Gordon Oakes

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Gordon James Oakes (22 June 1931 – 15 August 2005) was a British Labour Party politician.

Oakes was educated at Wade Deacon grammar school, Widnes and at Liverpool University. A solicitor by profession, he became a councillor on Widnes Borough Council in 1952, serving as Mayor in 1964.

Oakes unsuccessfully contested Bebington in 1959 and Manchester Moss Side at a 1961 by-election. He served as Member of Parliament for Bolton West from 1964 to 1970 and for Widnes from a 1971 by-election until 1983, and for Halton from 1983 until 1997.

Oakes served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Home Secretary from 1966, and in the government of Harold Wilson as a junior minister and as a Minister of State under James Callaghan. He was made a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom in 1979. He left the Opposition front bench in 1983.

He died of cancer in 2005.

[edit] External links

• Obituary in The Guardian

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by: Arthur Holt	Member of Parliament for Bolton West 1964–1970	Succeeded by: Robert Redmond
Preceded by: James MacColl	Member of Parliament for Widnes 1971–1983	Succeeded by: (constituency abolished)
Preceded by: (new constituency)	Member of Parliament for Halton 1983–1997	Succeeded by: Derek Twigg