Richard Caborn
Encyclopedia
Richard George Caborn PC (born 6 October 1943) is a British
Labour Party
politician
, who was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Sheffield Central from 1983
to 2010. Caborn served as the Minister of Sport at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (2001–7), holding the position longer than anyone else to date, before being appointed as Prime Minister
Gordon Brown's
Ambassador for England's
2018 World Cup Bid.
and was educated at the Hurlfield Secondary Modern Boys School until 1958 (now Sheffield Springs Academy
since September 2006, became comprehensive in 1966) on East Bank Road, Intake
in Sheffield; Granville College of Further Education (now Castle College, part of Sheffield College
); and Sheffield Polytechnic (now Sheffield Hallam University
), where he qualified as an engineer. He began an engineering apprentice
ship in 1959 and became a convenor of shop stewards at Firth Brown
in 1967 where he worked as a fitter. He was elected as the Vice President of Sheffield Trades Council between 1968–1979. He became a governor of the BBC
for three years in 1975. He is a member of the Co-operative Party
and of Amicus
(formerly AEEU
).
for Sheffield
, where he remained until 1984. He contested the new parliamentary seat of Sheffield Central at the 1983 general election
, following the decision to retire of the Labour MP for Sheffield Park
and former Cabinet
member Fred Mulley
, and was elected somewhat easily with a majority of 16,790, and remained the MP there until 2010.
Caborn joined the frontbench under Neil Kinnock
in 1988 when he became an opposition spokesman on Trade and Industry, becoming a spokesman of Regional Affairs in 1990. After the 1992 general election
he became the chairman of the Trade and Industry Select Committee where he served until 1995 when he became an opposition spokesman on the Lord Chancellor's Department
. Following Labour's decisive victory at the 1997 general election
, he entered the government of Tony Blair
as the Minister of State at the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions
, in which role he was closely involved in establishing the English Regional Development Agencies
. He was also a strong supporter of English regional government, but after negative responses from referendums in the north of England in 2004
this was dropped by government. He then moved with the same position at the Department of Trade and Industry in 1999. He became a Member of the Privy Council
in 1999, and since the 2001 general election
he has served as the Minister of Sport. In relation to the Wembley Stadium
rebuilding project, he announced in October 2005: "They say the Cup Final
will be there, barring six feet of snow or something like that".
Caborn was seen as a close ally of John Prescott
, running his campaigns for the deputy leadership of the Labour Party in 1992 (whilst supporting Bryan Gould
for leader). He also ran Prescott's campaign for both deputy and leader in 1994. He is very much one of the more old Labour figures in government and is a former Bennite
, and was very active on South Africa issues, being very pro-Mandela
and anti-apartheid
; he ran concerts in support of the African National Congress
. He was an active supporter of Arthur Scargill
during the 1984–1985 miners' strike.
In March 2003, Caborn supported Tony Blair
in voting for the controversial Iraq war. On 30 December 2005, Caborn publicly announced his support for capped wages in British football.
On 28 June 2007 it was announced he would step down as Minister for Sport to become an ambassador for Britain's possible 2018 World Cup bid. In this role he will oversee the appointment of the bid's senior team and liaise between ministers and the Football Association
. He will also play a key role in lobbying FIFA
.
Caborn announced on 13 September 2007 that he would stand down at the next general election.
Caborn is a director of Nuclear Management Partners, which manages the Sellafield
nuclear complex, a consultant to AMEC
, a construction firm in the nuclear industry, and also a consultant to the Fitness Industry Association
. In March 2010 he faced accusations in The Sunday Times
linking him to the "Lobbygate"
affair.
In December 2010 Caborn was barred from Parliament for six months after being rebuked for breaching lobbying rules.
to relax and he is an avid supporter of Sheffield United
football club.
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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 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 Sheffield Central from 1983
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...
to 2010. Caborn served as the Minister of Sport at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (2001–7), holding the position longer than anyone else to date, before being appointed as Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Gordon Brown's
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...
