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[[Category:Labour Members of Parliament]]
[[Category:Labour Members of Parliament]]
{{EngvarB|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox Officeholder
|honorific-prefix = [[The Right Honourable]]
|name = John Spellar
| honorific-suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MP}}
|image = Official portrait of John Spellar crop 2.jpg
|office = [[Foreign and Commonwealth Office|Shadow Minister for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs]]
|leader = [[Ed Miliband]]
|term_start = 9 October 2010
|term_end = 2015
|predecessor = [[Chris Bryant]]
|successor =
|office1 = [[Comptroller of the Household]]
|primeminister1 = [[Gordon Brown]]
|term_start1 = 5 October 2008
|term_end1 = 11 May 2010
|predecessor1 = [[Tommy McAvoy]]
|successor1 = [[Alistair Carmichael]]
|office2 = [[Northern Ireland Office|Minister of State for Northern Ireland]]
|term_start2 = 12 June 2003
|term_end2 = 11 May 2005
|primeminister2 = [[Tony Blair]]
|predecessor2 = [[Jane Kennedy (politician)|Jane Kennedy]]
|successor2 = [[David Hanson (politician)|David Hanson]]
|office3 = [[Minister of State for Transport]]
|primeminister3 = [[Tony Blair]]
|term_start3 = 8 June 2001
|term_end3 = 12 June 2003
|predecessor3 = [[Gus Macdonald|The Lord Macdonald of Tradeston]]
|successor3 = [[Kim Howells]]
|office4 = [[Minister of State for the Armed Forces]]
|primeminister4 = [[Tony Blair]]
|term_start4 = 29 July 1999
|term_end4 = 8 June 2001
|predecessor4 = [[Doug Henderson (Labour politician)|Doug Henderson]]
|successor4 = [[Adam Ingram (Labour politician)|Adam Ingram]]
|office5 = [[Member of Parliament (UK)|Member of Parliament]]<br>for [[Warley (UK Parliament constituency)|Warley]]<br>{{small|[[Warley West (UK Parliament constituency)|Warley West]] (1992–1997)}}
|term_start5 = 9 April 1992
|term_end5 =
|predecessor5 = [[Peter Archer, Baron Archer of Sandwell|Peter Archer]]
|successor5 =
|majority5 = 16,483 (41.0%)
|office6 = [[Member of Parliament (UK)|Member of Parliament]]<br>for [[Birmingham Northfield (UK Parliament constituency)|Birmingham Northfield]]
|term_start6 = 28 October 1982
|term_end6 = 9 June 1983
|predecessor6 = [[Jocelyn Cadbury]]
|successor6 = [[Roger King (politician)|Roger King]]
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1947|8|5}}
|birth_place = [[Bromley]], Kent, England
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]
|alma_mater = [[St Edmund Hall, Oxford]]
|website = [https://web.archive.org/web/20050630000329/http://www.johnspellar.labour.co.uk/ Party website]
}}
'''John Francis Spellar''' (born 5 August 1947) is a [[Labour Party (UK)|British Labour Party]] politician and the Member of Parliament (MP) for [[Warley (UK Parliament constituency)|Warley]]. He served as a [[Minister of State]] at the [[Northern Ireland Office]] and returned to the backbenches in 2005. Spellar was [[Comptroller of the Household]] and the third most senior whip in the [[Whips' Office]] between October 2008 and May 2010.

==Early life==
Spellar was born in [[Bromley]] and educated at [[Dulwich College]] and [[St Edmund Hall, Oxford]] and worked as a trade union official. He was the Political Officer of the [[Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union]] (EETPU) from 1969 to 1992.<ref name=building-2001>{{cite news |url=http://www.building.co.uk/john-spellar/1010409.article |title=John Spellar |first=Phil |last=Clark |work=building.co.uk |year=2001 |accessdate=24 April 2017}}</ref> As a young union officer he attended, along with [[John Golding (British politician)|John Golding]] and [[Roger Godsiff]], the [[History of the Labour Party (UK)#Michael Foot (1980–1983)|St Ermins group of senior trade union leaders]] who organised to prevent the [[Bennite]] left taking over the party in the years 1981-1987.<ref name=oxforddnb-ermins>{{cite web |url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/theme/96690?backToResults=%2Fsearch%2Frefine%2F%3FdocStart=1%26themesTabShow=true |title=St Ermins group (act. 1981-1987) |first=Dianne |last=Hayter |publisher=Oxford University Press |work=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |accessdate=26 April 2017}}</ref>

He was a councillor in the [[London Borough of Bromley]] between 1970 and 1974.

