Jim McMahon (politician)

Cllr
Jim McMahon
OBE FRSA MP
Shadow Minister for Local Government & Devolution
Assumed office
10 October 2016
Leader Jeremy Corbyn
Member of Parliament
for Oldham West and Royton
Assumed office
4 December 2015
Preceded by Michael Meacher
Majority 10,722 (38.7%)
Leader of the council, Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
In office
5 May 2011 – 16 January 2016
Deputy Jean Stretton
Preceded by Howard Sykes
Succeeded by Jean Stretton
Councillor for Failsworth East, Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
Assumed office
21 November 2003
Leader Jean Stretton
Preceded by Graeme Currie
Majority 1,453 (30.7%)
Personal details
Born (1980-07-07) 7 July 1980
Manchester, United Kingdom
Political party Labour and Co-operative Party
Spouse(s) Charlene Duerden
Children 2

Jim McMahon OBE FRSA (born James Ignatius O'Rourke McMahon, 7 July 1980) is a British Labour and Co-operative Party politician who is MP for Oldham West and Royton, having won the seat at a by-election in December 2015. He has been a councillor since 2003 and served as leader of Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council.[1]

Early life and education

McMahon was born in Miles Platting, Manchester, to William McMahon and Alicia O'Rourke. His father was a truck driver.[2] The family moved from Cheetham Hill when he was a child to Middleton, where he attended secondary school.[3] He left school at the age of 16.[2]

Professional career

McMahon started work in 1997 as an apprentice technician at Manchester University rising to become a senior technician before leaving in 2004. He then joined local government service as a regeneration officer and latterly as a town centre manager.[4][5]

Political career

Local Government

McMahon was first elected to Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council in November 2003 as a Labour councillor for Failsworth East ward. He held various posts on Oldham Council before becoming the council's Labour group leader in 2008 after the Liberal Democrats won control of the authority. At the 2011 local elections, Labour re-gained control of the council and McMahon became its leader.[6] As council leader McMahon sat as one of the 11 members of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority with responsibility for transport.[7]

McMahon was the inaugural chairman of the Co-operative Council Innovation Network and served as the Labour leader of the Local Government Association.[8] McMahon was named the 6th most influential person in local government by The Local Government Chronicle ahead of senior government ministers.[9]

In August 2014, McMahon was elected to represent Labour councillors on the party's National Executive Committee (NEC).[7][10]

In the 2015 Labour leadership election, McMahon was reported to have supported Liz Kendall's bid to be leader. Kendall came last of four candidates with less than 5% of the vote.[11]

In 2016 McMahon stood down as council leader and was replaced by his Deputy, Jean Stretton[12]

Parliament

McMahon won the selection to be Labour Party candidate at the Oldham West and Royton by-election following the death of incumbent Michael Meacher.

At the by-election held on 3 December 2015, McMahon was elected Member of Parliament for Oldham West and Royton, with 62% of the vote – an increase of seven percentage points since the 2015 general election.[13] At the by-election McMahon represented just the Labour Party rather than his later Labour and Co-operative Party affiliation.[14]

He served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party[15] until being appointed to serve as Shadow Minister for Local Government and Devolution.[16]

Honours and distinctions

OBE insignia

In February 2014 McMahon was named "Council Leader of the Year" during the Councillor Achievement Awards hosted by the Local Government Information Unit.[7] He was credited with leading improvements in Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council having redesignated it as a Co-operative Council.[17] Also in 2014, University Centre Oldham conferred upon him Honorary Fellowship,[18] as well as being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.[19]

McMahon was appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2015 Birthday Honours for "services to the community in Oldham",[20] and was invested as OBE by Charles, Prince of Wales on 18 December 2015.[21]

Family

McMahon lives with Charlene Duerden in Failsworth and they have two children.[22]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/624160/Nigel-Farage-John-Bickley-Jim-McMahon-Ukip-Labour-Oldham-West-Royton
  2. 1 2 Eaton, George (6 November 2015). "Why Labour's Oldham by-election candidate Jim McMahon is one to watch". New Statesman. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  3. ↑ "Cllr Jim McMahon, Biography", jimmcmahon.co.uk; accessed 30 November 2015.
  4. ↑ Official website, JimMcMahon.co.uk; retrieved 15 June 2014.
  5. ↑ "Jim set to steer town to prosperity", Manchester Evening News; retrieved 15 June 2014.
  6. ↑ "Jim'll fix it", Oldham Evening Chronicle, 6 May 2011; retrieved 17 June 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 "Leader Jim McMahon OBE". Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  8. ↑ "What the locals really think of Oldham – Places". Lancashire Life. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  9. ↑ "McMahon one of most influential in local politics", Oldham Chronicle, 3 December 2014; retrieved 29 December 2014.
  10. ↑ "Labour Party NEC", The Labour Party, 6 May 2011; retrieved 27 January 2015.
  11. ↑ Eaton, George (6 November 2015). "Why Labour's Oldham by-election candidate Jim McMahon is one to watch". Newstatesman.com. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  12. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-35333780
  13. ↑ "Labour wins Oldham West by-election". BBC News. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  14. ↑ "Oldham West and Royton: Parliamentary By-Election Results". Oldham Council. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  15. ↑ "National Executive Committee Report – 26th January 2016". Labourlist. 26 January 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  16. ↑ "The Greater Manchester MPs who quit Jeremy Corbyn's top team - but are now back". Manchester Evening News. 9 October 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  17. ↑ "Jim is nations top council leader", Oldham Evening Chronicle, 26 February 2014; retrieved 17 June 2014.
  18. ↑ "Graduation at University Campus Oldham", University Centre Oldham, 16 July 2014; retrieved 25 July 2014.
  19. ↑ "Cllr Jim McMahon | Biography". Jimmcmahon.co.uk. 7 July 1980. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  20. ↑ "Cllr Jim McMahon | Biography". Jimmcmahon.co.uk. 7 July 1980. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  21. ↑ "MP Jim McMahon says picking up OBE is 'amazing end to a busy year'". Manchester Evening News. 21 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  22. ↑ "Oldham Council boss Jim McMahon quits day job". Manchester Evening News. 14 February 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Michael Meacher		 Member of Parliament
for Oldham West and Royton
2015–present 		Incumbent
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/17/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.