Don Touhig
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Don Touhig MP | |
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Member of Parliament
for Islwyn |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 16 February 1995 |
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| Preceded by | Neil Kinnock |
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| Majority | 15,740 |
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| Born | 5 December 1947 |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour Co-operative |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Website | Don Touhig |
James Donnelly Touhig, known as Don Touhig (born 5 December 1947) is the Welsh Labour and Co-operative member of Parliament for Islwyn.
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[edit] Early life
He went to St Francis RC School in Abersychan near Pontypool, then the Mid Gwent College (now Coleg Gwent) in Pontypool. Before entering parliament, he had been a journalist from 1968-76. From 1976-90, he was the Editor of the Free Press of Monmouthshire (Monmouth Free Press). From 1988-92, he was the General Manager and Editor-in-Chief of the Free Press Group of newspapers. He was the General Manager (business development) of the Bailey Group from 1992-3, then of Bailey Print from 1993-5. He served on Gwent County Council from 1973-95. He joined the TGWU in 1962 and the Labour Party in 1966.
[edit] Parliamentary career
He contested the Richmond and Barnes seat in the 1992 general election. He was elected to Parliament in a by-election on February 16 1995, to replace Neil Kinnock, who had resigned. From 1996-7, he was on the Welsh Affairs Select Committee. He served as parliamentary private secretary to Gordon Brown and as a whip before becoming a minister. He had to resign in 1999 when he confessed to receiving a leaked Social Security Select Committee report on Child benefit, being suspended from the Commons. He was succeeded by John Healey. He was a junior minister at the Ministry of Defence, with special responsibility for veterans, but left government in the May 2006 reshuffle. He was made a Member of the Privy Council on 19 July 2006.
In Paul Flynn's 1999 book Dragons and Poodles, he was described as being the seamstress-in-chief of stitch ups, and that he could be ambitious and can be pompous.
[edit] Personal life
Touhig is a papal knight of the Order of Saint Sylvester. He was married on September 21st, 1968 to Jennifer Hughes. He has two sons and two daughters.
[edit] External links
- Don Touhig official site
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Don Touhig MP
- Voting record at the Public Whip
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Don Touhig MP
- BBC Politics page
- Blake's Parliamentary Yearbook
[edit] News items
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
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| Preceded by Neil Kinnock |
Member of Parliament for Islwyn 1995 – present |
Incumbent |