==Parliamentary career==
Spellar stood for the constituency of [[Bromley (UK Parliament constituency)|Bromley]] at the [[United Kingdom general election, 1970|1970 general election]] and came second.

He was first elected to the House of Commons in the [[Birmingham Northfield by-election, 1982]] but lost at the [[United Kingdom general election, 1983|1983 General Election]]. At the [[United Kingdom general election, 1987|1987 general election]] he stood again for the same seat but was again unsuccessful. Spellar returned to the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] in the [[United Kingdom general election, 1992|1992 general election]] becoming the MP for [[Warley West (UK Parliament constituency)|Warley West]] and was appointed an opposition whip. Following a period as opposition spokesman for [[Northern Ireland]] in 1994, he was moved to shadow Defence ministers in 1995.

When [[Tony Blair]] formed his government in 1997, Spellar was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]], being promoted to become [[Minister of State for the Armed Forces]] in 1999. He was appointed to the [[Privy Council]], as Minister of State for Transport in the [[Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions|Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions]]<ref name=building-2001/> with rights to attend Cabinet. After the 2002 reshuffle, he became Minister of State at the [[Department for Transport]], and moved to the Northern Ireland Office in 2003. He was banned from the offices of both the Mayor of Londonderry and the Mayor of Belfast during that year, because he supported the reinstatement to the [[British Army]] of convicted murderers Mark Wright and James Fisher of the [[Scots Guards]].<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2003/sep/10/northernireland.northernireland |title=Remember Peter McBride? |author= Greenslade, Roy |location= London |work=The Guardian|date=10 September 2003|accessdate=11 March 2015}}</ref> He left the front benches in 2005, but in 2008, he rejoined the government as a whip ([[Comptroller of the Household]]) and served until Labour entered opposition in May 2010.

In November 2015, he suggested on BBC Radio 5 Live that his party leader [[Jeremy Corbyn]] should resign over the question of whether to conduct air strikes on [[ISIL]] in Syria: 'What we’re seeing here is an attempted coup by Jeremy Corbyn and the people around him in the bunker trying to take over the party. It’s unacceptable. What we're seeing here is an attempted coup by a group to try and over-ride and over-run others. It is unacceptable. How does Jeremy Corbyn and his tiny band of Trots in the bunker think they've got the unique view on it all? If anyone should resign after this incident, it should be Jeremy Corbyn'.<ref name=bm-20151127>{{cite news |url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/black-country-labour-mp-suggests-10512490 |title=Black Country Labour MP suggests Jeremy Corbyn should resign over Syria |author=Jonathan Walker |newspaper=Birmingham Mail |date=27 November 2015 |accessdate=30 June 2016}}</ref> Speller is a member of the [[Labour Friends of Israel]] and has served as vice-chair.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/mps-%EF%AC%82ock-to-support-labour-israel-group-1.53362|title=MPs flock to support Labour Israel group|publisher=The Jewish Chronicle|date=22 September 2016}}</ref>

In June 2016 Spellar raised a formal objection to a parliamentary order creating the [[West Midlands Combined Authority]], delaying its creation, because its size had been increased since its proposal and Spellar believed its funding was not clear.<ref name=birminghammail-20160609>{{cite news |url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/mp-spellar-throws-spanner-launch-11451354 |title=MP Spellar throws spanner into launch of West Midlands Combined Authority |first=Neil |last=Elkes |newspaper=Birmingham Mail |date=9 June 2016 |accessdate=24 April 2017}}</ref>

Spellar did not disclose his voting intention in the [[United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016|2016 European Union membership referendum]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.daventryexpress.co.uk/news/some-mps-yet-to-say-which-side-they-support-in-referendum-1-7443627 |title=Some MPs yet to say which side they support in referendum |newspaper=Daventry Express |agency=Press Association |date=26 June 2016 |accessdate=30 June 2016}}</ref>

==Outside interests==
Spellar is a member of the [[Henry Jackson Society]] Advisory Council.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://henryjacksonsociety.org/people/council-members/ |title=Advisory Council |publisher=Henry Jackson Society |accessdate=31 August 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130923022301/http://henryjacksonsociety.org/people/council-members/ |archivedate=23 September 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><br>
Spellar is a Director of [[Labour First]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/10694816/officers |title=Labour First Ltd Company Data |publisher=Companies House, UK |accessdate=27 January 2018 }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons cat}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050630000329/http://www.johnspellar.labour.co.uk/ John Spellar] official site
*{{UK MP links | parliament = mr-john-spellar/318 | hansardcurr = 781 | hansard = mr-john-spellar | publicwhip = john_spellar | theywork = john_spellar}}

