Timothy Kirkhope
Encyclopedia
Timothy John Robert Kirkhope (born 29 April 1945) is a British
lawyer and politician, currently serving as Member of the European Parliament
for Yorkshire and the Humber
for the Conservative Party
. After serving for ten years as Member of Parliament
for Leeds North East
, he was first elected to the European Parliament
in 1999. Since December 2004 he has been leader of the Conservative delegation on a number of occasions, and is also the Chairman of the Conservative Friends of Israel
's Europe grouping.
there and subsequently at the Law Society
College of Law
in Guildford
before qualifying as a Solicitor
in 1973. He was a Senior Partner in Newcastle law firm Wilkinson Marshall Clayton and Gibson (now part of Eversheds) until giving up practice on election to Parliament in 1987.
In 1982 he was elected to Northumberland
County Council and served as a Director of Newcastle Airport
. He obtained a Private Pilot’s Licence in 1983. He was very active in Hospital Broadcasting being the Chairman of Radio Tyneside for some years, and has maintained his links with the company. He was also very active in charitable work for the Macmillan Cancer Relief organization in Newcastle and the Family Service Unit movement.
, Kirkhope followed Sir Keith Joseph as the Member of Parliament for Leeds North East
. He was made Parliamentary Private Secretary
to David Trippier
at the Department of the Environment in 1989. In the same year, he introduced and saw passed a private members' bill
(the Parking Act 1989) which was designed to help motorists find better provision for their parking needs. He joined the Government as an Assistant Whip in 1990, becoming a Lord Commissioner to the Treasury
in 1992, and Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
in 1995.
In October 1995 Kirkhope received a promotion to be Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department
at the Home Office responsible for immigration, border controls, gambling and licensing policy, and horseracing. He was defeated for re-election at the 1997 general election
, his constituency attracting some interest because its majority had placed it at the point where a Labour gain would indicate that the party was likely to win an overall majority. Kirkhope returned to legal practice and also went into business. He is currently a non-executive director of the Bournemouth and West Hants Water Company.
becoming the Conservative spokesman on justice and home affairs and the Chief Whip of the delegation that year. He also served on the Culture, Media, Arts Education and Youth Committee between 1999 and 2002. In 2002 he became the Conservative Party representative on the Convention on the Future of Europe, established to consider the future course for Europe. He was re-selected by Conservative members in Yorkshire and The Humber to head the list of candidates in the European elections in June 2004
in December 2002.
In spring 2003, Kirkhope was asked by the then Shadow Home Secretary Oliver Letwin
to look into the workings of the UK asylum system and to make proposals for future party policy. The Kirkhope Commission worked for several months and produced a comprehensive report with 20 specific recommendations.
In July 2004, Kirkhope was elected as the first Vice-Chairman of the European Democrats, serving for a year. After the success of his Asylum Commission, he was asked to head another commission on immigration. This report was presented to the Shadow Home Secretary David Davis during the summer of 2004. In December 2004, Kirkhope was elected Leader of the Conservative Delegation in the European Parliament. He stepped down in November 2007 but was re-elected a year later after his successor, Giles Chichester
, was mired in a scandal over parliamentary expenses.
In June 2009 Kirkhope became the interim chairman of the new European Parliament group the European Conservatives and Reformists
(ECR). He was a candidate to become the permanent chairman of the bloc but he chose to step aside for Polish MEP Michał Kamiński after Kamiński was denied one of the Vice President of the European Parliament
positions by renegade then-Conservative Edward McMillan-Scott
. Kirkhope was later appointed deputy chairman
of the ECR Group.
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...
lawyer and politician, currently serving as 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,...
for Yorkshire and the Humber
Yorkshire and the Humber
Yorkshire and the Humber is one of the nine regions of England and formally one of the government office regions. It covers most of the historic county of Yorkshire, along with the part of northern Lincolnshire that was, from 1974 to 1996, within the former shire county of Humberside. The...
for the Conservative Party
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...
