on Home Affairs, which abolished 'Sus'
- Front Bench Spokesman on Higher Education and the Arts
After his defeat at the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
, Whitehead returned to television as a producer and director. He was also author of several books derived, with the exception of the Fabian Essays, from the television series' he produced:
- The Writing on the Wall
- Co author of The Nehrus and the Gandhis
- contributor to Changing States, Fabian Essays, Ruling Dimension
- The Windsors, A Dynasty Revealed
- Stalin, a Time for Judgement
In 1988 he was MacTaggart Memorial Lecturer at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
He was a Labour 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,...
from 1994 to his death, first serving as MEP for Staffordshire East and Derby
Staffordshire East and Derby (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...
, and later as one of the members for the East Midlands
East Midlands (European Parliament constituency)
East Midlands is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 5 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...
.
On 23 July 2004 he was elected chair of the Parliamentary Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. He was also member of the European Parliament's African, Caribbean and Pacific Joint Parliamentary Assembly and chair of the European Parliamentary Labour Party
European Parliamentary Labour Party
The European Parliamentary Labour Party is an integral part of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament and of the British Labour Party. Labour's Euro Parliamentarians represent their voters so as to advance democracy, social justice, prosperity, peace and sustainable development in the UK,...
.
Whitehead was taken ill on 31 December 2005 and died later that evening in hospital of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.
A list of EP committees of which Whitehead was a member:
- Member, EP Committee for Environment, Public Health, Consumer Protection
- Substitute member, EP Committee for Culture, Youth, Education, Media
- Chair, European Parliament Consumer Intergroup
- Member, Vice President, EP delegation for relations with Czech Republic
- Member, EP delegation to EU Bulgaria Joint Parliamentary Committee
- Member and Co-ordinator, EP Committee of Enquiry into BSE
- Chair, European Parliamentary Labour Party
- Member, EP Committee for Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection
- Substitute member, EP Committee for Culture, Youth, Media and Sport
- Member, EP Temporary Committee on Foot and Mouth Disease
- Member, EP delegation for relations with Czech Republic
- Member, Consumer Forum Intergroup
- Chair, Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee
- Substitute Member, Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee
- Member, ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary AssemblyACP-EU Joint Parliamentary AssemblyThe ACP–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly was created to bring together the elected representatives of the European Union and the elected representatives of the African, Caribbean and Pacific states that have signed the Cotonou Agreement.Since the entry into force of the Treaty on European Union...
- Member, European Parliament delegation for relations with Romania
Other professional memberships held by Whitehead:
- Director, Brook Associates TV production company
- Chair of the Fabian Society
- Council member and Chair of the Consumers' Association
- Chairman of Statesman-Nation Publications
External links
External links
Phillip Whitehead, (30 May 1937 – 31 December 2005) was a BritishUnited 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
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, television producer and writer.
Born in Matlock Bath
Matlock Bath
Matlock Bath is a village south of Matlock in Derbyshire, England. Built along the River Derwent, it developed, in the 19th century, as a spa town and still thrives on tourism.-History:In 1698 warm springs were discovered and a Bath House was built...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, he was adopted by a local family, and attended Lady Manners School
Lady Manners School
Lady Manners School is an English secondary school and Specialist Music College as designated by the Specialist Schools Trust situated in Bakewell, a market town in the Peak District National Park, Derbyshire...
in Bakewell
Bakewell
Bakewell is a small market town in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire, England, deriving its name from 'Beadeca's Well'. It is the only town included in the Peak District National Park, and is well known for the local confection Bakewell Pudding...
and Exeter College
Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
at Oxford University, where he obtained his 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...
(and MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
).
Whitehead apparently went to Oxford following in his adoptive parents' footsteps as a Conservative. He was President of the Oxford University Conservative Association
Oxford University Conservative Association
The Oxford University Conservative Association, or OUCA is a student political organisation founded in 1924 whose members are drawn from the University of Oxford...
and the Oxford Union
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, Britain, whose membership is drawn primarily but not exclusively from the University of Oxford...
in 1961. However, by the end of his time there he had convinced himself that his true place was in the Labour Party (see ref 1, from Exeter College Register).