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{{West Midlands Labour Party MPs}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spellar, John Francis}}
[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of St Edmund Hall, Oxford]]
[[Category:Councillors in the London Borough of Bromley]]
[[Category:Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies]]
[[Category:Labour Friends of Israel]]
[[Category:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Northern Ireland Office junior ministers]]
[[Category:People educated at Dulwich College]]
[[Category:People from Bromley]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1979–83]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1992–97]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1997–2001]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2001–05]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2005–10]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2010–15]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2015–17]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2017–]]

Revision as of 01:58, 2 June 2018

Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox Officeholder John Francis Spellar (born 5 August 1947) is a British Labour Party politician and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Warley. He served as a Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office and returned to the backbenches in 2005. Spellar was Comptroller of the Household and the third most senior whip in the Whips' Office between October 2008 and May 2010.

Early life

Spellar was born in Bromley and educated at Dulwich College and St Edmund Hall, Oxford and worked as a trade union official. He was the Political Officer of the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union (EETPU) from 1969 to 1992.[1] As a young union officer he attended, along with John Golding and Roger Godsiff, the St Ermins group of senior trade union leaders who organised to prevent the Bennite left taking over the party in the years 1981-1987.[2]

He was a councillor in the London Borough of Bromley between 1970 and 1974.

Parliamentary career

Spellar stood for the constituency of Bromley at the 1970 general election and came second.

He was first elected to the House of Commons in the Birmingham Northfield by-election, 1982 but lost at the 1983 General Election. At the 1987 general election he stood again for the same seat but was again unsuccessful. Spellar returned to the House of Commons in the 1992 general election becoming the MP for Warley West and was appointed an opposition whip. Following a period as opposition spokesman for Northern Ireland in 1994, he was moved to shadow Defence ministers in 1995.

When Tony Blair formed his government in 1997, Spellar was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Defence, being promoted to become Minister of State for the Armed Forces in 1999. He was appointed to the Privy Council, as Minister of State for Transport in the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions[1] with rights to attend Cabinet. After the 2002 reshuffle, he became Minister of State at the Department for Transport, and moved to the Northern Ireland Office in 2003. He was banned from the offices of both the Mayor of Londonderry and the Mayor of Belfast during that year, because he supported the reinstatement to the British Army of convicted murderers Mark Wright and James Fisher of the Scots Guards.[3] He left the front benches in 2005, but in 2008, he rejoined the government as a whip (Comptroller of the Household) and served until Labour entered opposition in May 2010.

In November 2015, he suggested on BBC Radio 5 Live that his party leader Jeremy Corbyn should resign over the question of whether to conduct air strikes on ISIL in Syria: 'What we’re seeing here is an attempted coup by Jeremy Corbyn and the people around him in the bunker trying to take over the party. It’s unacceptable. What we're seeing here is an attempted coup by a group to try and over-ride and over-run others. It is unacceptable. How does Jeremy Corbyn and his tiny band of Trots in the bunker think they've got the unique view on it all? If anyone should resign after this incident, it should be Jeremy Corbyn'.[4] Speller is a member of the Labour Friends of Israel and has served as vice-chair.[5]

In June 2016 Spellar raised a formal objection to a parliamentary order creating the West Midlands Combined Authority, delaying its creation, because its size had been increased since its proposal and Spellar believed its funding was not clear.[6]

Spellar did not disclose his voting intention in the 2016 European Union membership referendum.[7]

Outside interests

Spellar is a member of the Henry Jackson Society Advisory Council.[8]
Spellar is a Director of Labour First[9]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Template:Cite news
  2. ↑ Hayter, Dianne. "St Ermins group (act. 1981-1987)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 26 April 2017. 
  3. ↑ Template:Cite news
  4. ↑ Template:Cite news
  5. ↑ "MPs flock to support Labour Israel group". The Jewish Chronicle. 22 September 2016. 
  6. ↑ Template:Cite news
  7. ↑ Template:Cite news
  8. ↑ "Advisory Council". Henry Jackson Society. Archived from the original on 23 September 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2013. 
  9. ↑ "Labour First Ltd Company Data". Companies House, UK. Retrieved 27 January 2018. 

External links

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