. After serving for ten years as 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 Leeds North East
Leeds North East (UK Parliament constituency)
Leeds North East is a borough constituency 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.- Boundaries :...
, he was first elected to 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...
in 1999. Since December 2004 he has been leader of the Conservative delegation on a number of occasions, and is also the Chairman of the Conservative Friends of Israel
Conservative Friends of Israel
Conservative Friends of Israel, abbreviated to CFI, is a British parliamentary group affiliated to the Conservative Party and dedicated to strengthening business, cultural and political ties between the United Kingdom and Israel. CFI is an unincorporated associationIt was founded by the late...
's Europe grouping.
Biography
Kirkhope was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and educated at the Royal Grammar SchoolRoyal Grammar School, Newcastle
Royal Grammar School Newcastle upon Tyne, known locally and often abbreviated as RGS, is a long-established co-educational, independent school in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It gained its Royal Charter under Queen Elizabeth I...
there and subsequently at the Law Society
Law society
A Law Society in current and former Commonwealth jurisdictions was historically an association of solicitors with a regulatory role that included the right to supervise the training, qualifications and conduct of lawyers/solicitors...
College of Law
The College of Law
The College of Law of England and Wales is a private educational institution in England and a registered charity which provides legal education for students and professionals.-20th century:...
in Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
before qualifying as a Solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
in 1973. He was a Senior Partner in Newcastle law firm Wilkinson Marshall Clayton and Gibson (now part of Eversheds) until giving up practice on election to Parliament in 1987.
In 1982 he was elected to Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
County Council and served as a Director of Newcastle Airport
Newcastle Airport
Newcastle International Airport is located in Woolsington in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, north-west of the city centre. In 2010 it was the 11th busiest airport in the United Kingdom....
. He obtained a Private Pilot’s Licence in 1983. He was very active in Hospital Broadcasting being the Chairman of Radio Tyneside for some years, and has maintained his links with the company. He was also very active in charitable work for the Macmillan Cancer Relief organization in Newcastle and the Family Service Unit movement.
Parliament
At the 1987 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
, Kirkhope followed Sir Keith Joseph as the Member of Parliament for Leeds North East
Leeds North East (UK Parliament constituency)
Leeds North East is a borough constituency 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.- Boundaries :...
. He was made Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary 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 David Trippier
David Trippier
Sir David Austin Trippier is a British Conservative politician and old boy of Bury Grammar School.Trippier was Member of Parliament for Rossendale from 1979 to 1983, and for Rossendale and Darwen from 1983 until he lost his seat in 1992 by 120 votes to Labour's Janet Anderson...
at the Department of the Environment in 1989. In the same year, he introduced and saw passed a private members' bill
Private Member's Bill
A member of parliament’s legislative motion, called a private member's bill or a member's bill in some parliaments, is a proposed law introduced by a member of a legislature. In most countries with a parliamentary system, most bills are proposed by the government, not by individual members of the...
(the Parking Act 1989) which was designed to help motorists find better provision for their parking needs. He joined the Government as an Assistant Whip in 1990, becoming a Lord Commissioner to the Treasury
Lord of the Treasury
In the United Kingdom, there are at least six Lords of the Treasury who serve concurrently. Traditionally, this board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second Lord of the Treasury, and four or more junior lords .Strictly they are commissioners for exercising the office of Lord...
in 1992, and Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
The Vice-Chamberlain of the Household is usually a junior government whip in the British House of Commons and is an officer of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. He or she is the Deputy to the Lord Chamberlain of the Household. The Vice-Chamberlain's main role is to compile...
in 1995.
In October 1995 Kirkhope received a promotion to be Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department
-Non-permanent and parliamentary under-secretaries, 1782-present:*April 1782: Evan Nepean*April 1782: Thomas Orde*July 1782: Henry Strachey*April 1783: George North*February 1784: Hon. John Townshend*June 1789: Scrope Bernard*July 1794: The Hon...
at the Home Office responsible for immigration, border controls, gambling and licensing policy, and horseracing. He was defeated for re-election 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...