Ambassador for England's
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
2018 World Cup Bid.
Early life
Richard Caborn was born in SheffieldSheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
and was educated at the Hurlfield Secondary Modern Boys School until 1958 (now Sheffield Springs Academy
Sheffield Springs Academy
The Sheffield Springs Academy in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, is one of three Academies in the city, alongside Sheffield Park Academy and Parkwood Academy. Sheffield Springs Academy has over 1,125 students aged 11–18, and opened in September 2006...
since September 2006, became comprehensive in 1966) on East Bank Road, Intake
Richmond, South Yorkshire
Richmond ward—which includes the districts of Four Lane Ends, Intake, Richmond, and Woodthorpe—is one of the 28 electoral wards in City of Sheffield, England. It is located in the southern part of the city and covers an area of 4.5 km2. The population of this ward in 2001 was...
in Sheffield; Granville College of Further Education (now Castle College, part of Sheffield College
Sheffield College
Sheffield College is a further education college in Sheffield, England. It was formed by the merger of six FE colleges in 1993. The main centres are Sheffield City College , Hillsborough College and Norton College...
); and Sheffield Polytechnic (now Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University is a higher education institution in South Yorkshire, England, based on two sites in Sheffield. City Campus is located in the city centre, close to Sheffield railway station, and Collegiate Crescent Campus is about two miles away, adjacent to Ecclesall Road in...
), where he qualified as an engineer. He began an engineering apprentice
Engineering apprentice
An engineering apprenticeship is an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering or electrical engineering. A typical example is the apprenticeships formerly available at the BTH and EEC at Rugby in England...
ship in 1959 and became a convenor of shop stewards at Firth Brown
Firth Brown Steels
Firth Brown Steels was initially formed in 1902, when Sheffield steelmakers John Brown and Company exchanged shares and came to a working agreement with neighbouring company Thomas Firth & Sons...
in 1967 where he worked as a fitter. He was elected as the Vice President of Sheffield Trades Council between 1968–1979. He became a governor of the BBC
BBC
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...
for three years in 1975. He is a member of the Co-operative Party
Co-operative Party
The Co-operative Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom committed to supporting and representing co-operative principles. The party does not put up separate candidates for any UK election itself. Instead, Co-operative candidates stand jointly with the Labour Party as "Labour...
and of Amicus
Amicus
Amicus was the United Kingdom's second-largest trade union, and the largest private sector union, formed by the merger of Manufacturing Science and Finance, the AEEU agreed in 2001, and two smaller unions, UNIFI and the GPMU...
(formerly AEEU
Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union
The Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union was a British trade union. It merged with the MSF to form Amicus in 2001.The history of the union can be traced back to the formation of the "Old Mechanics" of 1826, which grew into the Amalgamated Society of Engineers in 1851...
).
Parliamentary career
In 1979, he was elected as a Member of the European ParliamentMember 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,...
for Sheffield
Sheffield (European Parliament constituency)
Sheffield was a European Parliament constituency covering the City of Sheffield and parts of Derbyshire in England.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...
, where he remained until 1984. He contested the new parliamentary seat of Sheffield Central 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...
, following the decision to retire of the Labour MP for Sheffield Park
Sheffield Park (UK Parliament constituency)
Sheffield Park was a Parliamentary constituency in the City of Sheffield, England. The constituency was created in 1918 and abolished in 1983. The area formerly covered by this constituency is now mostly in the Sheffield Central constituency....
and former Cabinet
Cabinet of the United Kingdom
The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers....
member Fred Mulley
Frederick Mulley
Frederick William Mulley, Baron Mulley PC was a British Labour politician, barrister-at-law, and economist.Mulley attended Warwick School between 1929 and 1936. He served in the Worcestershire Regiment in the Second World War, reaching the rank of sergeant, but was captured in 1940 and spent five...
, and was elected somewhat easily with a majority of 16,790, and remained the MP there until 2010.
Caborn joined the frontbench under Neil Kinnock
Neil Kinnock
Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock is a Welsh politician belonging to the Labour Party. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995 and as Labour Leader and Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition from 1983 until 1992 - his leadership of the party during nearly nine years making him...
in 1988 when he became an opposition spokesman on Trade and Industry, becoming a spokesman of Regional Affairs in 1990. After 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...
he became the chairman of the Trade and Industry Select Committee where he served until 1995 when he became an opposition spokesman on the Lord Chancellor's Department
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
. Following Labour's decisive victory 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 entered the government of Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
as the Minister of State at the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions
Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions
The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions was a UK Cabinet position created in 1997, with responsibility for the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions ....
, in which role he was closely involved in establishing the English Regional Development Agencies
Regional Development Agency
In the United Kingdom, a regional development agency is a non-departmental public body established for the purpose of development, primarily economic, of one of England's Government Office regions. There is one RDA for each of the NUTS level 1 regions of England...
