Tom Pendry
Thomas Pendry, Baron Pendry, PC (born 10 June 1934[1]) is a Labour politician and member of the House of Lords. He was previously the Labour member of parliament for Stalybridge and Hyde from 1970 to 2001. In 2000, prior to his retirement as an MP he was made a member of the Privy Council on the recommendation of Tony Blair. After the 2001 election he was elevated to the peerage on 4 July as Baron Pendry, of Stalybridge in the County of Greater Manchester[2] under the Life Peerages Act 1958. He is president of the Football Foundation Ltd and was formerly sports advisor to Tameside District Council Sports Trust.[3][4]
The Lord Pendry | |
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Member of Parliament for Stalybridge and Hyde | |
In office 18 June 1970 – 14 May 2001 | |
Preceded by | Fred Blackburn |
Succeeded by | James Purnell |
Personal details | |
Born | Broadstairs, Kent, England | 10 June 1934
Nationality | British |
Political party | Labour |
Early life
In an article in Cheshire Life magazine in June 2004, Pendry revealed that he was born in relatively comfortable circumstances in Broadstairs, Kent, attending school at St Augustine's Abbey.[5] He worked as a trade union officer for NUPE, and as an engineer.
Political career
Pendry was a councillor on Paddington Borough Council in London from 1962 to 1965 (when the borough was abolished), representing Harrow Road South.[6] He was elected to Parliament in 1970 for Stalybridge and Hyde, which at the time covered areas in Cheshire and Lancashire, and subsequently became part of Greater Manchester. He served as an opposition whip between 1971 and 1974.
Callaghan government
In James Callaghan's administration between 1976 and 1979 Pendry served as a junior Lord Commissioner of the Treasury (assistant government whip) and subsequently as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Opposition
In 1979 he returned to the backbenches until he was appointed to the post of Shadow Minister for Sport and Tourism by John Smith, a position he held until 1997. When the Labour government came to power in 1997, Pendry was the only member of the shadow team not to be appointed to a government post.
Honours
On 21 July 1995, the Labour-controlled Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council, the local authority which had administered the area covered by the Stalybridge and Hyde constituency since 1974, made Pendry an honorary freeman of the borough.[7] At the same time, the council granted him the lordship of the manor of Mottram in Longdendale. Tameside Council have also named part of Trinity Street in front of the old Stalybridge market hall, Lord Pendry Square.[8] A local soccer club, Stalybridge Celtic, have named one of their stands The Lord Tom Pendry Stand.[9]
Sport
Lord Pendry has a love of sport that he developed during National Service with the Royal Air Force. He was appointed president of the Football Foundation in February 2003 and continues to serve in this position.[10] A young Pendry learnt boxing at the hands of a Benedictine monk, becoming an Oxford Blue and boxing for the RAF.
Other interests
Pendry is a member of the Lords and Commons Cigar Club. From June to September 2018, he sat on the Regenerating Seaside Towns and Communities Committee. His memoir, Taking It On The Chin, was published in 2016.[11]
References
- "Birthday's today". The Telegraph. 10 June 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
Lord Pendry 79
- "No. 56268". The London Gazette. 9 July 2001. p. 8071.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 May 2007. Retrieved 6 February 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Lord Pendry - UK Parliament". www.parliament.uk. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2008.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Harrow Road South Ward 1956-1965". Westminster City Council Election Results. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
- http://www.tameside.gov.uk/mayor/freemen
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Stalybridge Celtic - pictures". Stalybridge Celtic F.C. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
- "About Us". Football Foundation. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
- "Lord Pendry - UK Parliament". www.parliament.uk. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
External links
- The Stamford Group
- Arrowcroft plc
- The Football Foundation
- Tameside Sports Trust
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Tom Pendry
Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Fred Blackburn |
Member of Parliament for Stalybridge and Hyde 1970–2001 |
Succeeded by James Purnell |
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom | ||
Preceded by The Lord Morris of Aberavon |
Gentlemen Baron Pendry |
Followed by The Lord Campbell-Savours |