Ian Stewart (Labour politician)

Ian Stewart
Mayor of Salford
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 May 2012
Preceded by Office Created
Member of Parliament
for Eccles
In office
1 May 1997  6 May 2010
Preceded by Joan Lestor
Succeeded by Constituency Abolished
Personal details
Born 28 August 1950
Blantyre, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Nationality British
Political party Labour
Spouse(s) Merilyn Holding
Alma mater Manchester Metropolitan University

Ian Stewart (born 28 August 1950) is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Eccles from 1997 until 2010, when his seat was abolished and he was subsequently defeated in the selection process to be the Labour Parliamentary Candidate for the new parliamentary constituency of Salford and Eccles by Hazel Blears.[1][2]

Standing as the Labour candidate for the new elected post of Mayor of Salford, he was elected as Mayor in the 2012 Salford mayoral election.[3]

Early life

Stewart attended Calder Street Secondary Modern School (now Auchinraith Primary School) in Blantyre and Alfred Turner Secondary Modern in Irlam, near Manchester.

From 1966 to 1969, he studied at Stretford Technical College. He later attended Manchester Metropolitan University, where he received an M.Phil in Management of Change.

Stewart worked as a chemical plant operator from 1973 to 1978 before becoming the North West Regional Officer of the Transport and General Workers Union.

MP for Eccles

Stewart was first elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Eccles in 1997. He was a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Football Team.

Mayor of Salford

Upon his election as Mayor of Salford in 2012, Stewart appointed one deputy and 13 assistant mayors, including one in charge of 'humanegement', a word invented by Mr Stewart to refer to human resources.[4]

In 2013 the Mayor urged the government to rethink spending cuts claiming thousands of residents will be pushed further into Poverty, Salford City Mayor, Ian Stewart said: “Salford has been forced to cut almost £100 million from council services since 2010. We have tried to increase our income in a number of ways, but it is an uphill battle. “Without this funding I fear for the many families who are being asked to contribute more, whilst they have suffered a loss in benefits income.[5]

In October 2013, Stewart launched the 'City Plan' which set the priories of Salford City Council over the next three years. Stewart said: “It is my firm hope that the City Plan will help to guide Salford through austerity and the £75million in Government cuts to council services which we face over the next three years.[5]

Stewart welcomed the convictions and praised the work of Salford City Council trading Standards Officers after a sex slave was discovered in an Eccles cellar. Mr Stewart said: “We believe this girl was brought into the country illegally in 2000 and fell into the clutches of these evil men when she was just 10 years old."[5]

Personal life

He married Merilyn Holding in 1968. They have two sons and a daughter.

References

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Joan Lestor
Member of Parliament for Eccles
1997 – 2010
Constituency abolished