Jack Cunningham
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| The Right Honourable Jack Cunningham Baron Cunningham of Felling, PC |
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| In office 27 July 1998 – 11 October 1999 |
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| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
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| Preceded by | David George Clark |
| Succeeded by | Mo Mowlam |
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| In office 3 May 1997 – 27 July 1998 |
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| Preceded by | Douglas Hogg |
| Succeeded by | Nick Brown |
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| In office 18 July 1992 – 21 July 1994 |
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| Leader | John Smith |
| Preceded by | Gerald Kaufman |
| Succeeded by | Robin Cook |
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| Born | August 4, 1939 Durham, UK |
| Political party | Labour |
John Anderson "Jack" Cunningham, Baron Cunningham of Felling, PC, DL (born 4 August 1939) is a British Labour politician and was Member of Parliament for Copeland until 2005.
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[edit] Early life
He was educated at Jarrow Grammar School (now Jarrow School) in the same class as Doug McAvoy, future general secretary of the National Union of Teachers. Cunningham then studied at Bede College of the University of Durham, receiving a BSc in Chemistry in 1962, and a PhD in 1967. He stayed at the university to become a research fellow from 1966-8, whilst working as an officer for the General and Municipal Workers' Union.
His father was Andrew Cunningham, leader of Durham County Council in the 1970s, who was disgraced in the 1974 Poulson scandal. Dr Cunningham was first elected as member for Whitehaven in 1970; and the renamed Copeland constituency, which was the same constituency as Whitehaven, in 1983.
[edit] Shadow Cabinet and in government
He ran the Labour Party's general election campaign in 1992, and joined the Shadow Cabinet in 1983.
After the 1997 general election, he became Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and embarked on a modernisation programme for the Ministry, loosening its hitherto fierce loyalty to the producer interest, and emphasizing its duty to the consumer. He worked hard to secure the lifting of the European Union ban on the export of UK beef, and achieved some limited success on this. He also paved the way for the creation of the independent Food Standards Agency.
He was promoted in 1998 to Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The media dubbed him cabinet enforcer, claiming that his role was effectively to sell the Government and its policies to the public and the media. Although there was some truth in this, he also led the government's work on modernizing government, and chaired the Ministerial Committee on genetically-modified foods and crops.
He retired from the Cabinet in 1999, and became an influential backbencher. He stood down from parliament at the 2005 general election.
Having represented the parliamentary constituency that includes Sellafield, the UK's largest nuclear facility, for 35 years, he is a strong proponent of nuclear power and is the founding European legislative chairman of the |Transatlantic Nuclear Energy Forum.
[edit] Personal life
On 13 May 2005 it was announced that he would be created a life peer, and he was created Baron Cunningham of Felling, of Felling in the County of Tyne and Wear, on 27 June. He had previously always been Rt Hon Dr Jack Cunningham, so following his enoblement he uses the style, Rt Hon Lord Cunningham of Felling, PC DL PhD.
Lord Cunningham of Felling is still active in politics and chairs an all-party parliamentary committee to review the powers of the House of Lords.
He lives with his wife near Stocksfield, in Northumberland and is an avid fly fisherman. He married Maureen Appleby in 1964 in Durham. They have one son and two daughters.
[edit] References
- Announcement of his introduction at the House of Lords House of Lords minutes of proceedings, 11 October 2005
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
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| Preceded by (new constituency) |
Member of Parliament for Copeland 1983–2005 |
Succeeded by Jamie Reed |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Gerald Kaufman |
Shadow Foreign Secretary 1992–1994 |
Succeeded by Robin Cook |
| Preceded by Douglas Hogg |
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1997–1998 |
Succeeded by Nick Brown |
| Preceded by David G. Clark |
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1998–1999 |
Succeeded by Mo Mowlam |
