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Gordon Prentice

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Gordon Prentice
Prentice in 2007
Member of Parliament
for Pendle
In office
9 April 1992 – 12 April 2010
Preceded byJohn Lee
Succeeded byAndrew Stephenson
Personal details
Born (1951-01-28) 28 January 1951 (age 74)
Edinburgh, Scotland
Political partyLabour
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1975; div. 2000)​

Heather Halliday
​
(m. 2011)​
Alma materUniversity of Glasgow
OccupationCouncil Leader (1986–1988)
Member of Parliament (1992–2010)

Gordon Prentice (born 28 January 1951) is a British former politician of the Labour Party who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Pendle in Lancashire from 1992 to 2010.

Early life

He was educated at the independent George Heriot's School in Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow, where he received an MA in Politics and Economics in 1975, and was president of the union.[1] He then worked for the Labour Party Policy Directorate from 1982 to 1992.[2]

Parliamentary career

Prentice was initially selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate (PPC) for Pendle in October 1990, and was first elected at the general election of April 1992 for Pendle.[3] He delivered his maiden speech the following month, on 13 May 1992, in a debate on the economy, in which he wished his predecessor well for the future.[4] He made Barnoldswick his home shortly after winning the seat for the first time.[5]

Prior to becoming the Member of Parliament for Pendle, he was the council leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Council from 1986 to 1988.[6][7][8] Neil Kinnock praised the choice of Prentice in November 1990 as the parliamentary candidate for the borough.[9] He campaigned vigorously throughout 1991 around the borough, with one survey predicting his victory as early as May 1991 for the borough.[10][11]

Prentice was one of the few Labour MPs not to endorse Gordon Brown for the 2007 Labour Leadership, instead nominating left winger John McDonnell for the role instead.[12][13] His majority of 10,824 in May 1997 was the largest ever in the constituency of Pendle and in the former constituency of Nelson and Colne. In contrast, his previous majority, in April 1992, was only 2,113.[14][15] His majority was significantly reduced to 4,275 in June 2001 and by May 2005, it had been slashed in half to 2,180.[16][17] In July 2008, he became the second MP (after Graham Stringer) to call for Brown to resign, remarking that “the Prime Minister needs different sets of skills from a Chancellor of the Exchequer”.[18][19][20] He was one of the members of the Public Administration Committee during the 2005–10 Parliament. He began his membership on 14 July 2005, and two years later called for tax-exiled peers to be removed from the House of Lords.[21]

Prentice claimed that an alliance with the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats had “deep-seated antipathy” in January 1999 when the two parties engaged in talks on constitutional issues.[22] He introduced a Right to Roam Bill in March 1999 as a private member’s bill to establish a freedom to roam over certain upland and uncultivated areas of England and Wales. This became law in November 2000 as the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.[23][24]

In May 2000, Prentice had the support of around 100 MPs regarding the hunting ban and vowed not to abandon his tabled amendment unless the government gave a "cast-iron statement" that promised to introduce legislation before the forthcoming election.[25] This resulted in protests outside his constituency office in Nelson in July 2000, despite protesters knowing he was in London.[26][27]

By 2002, he was campaigning for fox hunting with dogs to be completely banned, asking the government to bring back the previous year’s bill and to force it through Westminster by the autumn of that year.[28] He later topped the “most wanted” list published in December 2003 by the Countryside Alliance, and came under pressure from the group because of his support for a ban on fox hunting. The Alliance began targeting Prentice in an unsuccessful bid to remove him at the next election.[29][30][31]

Prentice organised hustings for the election of the Speaker of the House of Commons in October 2000, and later branded the election system “a farce” when interviewed by BBC One.[32][33] He also said that neither ministers nor the chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party should get involved in the election.[34]

Prentice was angrily told off by Tony Blair in October 2004, when he asked during Prime Minister’s Questions if there had been any single act of renewal in the Labour Party within the ten years he had been the party leader. He was also warned by the party in July 1996 when he criticised Blair’s leadership when opposition leader.[35][36][37] He then subsequently pledged his support for Blair the following week.[38]

In March 2006, Prentice spoke out against the proposed merger of Lancashire Constabulary with Cumbria Constabulary. He later welcomed the merger being called off, saying it wasn’t appropriate for taxpayers in Lancashire to pay higher tax bills than those living in Cumbria.[39][40] He called for “merger rethink” in the House of Commons shortly before the plans were announced.[41][42]

Prentice revealed in July 2008 how he had become a victim of credit card fraud two months earlier in Yorkshire, and how he managed to lose £3,500 after his card was copied with the use of the “skimming” device.[43]

After allegations involving Sophie, Countess of Wessex in April 2001, Prentice stated his belief that members of the British Royal Family should register their financial and business interests, like MPs. He also claimed he was “shocked by revelations” involving her.[44]

Soon after leaving office in May 2010, he described the moment in 1998 when he was “nearly killed” by a man wielding a sledgehammer.[45] He also announced he would not stand in Pendle in the next election, stating he was now a private citizen.[46]

Expense scandal

In December 2009, Prentice was criticised for claiming £2,262 for items bought at John Lewis, including £749 for a television, £649 for a fridge-freezer and other amounts for various items of furniture. Prentice also claimed mortgage payments that amounted to £19,564 in 2004–05, £20,211 in 2005–06, £21,806 in 2006–07, £20,313 in 2007–08 and £19,508 in 2008–09.[47] Following the scandal, Prentice did not claim anything for the first quarter of 2009–10.[48] Prentice was among 625 other MPs at the time who received letters regarding the scandal, and paid back £2,620 to the House of Commons due to new retrospective rules created by an outsider auditor regarding expenses. The auditors letter stressed that the findings carried no implication or innuendo about the conduct or motive of MPs.[49]

