| Dan Jarvis MBE MP | |
|---|---|
| Shadow Minister for Culture | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 8 October 2011 |
|
| Leader | Ed Miliband |
| Preceded by | Gloria De Piero |
| Member of Parliament for Barnsley Central |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 3 March 2011 |
|
| Preceded by | Eric Illsley |
| Majority | 11,771 (48.6%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 30, 1972 Nottingham, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse(s) | Caroline Jarvis (died 2010) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Barnsley |
| Alma mater | Aberystwyth University, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst |
| Occupation | Member of Parliament |
| Profession | Army Officer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | British Army |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | Parachute Regiment |
| Battles/wars | Operation Banner, Kosovo War, Operation Telic, War in Afghanistan (2001-present), Operation Herrick |
Daniel Owen Woolgar Jarvis[1] MBE (born 30 November 1972[2]) is a British Labour Party politician and former British Army officer. After a career in the Parachute Regiment including most of the regiment's major deployments, he went into politics and has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Barnsley Central since a by-election held on 3 March 2011.
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Jarvis was born in Nottingham, the son of a lecturer and a probation officer. He attended Lady Bay Primary School, and graduated in international politics from Aberystwyth University.
Jarvis met his wife Caroline in 2000 when she was working as a personal chef for the family of General Sir Mike Jackson. Their first child was born in 2003, three days before Jarvis was deployed to Iraq; a second child was born in 2005. Caroline Jarvis was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2006, and died in July 2010.[3]
He and his brother Rob Jarvis are fans of Nottingham Forest F.C., with both as children failing to gain tickets in the ballot for the F.A. Cup semi-final between Forest and Liverpool, and hence not having to witness the Hillsborough disaster.
Jarvis attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as an officer cadet. In August 1997 he was granted a short service commission as a subaltern in the Parachute Regiment,[1] joining the 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment. In 2000 was promoted to Lieutenant and acting Captain.[4] He became a full Captain in October 2001,[5] and received an intermediate regular commission with a promotion to Major in July 2003.[6] He moved to a full regular commission, again with the rank of Major, in February 2004.[7] In the later part of his army career he was stationed at HQ Land Forces in Wilton, and lived in Salisbury.[8] In the 2011 Birthday Honours List, he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (Military division).[9]
During his time in the Parachute Regiment, Jarvis was a platoon commander with 3 Para in Kosovo in 1999, and was with General Sir Mike Jackson at Pristina Airport when Jackson refused the suggestion of his American NATO superior to confront Russian forces. Jarvis later described Jackson's comment to Wesley Clark that he was "not going to start World War Three for you" as a "very surreal moment in my life". Jarvis then served as Jackson's personal staff officer. In 2000 he was deployed to Sierra Leone in the aftermath of Operation Barras, to help the Army learn the lessons of the kidnap of a group of troops by an armed rebel group.[10]
Jarvis served on the front line in Iraq, again helping 3 Para, and Afghanistan.[11] Jarvis was deployed to Afghanistan twice, first as a member of the team making the first reconnaissance trips to Helmand Province in 2005–06 in preparation for a decision on whether to commit British troops there. The second deployment was a six month tour as a company commander with the Special Forces Support Group, leading a company of 100 troops.[10] He was also deployed to Northern Ireland.[12]
Although his military service had precluded political activity, Jarvis had joined the Labour Party at the age of 18[13] while at University.[3] Shortly before the 2010 general election, Jarvis was shortlisted for the Labour Party selection in the south Wales seat of Islwyn.[14] He picked up support from one local would-be candidate who had not made the shortlist,[15] but was not selected.
Jarvis was selected as the Labour candidate for Barnsley Central on 27 January 2011 following the resignation of Eric Illsley, who stood down after being convicted of fraud for his part in the United Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal. An eliminating ballot was held and at the penultimate stage Jarvis was tied with local councillor Linda Burgess, each several votes behind Richard Burgon. Jarvis and Burgess drew lots to resolve the tie, and Jarvis won; in the final stage he picked up most of Burgess' votes to win selection.[2] He became the first Labour candidate for the Barnsley Central seat since 1938 who was not born in Yorkshire.[16]
On his selection he resigned his commission to stand in the by-election,[10] and gave his campaign the codename 'Operation Honey Badger', referring to a famously fierce animal and signifying his determination to fight for the people of Barnsley.[13] Jarvis found that his Nottingham origins put off some Barnsley voters who remembered the fact that Nottinghamshire miners did not join the 1984-85 strike, although he had been 12 at the time.[3] He was elected with over 60% of the vote in the by-election held on 3 March 2011.[17]
During his maiden speech on the 2011 budget, Jarvis called for a change in economic policy including "a plan to get jobs and to help families feeling the squeeze". He also referred to Parachute Regiment colleagues who had been killed in action and argued that the UK and US should put forward reconciliation in Afghanistan.[18] He joined the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee on 21 March.[19] Jarvis spoke in a debate about NHS reforms in May 2011, paying emotional tribute to the doctors and nurses who cared for his wife, and fearing an ideological free-market agenda which would undermine “all that is great about the NHS”.[20]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Eric Illsley |
Member of Parliament for Barnsley Central 2011 ––present |
Incumbent |