Geoffrey Filkin, Baron Filkin

David Geoffrey Nigel Filkin, Baron Filkin CBE (born 1 July 1944) is a British Labour politician.^[1][2][3]

Filkin, having been appointed a Commander of the British Empire in the 1997 New Year's Honours,^[4] was created a life peer as Baron Filkin, of Pimlico in the City of Westminster, on 29 July 1999.^[2][5] In 2000, with Simon Over, he founded the Parliament Choir, which gathers members of both Houses of Parliament and Parliamentary Staff. He has held a number of Government offices, first as Lord in Waiting (junior Whip) from June 2001 to May 2002, then as Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department from May 2002 until June 2003, and then as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Departments for Constitutional Affairs (June 2003 to September 2004) and Education and Skills (September 2004 to May 2005).

Career

Filkin's early career was as a Director of Housing and then Chief Executive inLocal Government. He was Chief Executive of the Association of District Councils where he created the policy of Best Value. Later he was a policy analyst and writer, contributing to the development of Labour’s policies for local and regional government.^[6] In November 2005, Lord Filkin was appointed as advisor to Capgemini's government and public sector division.^[7] At that time, the Capgemini portfolio included the £3bn ASPIRE contract with HM Revenue and Customs as well as other major outsourcing and transformation projects within the Home Office, MoD, DfES and at other national, local and regional authorities including the Welsh Assembly and the Scottish Executive.

According to Parliamentary records, he gave important assurances about legislation in 2004 that paved the way for civil partnerships: “My Lords, the Government believe that marriage should be possible only between people of opposite gender in law. The concept of homosexual marriage is a contradiction in terms, which is why our position is utterly clear: we are against it, and do not intend to promote it or allow it to take place.”^[8]

Geoffrey Filkin was Chair of the House of Lords Select Committee on Public Service and Democratic Change which published a report on ‘Ready for Ageing?’.^[9]

External links

• They Work For You record of Lord Filkin's contributions in Parliament
• Houses of Parliament biography

References