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Philip James Woolas, known as Phil Woolas, (born 11 December 1959[1] in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England[2]) is a politician in the United Kingdom. He is Labour member of Parliament for Oldham East and Saddleworth and is the new Minister of State in the Home Office with responsibility for Immigration and also Minister of State for the Treasury.
Early life
He went to Nelson Grammar School on Oxford Road in Nelson, which became Walton (Lane) High School when the LEA went comprehensive in 1972. The school is now Pendle Vale College since 2006 when the former buildings were demolished and re-developed for housing. After O levels, he went to Nelson and Colne College. He received a BA in Philosophy from the University of Manchester.
Woolas joined the Labour party at the age of 16 and became involved in student politics through the Anti-Nazi League.[3] Before entering Parliament, Woolas was Head of Communications at the GMB trade union (1991-7) and previously a television producer for the BBC (on Newsnight) from 1988-90 and ITN (Channel 4 News) from 1990-1.[4] From 1984-6 he was President of the National Union of Students.[2][4]
Parliamentary career
He first won the seat in the 1997 general election, having contested the predecessor Littleborough and Saddleworth seat at a by-election in 1995.[2] He became parliamentary private secretary to Lord Macdonald of Tradeston, a Transport Minister in 1999, and became a whip in 2001.
In 2003 he was made Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, and in 2005 moved to the ODPM to become Minister of State with responsibility for local government, later moving to the newly created Department for Communities and Local Government with the same responsibilities. During this time he acquired a reputation for evading any questions surrounding the failings of the Local Government Ombudsman.[5]
On 29 June 2007 he became Minister for the Environment at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. He had responsibility for climate change, energy and sustainable development.[4]
In October 2006 Woolas was involved in a debate involving the right of Aishah Azmi, a Muslim teaching assistant, to wear an Islamic veil in class.[6] In February 2008 he raised the question of inter-cousin marriage as a cause of the high incidence of disability within predominantly Pakistani and Bangladeshi cultures. The debate was welcomed by Ann Cryer MP who cited incidences in her own constituency.[7]
Following the cabinet reshuffle of 3 October 2008 he was made Minister of State for Borders and Immigration at the Home Office and Minister of State for the Treasury. [8]
Personal life
Woolas, a Manchester United F.C. and Lancashire County Cricket Club supporter,[2] lives in Lees, Greater Manchester, and has done so since 1997.[9] He is married with two sons.
References
- ^ Phil Woolas, BBC News, 2006-03-30, <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/mpdb/html/445.stm>. Retrieved on 28 July 2007
- ^ a b c d Phil Woolas; Biography, epolitix.com, 2007, <http://www.epolitix.com/EN/MPWebsites/Phil+Woolas/3090EBE9-FA62-4980-8E7F-1FE186BCA7CE.htm>. Retrieved on 28 July 2007
- ^ Phil Woolas - Labour, rochdaleonline.co.uk, <http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/News/candidate.asp?ID=8>. Retrieved on 28 July 2007
- ^ a b c Phil Woolas: Minister for the Environment, defra.gov.uk, 2007-07-04, <http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/ministers/woolas.htm>. Retrieved on 28 July 2007
- ^ Deputy Prime Minister - Local Government Ombudsman Written answers from Phil Woolas, 2005-10=19, <http://theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2005-10-19b.17720.h&s=%22Local+Government+Ombudsman%22>. Retrieved on 12 September 2008
- ^ Veil teacher 'should be sacked', bbc.coluk, 2006-10-15, <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bradford/6050392.stm>. Retrieved on 12 September 2008
- ^ BBC NEWS | UK | Birth defects warning sparks row
- ^ Brown's government Guardian
- ^ Woolas, P. (2007-07-27), "Letters to the editor; Woolas lives locally", Oldham Evening Chronicle: 6
External links
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