John McDonnell

Biography:

John McDonnell was re-elected MP for Hayes and Harlington on May 7th 2015 with 26843 votes, taking 59.6% of the vote.

In 1981, McDonnell was elected to the Greater London Council (GLC) as a member for Hayes and Harlington. He became the Chair of Finance, responsible for the Greater London Council’s budget, and was Ken Livingstone’s deputy leader.

Following the abolition of the GLC, McDonnell was employed as head of the policy unit at Camden Council. In 1987, he became Chief Executive of the Association of London Authorities (eventually the Association of London Government), where he represented all the London Boroughs in their relations with central government and Europe.

In 1992, McDonnell fought for his home town seat of Hayes and Harlington, but lost by 53 votes.

In the 1997 general election, McDonnell was elected to Parliament with 62% of the vote and a 13,000-vote majority. He has been involved in several local community campaigns, including one against the expansion of Heathrow airport and its impact on local communities.

He has voted against controversial government policies such as the 2003 Iraq war, Foundation hospitals, student top-up fees, Trust schools and anti-terror laws.

McDonnell is a leading member of a number of all-party groups within Parliament, including groups representing individual trade unions, such as the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and justice unions such as NAPO. He is also a leading member of groups on a wide range of issues such as Britain’s Irish community, the Punjabi community, endometriosis and Kenya.

McDonnell chairs the Labour Representation Committee, a left-wing group of Labour activists, local parties, trade unions and MPs that campaigns for the adoption of a raft of socialist policies by the Labour Government. The group was founded on Saturday, 3 July 2004, and currently has more than 800 members and 90 affiliates.

McDonnell is also the chair of Public Services Not Private Profit, an anti-privatization campaign that brings together 16 trade unions and several campaigning organizations, such as the World Development Movement, Defend Council Housing and the National Pensioners Convention. An early day motion in support of the campaign attracted more than 90 MPs. The campaign held a mass rally and lobby of Parliament on 27 June 2006, attended by more than two thousand trade unionists. Ex-ministers Frank Dobson and Michael Meacher were among those who addressed the rally.

On 31 October 2006, McDonnell was one of 12 Labour MPs to back Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party’s call for an inquiry into the Iraq War.

On 14 July 2006, McDonnell announced his intention to stand for leadership of the Labour Party when Tony Blair finally announced the date of his resignation, but in the end he was unable to gain sufficient nominations.

Constituency: Hayes and Harlington

Constituency Address: Pump Lane
Hayes
Middlesex
UB3 3NB

Constituency Tel: 020 8569 0010

Date of Birth: 8 September 1951

Email: mcdonnellj@parliament.uk

Party: Labour

Personal Website: http://www.john-mcdonnell.net/

Westminster Address: House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA

Westminster Tel: 020 7219 6908

Twitter: @johnmcdonnellMP

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/John-McDonnell/112129598803801

Facebook Personal: https://www.facebook.com/john.mcdonnell.9250