He retained a close association with Derbyshire, especially the Bakewell area, throughout his life. He died of a heart attack on New Year's Eve 2005, aged 68 at a hospital in Chesterfield
Chesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
.
Career
Whitehead was an independent documentary producer in early 1960s and later as an editor with the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
from 1967 to 1970.
His political career began as a Labour 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,...
for Derby North from 1970 to 1983.
Whitehead was a member of several parliamentary committees:
- Member, Council of Europe/WEU
- Member, Annan Committee on the Future of BroadcastingAnnan CommitteeThe Annan Committee on the future of broadcasting was established in April 1974 to discuss the United Kingdom broadcasting industry, including new technologies and their funding, the role and funding of the BBC, Independent Broadcasting Authority and programme standards.In February 1977 the...
- Member, Commons Select Committee on Home Affairs, which abolished 'Sus'
- Front Bench Spokesman on Higher Education and the Arts
After his defeat at the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
, Whitehead returned to television as a producer and director. He was also author of several books derived, with the exception of the Fabian Essays, from the television series' he produced:
- The Writing on the Wall
- Co author of The Nehrus and the Gandhis
- contributor to Changing States, Fabian Essays, Ruling Dimension
- The Windsors, A Dynasty Revealed
- Stalin, a Time for Judgement
In 1988 he was MacTaggart Memorial Lecturer at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
He was a Labour 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,...
from 1994 to his death, first serving as MEP for Staffordshire East and Derby
Staffordshire East and Derby (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...
, and later as one of the members for the East Midlands
East Midlands (European Parliament constituency)
East Midlands is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 5 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...
.
On 23 July 2004 he was elected chair of the Parliamentary Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. He was also member of the European Parliament's African, Caribbean and Pacific Joint Parliamentary Assembly and chair of the European Parliamentary Labour Party
European Parliamentary Labour Party
The European Parliamentary Labour Party is an integral part of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament and of the British Labour Party. Labour's Euro Parliamentarians represent their voters so as to advance democracy, social justice, prosperity, peace and sustainable development in the UK,...
.
Whitehead was taken ill on 31 December 2005 and died later that evening in hospital of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.
A list of EP committees of which Whitehead was a member:
- Member, EP Committee for Environment, Public Health, Consumer Protection
- Substitute member, EP Committee for Culture, Youth, Education, Media
- Chair, European Parliament Consumer Intergroup
- Member, Vice President, EP delegation for relations with Czech Republic
- Member, EP delegation to EU Bulgaria Joint Parliamentary Committee
- Member and Co-ordinator, EP Committee of Enquiry into BSE
- Chair, European Parliamentary Labour Party
- Member, EP Committee for Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection
- Substitute member, EP Committee for Culture, Youth, Media and Sport
- Member, EP Temporary Committee on Foot and Mouth Disease
- Member, EP delegation for relations with Czech Republic
- Member, Consumer Forum Intergroup
- Chair, Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee
- Substitute Member, Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee
- Member, ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary AssemblyACP-EU Joint Parliamentary AssemblyThe ACP–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly was created to bring together the elected representatives of the European Union and the elected representatives of the African, Caribbean and Pacific states that have signed the Cotonou Agreement.Since the entry into force of the Treaty on European Union...
- Member, European Parliament delegation for relations with Romania
Other professional memberships held by Whitehead:
- Director, Brook Associates TV production company
- Chair of the Fabian Society
- Council member and Chair of the Consumers' Association
- Chairman of Statesman-Nation Publications
External links
External links
Phillip Whitehead, (30 May 1937 – 31 December 2005) was a BritishUnited 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
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, television producer and writer.
Born in Matlock Bath
Matlock Bath
Matlock Bath is a village south of Matlock in Derbyshire, England. Built along the River Derwent, it developed, in the 19th century, as a spa town and still thrives on tourism.-History:In 1698 warm springs were discovered and a Bath House was built...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, he was adopted by a local family, and attended Lady Manners School
Lady Manners School
Lady Manners School is an English secondary school and Specialist Music College as designated by the Specialist Schools Trust situated in Bakewell, a market town in the Peak District National Park, Derbyshire...
in Bakewell
Bakewell
Bakewell is a small market town in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire, England, deriving its name from 'Beadeca's Well'. It is the only town included in the Peak District National Park, and is well known for the local confection Bakewell Pudding...
and Exeter College
Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
at Oxford University, where he obtained his 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...