, his constituency attracting some interest because its majority had placed it at the point where a Labour gain would indicate that the party was likely to win an overall majority. Kirkhope returned to legal practice and also went into business. He is currently a non-executive director of the Bournemouth and West Hants Water Company.
European Parliament
In June 1999 he was elected to the European Parliament for Yorkshire and the HumberYorkshire and the Humber
Yorkshire and the Humber is one of the nine regions of England and formally one of the government office regions. It covers most of the historic county of Yorkshire, along with the part of northern Lincolnshire that was, from 1974 to 1996, within the former shire county of Humberside. The...
becoming the Conservative spokesman on justice and home affairs and the Chief Whip of the delegation that year. He also served on the Culture, Media, Arts Education and Youth Committee between 1999 and 2002. In 2002 he became the Conservative Party representative on the Convention on the Future of Europe, established to consider the future course for Europe. He was re-selected by Conservative members in Yorkshire and The Humber to head the list of candidates in the European elections in June 2004
European Parliament election, 2004 (UK)
The European Parliament election, 2004 was the UK part of the European Parliament election, 2004. It was held on 10 June. It was the first European election to be held in the United Kingdom using postal-only voting in four areas. It coincided with local and London elections.The Conservative Party...
in December 2002.
In spring 2003, Kirkhope was asked by the then Shadow Home Secretary Oliver Letwin
Oliver Letwin
Oliver Letwin MP FRSA is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he is currently the Minister of State at the Cabinet Office, and a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of West Dorset...
to look into the workings of the UK asylum system and to make proposals for future party policy. The Kirkhope Commission worked for several months and produced a comprehensive report with 20 specific recommendations.
In July 2004, Kirkhope was elected as the first Vice-Chairman of the European Democrats, serving for a year. After the success of his Asylum Commission, he was asked to head another commission on immigration. This report was presented to the Shadow Home Secretary David Davis during the summer of 2004. In December 2004, Kirkhope was elected Leader of the Conservative Delegation in the European Parliament. He stepped down in November 2007 but was re-elected a year later after his successor, Giles Chichester
Giles Chichester
Giles Chichester is a British Conservative Party politician, and a Member of the European Parliament for South West England and Gibraltar. He was elected as a temporary Vice President of the European Parliament on 6 July 2011 to replace Silvana Koch-Mehrin who had resigned over plagiarism...
, was mired in a scandal over parliamentary expenses.
In June 2009 Kirkhope became the interim chairman of the new European Parliament group the European Conservatives and Reformists
European Conservatives and Reformists
The European Conservatives and Reformists, abbreviated to ECR, is a conservative anti-federalist political group in the European Parliament. The group currently comprises 57 MEPs, making it the fourth-largest group in the European Parliament....
(ECR). He was a candidate to become the permanent chairman of the bloc but he chose to step aside for Polish MEP Michał Kamiński after Kamiński was denied one of the Vice President of the European Parliament
Vice President of the European Parliament
There are fourteen Vice Presidents of the European Parliament who sit in for the President in presiding over the plenary of the European Parliament.-Role:...
positions by renegade then-Conservative Edward McMillan-Scott
Edward McMillan-Scott
Edward Hugh Christian McMillan-Scott is a British Member of the European Parliament and one of the Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament...
. Kirkhope was later appointed deputy chairman
European Conservatives and Reformists Group Executive
The European Conservatives and Reformists Group Executive comprises the governing council of the major conservative grouping in the European Parliament...
of the ECR Group.
External links
- Official website (biography)
- Profile at European Parliament website
- Profile at MiCandidate
- "EU to vote on CIA flights report" -- BBC News article quoting Kirkhope