| James Sheridan MP | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Paisley & Renfrewshire North Renfrewshire West (2001-2005) |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 7 June 2001 |
|
| Preceded by | Thomas Graham |
| Majority | 15,280 (34.96%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 November 1952 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
| Website | www.james-sheridan-mp.org.uk |
James Sheridan (born 24 November 1952) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Paisley & Renfrewshire North since 2005. He was previously MP for Renfrewshire West from 2001 to 2005.
Contents |
Jim Sheridan was born in Glasgow and attended St Sixtus Primary School and St Pius Secondary School on Cally Avenue in Drumchapel, now the home of Drumchapel High School. He also served on Renfrewshire Council from 1999 representing Erskine Central. Before entering politics he worked in shipyards from 1970 to 1978, then as a printer for the Paisley Daily Express from 1978 to 1984, then for Thales Optronics (formerly Barr and Stroud before 2001) on Linthouse Road in Glasgow, where he was a trade union convenor for the TGWU from 1984 to 2000.
He was previously MP for Renfrewshire West from the 2001 election until the constituency was abolished in 2005. Following the 2005 election, he was appointed as a Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Ministry of Defence. He resigned this post on August 9, 2006 in protest at the Government's policy on the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, particularly the permitting of aircraft carrying U.S. weapons for Israel to refuel in the UK.[1] [2]. He was a strong supporter of Speaker of the House Michael Martin, at the time of the second-home expenses scandal, for instance stating that Mr Martin did not know about the expenses claims of MPs on Radio 4's Today program (18 May 2009).
In November 2008, Sheridan tabled a Commons early day motion backing a Great Britain football team at the 2012 Olympics, saying football "should not be any different from other competing sports and our young talent should be allowed to show their skills on the world stage". The football governing bodies of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are all opposed to a Great Britain team, fearing it would stop them competing as individual nations in future tournaments.
He lives in Erskine, Renfrewshire with his wife Jean. They have a son and daughter.
Sheridan was the promoter of the Bill which successfully led to the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Thomas Graham |
Member of Parliament for Renfrewshire West 2001–2005 |
Constituency abolished |
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for Paisley & Renfrewshire North 2005–present |
Incumbent |