(and MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
).
Whitehead apparently went to Oxford following in his adoptive parents' footsteps as a Conservative. He was President of the Oxford University Conservative Association
Oxford University Conservative Association
The Oxford University Conservative Association, or OUCA is a student political organisation founded in 1924 whose members are drawn from the University of Oxford...
and the Oxford Union
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, Britain, whose membership is drawn primarily but not exclusively from the University of Oxford...
in 1961. However, by the end of his time there he had convinced himself that his true place was in the Labour Party (see ref 1, from Exeter College Register).
He retained a close association with Derbyshire, especially the Bakewell area, throughout his life. He died of a heart attack on New Year's Eve 2005, aged 68 at a hospital in Chesterfield
Chesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
.
Career
Whitehead was an independent documentary producer in early 1960s and later as an editor with the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
from 1967 to 1970.
His political career began as a Labour 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,...
for Derby North from 1970 to 1983.
Whitehead was a member of several parliamentary committees:
- Member, Council of Europe/WEU
- Member, Annan Committee on the Future of BroadcastingAnnan CommitteeThe Annan Committee on the future of broadcasting was established in April 1974 to discuss the United Kingdom broadcasting industry, including new technologies and their funding, the role and funding of the BBC, Independent Broadcasting Authority and programme standards.In February 1977 the...
- Member, Commons Select Committee on Home Affairs, which abolished 'Sus'
- Front Bench Spokesman on Higher Education and the Arts
After his defeat at the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
, Whitehead returned to television as a producer and director. He was also author of several books derived, with the exception of the Fabian Essays, from the television series' he produced:
- The Writing on the Wall
- Co author of The Nehrus and the Gandhis
- contributor to Changing States, Fabian Essays, Ruling Dimension
- The Windsors, A Dynasty Revealed
- Stalin, a Time for Judgement
In 1988 he was MacTaggart Memorial Lecturer at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
He was a Labour 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,...
from 1994 to his death, first serving as MEP for Staffordshire East and Derby
Staffordshire East and Derby (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...
, and later as one of the members for the East Midlands
East Midlands (European Parliament constituency)
East Midlands is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 5 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...
.
On 23 July 2004 he was elected chair of the Parliamentary Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. He was also member of the European Parliament's African, Caribbean and Pacific Joint Parliamentary Assembly and chair of the European Parliamentary Labour Party
European Parliamentary Labour Party
The European Parliamentary Labour Party is an integral part of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament and of the British Labour Party. Labour's Euro Parliamentarians represent their voters so as to advance democracy, social justice, prosperity, peace and sustainable development in the UK,...
.
Whitehead was taken ill on 31 December 2005 and died later that evening in hospital of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.
A list of EP committees of which Whitehead was a member:
- Member, EP Committee for Environment, Public Health, Consumer Protection
- Substitute member, EP Committee for Culture, Youth, Education, Media
- Chair, European Parliament Consumer Intergroup
- Member, Vice President, EP delegation for relations with Czech Republic
- Member, EP delegation to EU Bulgaria Joint Parliamentary Committee
- Member and Co-ordinator, EP Committee of Enquiry into BSE
- Chair, European Parliamentary Labour Party
- Member, EP Committee for Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection
- Substitute member, EP Committee for Culture, Youth, Media and Sport
- Member, EP Temporary Committee on Foot and Mouth Disease
- Member, EP delegation for relations with Czech Republic
- Member, Consumer Forum Intergroup
- Chair, Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee
- Substitute Member, Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee
- Member, ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary AssemblyACP-EU Joint Parliamentary AssemblyThe ACP–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly was created to bring together the elected representatives of the European Union and the elected representatives of the African, Caribbean and Pacific states that have signed the Cotonou Agreement.Since the entry into force of the Treaty on European Union...
- Member, European Parliament delegation for relations with Romania
Other professional memberships held by Whitehead:
- Director, Brook Associates TV production company
- Chair of the Fabian Society
- Council member and Chair of the Consumers' Association
- Chairman of Statesman-Nation Publications