Gareth Thomas (English politician)

For other people named Gareth Thomas, see Gareth Thomas (disambiguation).
Gareth Thomas
MP
Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office
8 October 2013 – September 2015
Leader Ed Miliband
Preceded by Emma Reynolds
Chair of the Co-operative Party
Assumed office
10 July 2001
Preceded by Jim Lee
Minister of State for International Development
In office
5 October 2008 – 13 May 2010
Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Preceded by Hilary Benn
Succeeded by Alan Duncan
Member of Parliament
for Harrow West
Assumed office
1 May 1997
Preceded by Robert Gurth Hughes
Majority 2,208 (4.7%)
Shadow Minister for Local Government
Assumed office
7th October 2016
Leader Jeremy Corbyn
Preceded by Position Established
Personal details
Born (1967-07-15) 15 July 1967
Harrow, London, England
Nationality British
Political party Labour Co-operative
Alma mater Aberystwyth University,
University of Greenwich,
King's College London
Website gareththomas.org

Gareth Richard Thomas (born 15 July 1967) is a British Labour Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Harrow West since 1997 and the Chair of the Co-operative Party since 2001. Thomas held the position of Minister of State at the Department for International Development and, following the 2010 election, joined the shadow frontbench team.[1]

He sought to become the Labour Party's official candidate in the 2016 election for Mayor of London, but came last of the six candidates in the ballot.

Early life

Thomas attended Hatch End High School on Headstone Lane in Hatch End, then Lowlands College in Harrow. At the University College of Wales Aberystwyth he gained a BSc in Economics in 1988 and later a PGCE from the Thames Polytechnic in 1992. He gained an MA in Imperial and Commonwealth Studies from King's College London in 1996 and became a teacher.

Parliamentary career

Gareth Thomas is Chair of the Co-operative Party and served as President of the 2003 Co-operative Congress.[2] He was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for International Development in 2003 and sponsored the Industrial and Provident Societies Act through Parliament. After the 29 June 2007 reshuffle he remained at International Development whilst also being part of the new Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, being appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade Policy and Consumer Affairs. He had the responsibility of co-ordinating trade policy between the two departments.[3]

Following Gordon Brown's reshuffle of 3 October 2008, Thomas was promoted to Minister of State in both departments, taking on the portfolio of Trade, Investment and Consumer Affairs. In the June 2009 reshuffle DBERR was abolished, leaving Thomas to continue his role solely at International Development, with responsibility for Consumer Affairs passing to Kevin Brennan.

In May 2010 he was re-elected as Member of Parliament for Harrow West with a reduced majority (based on a 'notional' 2005 result). He was Shadow Minister for Higher Education and Science from October 2010 to October 2011, Shadow Minister for Civil Society from October 2011 to October 2013 and then served as the Shadow Minister for Europe until October 2014. He now holds the position of Shadow Minister for Africa and the Middle East. In addition he is Deputy Shadow Minister for London.

At the 2015 general election Conservative candidate Hannah David produced a swing from Labour to the Conservatives, and Thomas saw his majority reduced to 2,208.[4]

In 2003 Thomas made an early attempt to ban smoking in restaurants with a Private Members Bill.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Opposition Front Bench". The Labour Party. Archived from the original on 5 June 2010.
  2. ↑ "Congress Presidents 1869–2002" (PDF). February 2002. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
  3. ↑ "Gareth R Thomas MP". Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. Retrieved 21 September 2008.
  4. ↑ "Harrow West parliamentary constituency – Election 2015 – BBC News". BBC Online. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  5. ↑ "Smoking ban passes first test". BBC. 14 April 2003. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Robert Gurth Hughes		 Member of Parliament for Harrow West
1997–present 		Incumbent
Preceded by
Lord Jones
(Resigned from post)		 Minister of State at the Department for International Development
2008–2010 		Succeeded by
Alan Duncan


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