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[[Category:Labour Members of Parliament]]
[[Category:Labour Members of Parliament]]

{{Infobox MP
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Derek Twigg
| honorific-suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MP}}
| image = Official portrait of Derek Twigg (cropped).jpg
| caption = Derek Twigg
| office = [[Member of Parliament (UK)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Halton (UK Parliament constituency)|Halton]]
| parliament =
| majority = 25,405 (51.3%)
| predecessor = [[Gordon Oakes]]
| successor =
| term_start = 1 May 1997
| term_end =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1959|7|9}}
| birth_place = [[Widnes]], Lancashire, UK
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = British
| spouse = {{marriage|Mary Cassidy|January 1988}}
| party = [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]
| relations =
| children = 2
| residence =
| alma_mater =
| occupation =
| profession =
| religion =
| signature =
| website = {{url|http://www.derektwigg.org/}}
}}

'''John Derek Twigg''' (born 9 July 1959) is a [[Labour Party (UK)|British Labour Party]] politician, who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for [[Halton (UK Parliament constituency)|Halton]] in Cheshire since [[United Kingdom general election, 1997|1997 general election]].

==Early life==
Twigg attended Bankfield High School (now [[Ormiston Chadwick Academy]])<ref>{{citation |date= December 2008 | title = Golden Year for Bankfield School | journal = Inside Halton | volume = | issue = | pages = 7 | publisher = Halton Borough Council}}</ref> in Widnes, and afterwards Halton College of Further Education (now [[Riverside College, Halton|Riverside College]]). At the age of 16, he joined the Civil Service and worked for the Department for Employment (at [[Runcorn]]) for the following 19 years.<ref name=biog>{{citation |url= http://www.derektwigg.org.uk/sect2/ |title= Biography |accessdate= 12 October 2008 |publisher= Derek Twigg |deadurl= yes |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080705093559/http://www.derektwigg.org.uk/sect2/ |archivedate= 5 July 2008 |df= dmy-all }}</ref>

At 18, Twigg became Branch Secretary of the [[Civil and Public Services Association]] (now part of the [[Public and Commercial Services Union]]) before joining the Labour Party in 1979. He was elected to [[Cheshire County Council]] at the age of 21, serving as a county councillor until 1985. In 1983 he was elected to [[Halton (borough)|Halton Borough]] Council.<ref name=biog/> Between 1996 and 1997, he also worked as a political consultant.

==Parliamentary career==
At the [[United Kingdom general election, 1997|general election in 1997]], Twigg succeeded [[Gordon Oakes]] as Member of Parliament for the constituency of [[Halton (UK Parliament constituency)|Halton]]. He made his [[maiden speech]] in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] on 10 June 1997. He was appointed [[Parliamentary Private Secretary]] to [[Helen Liddell]], and then to [[Stephen Byers]], before serving as a [[Whip (politics)|Government Whip]] from June 2002 until 2004.

In December 2004, Twigg was appointed [[Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State]] at the [[Department for Education and Skills (United Kingdom)|Department for Education and Skills]]. On 1 May 2005, he was booed and jeered while defending [[school league tables]] at the annual [[National Association of Head Teachers]] conference.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Eason|first1=Gary|title=Minister is booed by school heads|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4502665.stm|website=BBC News|accessdate=5 July 2015|date=1 May 2005}}</ref> After the [[United Kingdom general election, 2005|general election of May 2005]], he became Under-Secretary of State in the [[Department for Transport]].

In September 2006, Twigg was appointed Under-Secretary of State and Minister for Veterans at the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]].<ref name=biog/> In October 2008, he was replaced in this position and, declining the offer of another ministerial post, returned to the [[Backbencher|back benches]].<ref>{{Citation | last = | first = | author-link = | last2 = | first2 = | author2-link = | title = MP axed in Brown's reshuffle | newspaper = Runcorn Weekly News | pages =3| year = | date = 9 October 2008| url = }}</ref>

In 2013, he was among the few Labour MPs to vote against the [[Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013|Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill]], which eventually passed with cross-party support.<ref>http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/02/labour-and-lib-dem-mps-who-voted-against-gay-marriage-full-list [Retrieved 26 August 2013]</ref>

==Personal life==
Twigg married Mary Cassidy in January 1988 in [[Widnes]]. They have a son and a daughter.

His interests outside politics include hill walking, military history (particularly World War II) and [[Rugby League]].<ref name=biog/> A lifelong [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool FC]] supporter, Twigg attended the 1989 [[FA Cup semi-final]] tie between Liverpool and [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] at the [[Hillsborough stadium]], and watched the unfolding [[Hillsborough disaster]] from the north stand.<ref name=biog/>

Revision as of 13:29, 7 June 2018


Derek Twigg
MP
Derek Twigg
Member of Parliament for Halton
Assumed office
1 May 1997
Preceded by Gordon Oakes
Majority 25,405 (51.3%)
Personal details
Born (1959-07-09) 9 July 1959 (age 64)
Widnes, Lancashire, UK
Nationality British
Political party Labour
Spouse(s) Template:Marriage
Children 2
Website www.derektwigg.org

John Derek Twigg (born 9 July 1959) is a British Labour Party politician, who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Halton in Cheshire since 1997 general election.

Early life

Twigg attended Bankfield High School (now Ormiston Chadwick Academy)[1] in Widnes, and afterwards Halton College of Further Education (now Riverside College). At the age of 16, he joined the Civil Service and worked for the Department for Employment (at Runcorn) for the following 19 years.[2]

At 18, Twigg became Branch Secretary of the Civil and Public Services Association (now part of the Public and Commercial Services Union) before joining the Labour Party in 1979. He was elected to Cheshire County Council at the age of 21, serving as a county councillor until 1985. In 1983 he was elected to Halton Borough Council.[2] Between 1996 and 1997, he also worked as a political consultant.

Parliamentary career

At the general election in 1997, Twigg succeeded Gordon Oakes as Member of Parliament for the constituency of Halton. He made his maiden speech in the House of Commons on 10 June 1997. He was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to Helen Liddell, and then to Stephen Byers, before serving as a Government Whip from June 2002 until 2004.

In December 2004, Twigg was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Education and Skills. On 1 May 2005, he was booed and jeered while defending school league tables at the annual National Association of Head Teachers conference.[3] After the general election of May 2005, he became Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Transport.

In September 2006, Twigg was appointed Under-Secretary of State and Minister for Veterans at the Ministry of Defence.[2] In October 2008, he was replaced in this position and, declining the offer of another ministerial post, returned to the back benches.[4]

In 2013, he was among the few Labour MPs to vote against the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, which eventually passed with cross-party support.[5]

Personal life

Twigg married Mary Cassidy in January 1988 in Widnes. They have a son and a daughter.

His interests outside politics include hill walking, military history (particularly World War II) and Rugby League.[2] A lifelong Liverpool FC supporter, Twigg attended the 1989 FA Cup semi-final tie between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough stadium, and watched the unfolding Hillsborough disaster from the north stand.[2]