| Phillip Whitehead MEP | |
|---|---|
| Member of the European Parliament for East Midlands, UK |
|
| In office 1 May 1999 – 31 December 2005 |
|
| Succeeded by | Glenis Willmott |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 May 1937 Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, England |
| Died | 31 December 2005 (aged 68) Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
| Alma mater | Exeter College, Oxford |
| Profession | Politician, Television Producer and Writer |
Phillip Whitehead, (30 May 1937 – 31 December 2005) was a British Labour politician, television producer and writer.
Born in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, he was adopted by a local family, and attended Lady Manners School in Bakewell and Exeter College at Oxford University, where he obtained his BA (and MA).
Whitehead apparently went to Oxford following in his adoptive parents' footsteps as a Conservative. He was President of the Oxford University Conservative Association and the Oxford Union in 1961. However, by the end of his time there he had convinced himself that his true place was in the Labour Party (see ref 1, from Exeter College Register).
He retained a close association with Derbyshire, especially the Bakewell area, throughout his life. He died of a heart attack on New Year's Eve 2005, aged 68 at a hospital in Chesterfield.
Whitehead was an independent documentary producer in early 1960s and later as an editor with the BBC and ITV from 1967 to 1970.
His political career began as a Labour Member of Parliament for Derby North from 1970 to 1983.
Whitehead was a member of several parliamentary committees:
After his defeat at the 1983 general election, Whitehead returned to television as a producer and director. He was also author of several books derived, with the exception of the Fabian Essays, from the television series' he produced:
In 1988 he was MacTaggart Memorial Lecturer at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
He was a Labour member of the European Parliament from 1994 to his death, first serving as MEP for Staffordshire East and Derby, and later as one of the members for the East Midlands.
On 23 July 2004 he was elected chair of the Parliamentary Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. He was also member of the European Parliament's African, Caribbean and Pacific Joint Parliamentary Assembly and chair of the European Parliamentary Labour Party.
Whitehead was taken ill on 31 December 2005 and died later that evening in hospital of a heart attack.
A list of EP committees of which Whitehead was a member:
Other professional memberships held by Whitehead:
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Niall MacDermot |
Member of Parliament for Derby North 1970–1983 |
Succeeded by Greg Knight |