. He was also a strong supporter of English regional government, but after negative responses from referendums in the north of England in 2004
Northern England referendums, 2004
The Northern England devolution referendums were referendums starting with the North East region of England, in the United Kingdom, on 4 November 2004. Dubbed by the government the Great North Vote, the referendum proposed that the region should have an elected regional assembly...
this was dropped by government. He then moved with the same position at the Department of Trade and Industry in 1999. He became a Member of 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 1999, and since 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...
he has served as the Minister of Sport. In relation to the Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
rebuilding project, he announced in October 2005: "They say the Cup Final
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
will be there, barring six feet of snow or something like that".
Caborn was seen as a close ally of John Prescott
John Prescott
John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
, running his campaigns for the deputy leadership of the Labour Party in 1992 (whilst supporting Bryan Gould
Bryan Gould
Bryan Charles Gould, CNZM is a former United Kingdom politician. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1974–79, and again from 1983–94...
for leader). He also ran Prescott's campaign for both deputy and leader in 1994. He is very much one of the more old Labour figures in government and is a former Bennite
Tony Benn
Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC is a British Labour Party politician and a former MP and Cabinet Minister.His successful campaign to renounce his hereditary peerage was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963...
, and was very active on South Africa issues, being very pro-Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
and anti-apartheid
Anti-Apartheid Movement
Anti-Apartheid Movement , originally known as the Boycott Movement, was a British organization that was at the center of the international movement opposing South Africa's system of apartheid and supporting South Africa's Blacks....
; he ran concerts in support of the African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
. He was an active supporter of Arthur Scargill
Arthur Scargill
Arthur Scargill is a British politician who was President of the National Union of Mineworkers from 1982 to 2002, leading the union through the 1984–85 miners' strike, a key event in British labour and political history...
during the 1984–1985 miners' strike.
In March 2003, Caborn supported Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
in voting for the controversial Iraq war. On 30 December 2005, Caborn publicly announced his support for capped wages in British football.
On 28 June 2007 it was announced he would step down as Minister for Sport to become an ambassador for Britain's possible 2018 World Cup bid. In this role he will oversee the appointment of the bid's senior team and liaise between ministers and the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
. He will also play a key role in lobbying FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
.
Caborn announced on 13 September 2007 that he would stand down at the next general election.
Caborn is a director of Nuclear Management Partners, which manages the Sellafield
Sellafield
Sellafield is a nuclear reprocessing site, close to the village of Seascale on the coast of the Irish Sea in Cumbria, England. The site is served by Sellafield railway station. Sellafield is an off-shoot from the original nuclear reactor site at Windscale which is currently undergoing...
nuclear complex, a consultant to AMEC
AMEC
AMEC plc is a global consultancy, engineering and project management company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is focused on the oil and gas, minerals and metals, renewable energy, environment and infrastructure sectors and has offices in 40 countries worldwide...
, a construction firm in the nuclear industry, and also a consultant to the Fitness Industry Association
Fitness Industry Association
The Fitness Industry Association was established in 1991 as a non-profit organisation that represents the interests of the health and fitness sector across the UK, including both private and public sector organisations....
. In March 2010 he faced accusations in The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
linking him to the "Lobbygate"
2010 cash for influence scandal
The 2010 cash for influence scandal is a political scandal in the United Kingdom. In March 2010, Dispatches, a current affairs documentary series on Channel 4 conducted a journalistic sting operation...
affair.
In December 2010 Caborn was barred from Parliament for six months after being rebuked for breaching lobbying rules.
Personal life
During his time as Minister of Sport he ran in many marathons and fun runs. He has been married to Margaret Hayes since 21 May 1966, and they have a son and a daughter. He enjoys a round of golfGolf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
to relax and he is an avid supporter of Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
football club.
External links
- Department for Culture, Media and Sport – Rt Hon Richard Caborn MP official profile
- Guardian Unlimited Politics – Ask Aristotle: Richard Caborn MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com – Richard Caborn MP
- BBC Politics profile
- Becoming Sports Minister in June 2001
- Radio Five Live quiz in June 2001
- 2005 interview with the Guardian
Audio clips
- Talking in 2002 about a possible Olympic bid
- Interviewed by the Sport Industry Group in October 2006
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