Personal life

Prentice married Bridget Prentice (née Corr), later also an MP for Lewisham East, whom he had met while at university. The couple divorced in 2000 after being separated for three years.[50] Prentice subsequently married Heather Halliday in 2011.[51]

After losing his parliamentary seat, Prentice moved to Newmarket, Ontario, Canada.[52] He ran for Deputy Mayor of Newmarket in 2022 and described his past political experiences in his interview.[53][54]

References

  1. ^ "ALUMNI". www.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Gordon Prentice MP press releases 1991 97". archive.org. 5 January 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Gordon Prentice MP press releases 1991 97". archive.org. 5 January 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Orders of the Day — The Economy". theyworkforyou.com. 13 May 1992. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  5. ^ "ELECTION - Pendle". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 2 May 1997. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  6. ^ "Gordon Prentice". news.bbc.co.uk. 17 October 2002. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  7. ^ "How MP spread his wing". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 27 August 2004. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  8. ^ "Gordon Prentice". news.bbc.co.uk. 1997. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  9. ^ "Gordon Prentice MP press releases 1991 97". archive.org. 5 January 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  10. ^ "Gordon Prentice MP press releases 1991 97". archive.org. 5 January 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  11. ^ "Gordon Prentice MP press releases 1991 97". archive.org. 5 January 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  12. ^ "Who's backing John McDonnell?". theguardian.com. 16 May 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  13. ^ "Hayes MP Denies Plot To Oust Brown". mylondon.news. 16 September 2008. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  14. ^ "Largest ever majority". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 15 May 1997. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  15. ^ "Record show staggers MP". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 7 May 1997. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  16. ^ "Majority cut as turnout plunges". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 8 June 2001. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  17. ^ "Prentice sees majority cut by half". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 9 May 2005. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  18. ^ "Prentice calls on Gordon Brown to step down". Burnley Express. 28 July 2008. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  19. ^ "Prentice: Gordon Must Go". dailyrecord.co.uk. 28 July 2008. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  20. ^ "Brown should quit, says Labour MP". news.bbc.co.uk. 28 July 2008. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  21. ^ "MP calls for tax-exile peers to be removed from Lords". theguardian.com. 9 November 2007. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  22. ^ "Further step to 'new politics'". news.bbc.co.uk. 14 January 1999. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  23. ^ "RIGHT TO ROAM BILL WINS SOME MINISTERIAL SUPPORT". www.lgcplus.com. 10 February 1999. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  24. ^ "Ministers backtrack on right to roam". news.bbc.co.uk. 8 March 1999. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  25. ^ "MP presses for fox hunt ban". news.bbc.co.uk. 31 May 2000. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  26. ^ "MP's attack on pro hunt lobby". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 7 July 2000. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  27. ^ "Prentice blasts 'bully boy' demo". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 8 July 2000. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  28. ^ "Prentice fights on for total ban". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 20 March 2002. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  29. ^ "MP tops hunters' 'most wanted' list". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 18 December 2003. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  30. ^ "Pro-hunt lobby to target Pendle MP". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 22 November 2004. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  31. ^ "Pro-hunting lobby vows to overthrow Labour MP". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 28 January 2005. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  32. ^ "Election 'farce' blasted by MPs". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 24 October 2000. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  33. ^ "Speaker candidates issue electoral statements". theguardian.com. 17 October 2000. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  34. ^ "Speaker stitch up accusation". thetimes.co.uk. 20 October 2000. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  35. ^ "Prentice attacks Blair on QT". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 28 October 2004. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  36. ^ "'Shut up or else' threat to Prentice". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 3 July 1996. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  37. ^ "Prentice joins MP atack on Blair". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 1 July 1996. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  38. ^ "MP Prentice pledges support". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 11 July 1996. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  39. ^ "Police feel Force isn't with them". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 3 March 2006. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  40. ^ "Police force merger scrapped". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 14 July 2006. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  41. ^ "MP calls for force merger rethink". news.bbc.co.uk. 15 May 2006. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  42. ^ "Force merger to cost county more". news.bbc.co.uk. 7 February 2006. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  43. ^ "Pendle MP loses thousands in credit card fraud". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 8 July 2008. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  44. ^ "MPs call for royal business register". news.bbc.co.uk. 11 April 2001. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  45. ^ "Ex-Pendle MP Gordon Prentice: I thought I was going to die". Lancashire Telegraph. 20 May 2010. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  46. ^ "Prentice: I won't stand in Pendle at next election". Lancashire Telegraph. 20 May 2010. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  47. ^ "Jellied eels and John Lewis bills: a flavour of how they claimed". The Sunday Telegraph. 2009. p. 24.
  48. ^ Moseley, Tom (11 December 2009). "Expenses: Pendle MP Gordon Prentice claims £19,000". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  49. ^ "Gordon Brown ordered to repay £12,000 of expenses". theguardian.com. 12 October 2009. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  50. ^ "Vote 2001 | Candidates". BBC News. 2001. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  51. ^ Flynn, Paul (10 September 2011). "Gordon Prentice and Heather Halliday marry". Paul Flynn MP. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  52. ^ "People, not officials, should shape town: Newmarket blogger". www.yorkregion.com. 2 January 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  53. ^ NewmarketToday Staff (26 September 2022). "CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE: Gordon Prentice, deputy mayor". newmarkettoday.ca. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  54. ^ Deborah Kelly (18 October 2022). "LETTER: Why I'm not voting for Gordon Prentice as deputy mayor". newmarkettoday.ca. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Pendle
1992 – 2010 		Succeeded by
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