Bill O'Brien (British politician)

Sir William O'Brien (born 25 January 1929) is a former Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.[1][2]

Sir
Bill O'Brien
O'Brien in 2010
Member of Parliament
for Normanton
In office
9 June 1983 – 11 April 2005
Preceded byAlbert Roberts
Succeeded byEd Balls
Personal details
Born (1929-01-25) 25 January 1929
Pontefract
NationalityBritish
Political partyLabour
SpouseJean Scofield
Alma materUniversity of Leeds

Early life

Born in the historic market town of Pontefract, West Riding of Yorkshire, O'Brien was previously a miner from 1946 to 1983 and local councillor on Wakefield Council from 1973 to 1983.[3] He stood unsuccessfully for the post of Secretary for the Yorkshire region of the National Union of Mineworkers in 1973, losing to Owen Briscoe from the Yorkshire Left group.[4] He was considered the moderate candidate from the moderate Glasshoughton colliery, whereas Briscoe was a militant from Armthorpe Colliery.[4]

He gained a BEd degree from the University of Leeds in 1978.

Parliamentary career

O'Brien entered the House of Commons as the Member of Parliament for Normanton at the 1983 general election, and re-elected at four further general elections until he retired at the 2005 general election. He served as both an Opposition Spokesman on Environment (1987–92) and Opposition Spokesman on Northern Ireland (1992–94).[3]

He was named a Knight Bachelor in the 2010 Dissolution Honours.[5]

Personal life

He married Jean Scofield, and the couple had three daughters.[3]

Bibliography

The Prince of Wales Colliery[6]

References
  1. "Mr Bill O'Brien". Hansard. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  2. "Parliamentary career for Sir Bill O'Brien - MPs and Lords". UK Parliament. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  3. "Bill O'Brien - Politics 97". BBC News. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  4. Winterton, Jonathan; Winterton, Ruth (1989). Coal, Crisis, and Conflict: The 1984–85 Miners' Strike in Yorkshire. Manchester University Press. p. 18. ISBN 9780719025488.
  5. "No. 59459". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 15 June 2010. p. 11152.
  6. Sir Bill O'Brien (2011). Pontefract Heritage Series: The Prince of Wales Colliery. West Yorkshire, United Kingdom: Pen2Pen. ISBN 978-0-9559026-1-1.


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