Greg Pope

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Greg Pope
Member of Parliament
for Hyndburn
In office
9 April 1992 – 6 May 2010
Preceded by Ken Hargreaves
Succeeded by Graham Jones
Personal details
Born (1960-08-29) 29 August 1960
Blackburn, England, UK
Nationality British
Political party Labour
Spouse(s) Catherine Fallon
Alma mater University of Hull
Religion Roman Catholic

Gregory James Pope (born 29 August 1960) is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hyndburn from 1992 until retiring at the 2010 general election. He was a government whip from 1997 until 2001.

Early life

Born and raised in Great Harwood, the only son of Sam and Sheila Pope. He went to St Marys College R.C. Grammar School on Shear Brow in Blackburn, now St Mary's Sixth Form College, Blackburn. He studied Politics at the University of Hull, graduating in 1981.

Parliamentary career

Considered a Blairite,[1] Pope is a signatory of the Henry Jackson Society. He was a member of the backbench committee on Northern Ireland from 1997-2001.

In April 2000 as a whip, Pope inadvertently approved a Liberal Democrat clause in the government's utilities bill, committing the government to meet 10% of electricity requirements from green sources by 2010. Pope said: "We were doing a series of government amendments. I realised I'd shouted aye too many times. I'm not overjoyed about it." The error led the government to instruct its MPs to vote against the clause.[2]

In July 2003, Pope admitted leaking confidential Foreign Affairs Select Committee evidence to The Guardian newspaper chief political correspondent Patrick Wintour. The move was described as an attempt to "bounce" MPs on the committee into clearing Alastair Campbell of "sexing up" the so-called Dodgy Dossier of evidence into the threat posed by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.[3]

During his parliamentary career, Pope supported same-sex adoption,[4] abortion[5] and voted in favour of various early day motions in support of contraception.[6][7]

On 11 June 2009, Pope announced that he would stand down at the 2010 election.[8]

Parliamentary expenses

Greg Pope claimed £21,613 in expenses in a single year (2008-9)[9][10] and £7,295 of Additional Cost Allowance , which included household furnishings and mortgage payments, over a two-year period.[11]

After politics

On 19 April 2010 Pope was appointed as the deputy director of the Catholic Education Service (CES).[12] The appointment of Pope as CES deputy director caused controversy given his parliamentary voting record while an MP (see above).[13]

Personal life

In a survey of MPs, Pope somewhat controversially chose Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols as his favourite album. "It changed music forever and meant we never had to listen to Boney M again."[14]

He married Catherine Fallon on 2 August 1985; they have three children.

References

  1. ↑ Cabinet concern over PM's stance, Tania Branigan and Alexi Mostrous, The Guardian, 29 July 2006
  2. ↑ Whip's error on Lib-Dem clause "farcical", Financial Times, 19 April 2000
  3. ↑ MPs' fury over ploy to rescue Campbell, Paul Eastham, Daily Mail, 4 July 2003
  4. ↑ "Hansard 20 May 2002 : Column 92 Ammendments to Adoption Act 1976". 20 May 2002. 
  5. ↑ "Hansard Division No. 199 Amendment of the law relating to abortion". 20 May 2008. 
  6. ↑ "Early day motion 1444: World Population Day". 1 July 2004. 
  7. ↑ "Early day motion 1619: Contraceptive Awareness Week". 9 February 2006. 
  8. ↑ "Greg Pope to step down as Hyndburn MP", Lancashire Telegraph, 11 June 2009
  9. ↑ "Expenses: Hyndburn MP Greg Pope claims £21,000", Lancashire Telegraph, 11 December 2009
  10. ↑ "Allowances by MP - Greg Pope", UK Parliament
  11. ↑ "Revealed: MP Greg Pope’s £7,295 claim for house expenses", Accrington Observer, 18 June 2009
  12. ↑ Greg Pope joins CESEW as its new Deputy Director, Catholic Education Service, 19 April 2010
  13. ↑ "CES defends appointment of controversial former MP", Catholic Herald, 30 April 2010
  14. ↑ "Seventies rock still a big hit with MPs", Daily Mail, 27 July 2006

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Ken Hargreaves		 Member of Parliament for Hyndburn
1992–2010 		Succeeded by
Graham Jones
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