Michael Meacher

The Right Honourable Michael Hugh Meacher (born November 4, 1939) is a British politician, member of Parliament for Oldham.

Related Topics:
November 4 - 1939 - British - Politician - Member of Parliament - Oldham

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He was educated at New College, Oxford and the LSE. He was first elected to Parliament in 1970, and served as a minister under Harold Wilson and James Callaghan. During opposition he was in the Shadow Cabinet for fourteen years. He was seen as a figure on the left and an ally of Tony Benn and stood as the left's candidate against Roy Hattersley in the 1983 leadership election.

Related Topics:
New College, Oxford - LSE - 1970 - Harold Wilson - James Callaghan - Shadow Cabinet - Tony Benn - Roy Hattersley - 1983

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He was an elected member of the Shadow Cabinet from 1983 to 1997, but Tony Blair only appointed him to junior ministerial position, at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when Labour was elected to government in 1997. He was sacked in June 2003, and since then has attacked the government on a number of issues, notably the 2003 Iraq war and genetically modified food. He has also claimed that the response by United States authorities to the hijackings on September 11, 2001 was suspicious and 'offered an extremely convenient pretext' for subsequent military action in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Related Topics:
1983 - 1997 - Tony Blair - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - June - 2003 - 2003 Iraq war - Genetically modified - United States - September 11 - 2001 - Afghanistan - Iraq

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In May 2005 he introduced the Climate Change EDM to parliament, which calls upon the government to commit to yearly CO2 emission reductions of 3%.

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He appeared briefly as himself in the 1985 BBC Television drama serial Edge of Darkness.

Related Topics:
1985 - BBC Television - Edge of Darkness

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