David Crausby
| David Anthony Crausby MP | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of Parliament for Bolton North East | |
|
Assumed office 1 May 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Peter Thurnham |
| Majority | 4,377 (10.1%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
17 June 1946 Bury, Lancashire, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse(s) | Enid Anne Noon |
| Website | www.davidcrausby.co.uk |
David Anthony Crausby (born 17 June 1946) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolton North East since 1997.
Professional career
David Crausby was born in Bury, Lancashire and was educated locally at the Derby Grammar School (now Derby High School) on Radcliffe Road in the town and at Bury Technical College on Market Street. He began a career as a turner, becoming an apprentice centre lathe turner in 1962, and later becoming works convenor for the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union at Beloit Walmsleys Ltd, Bolton. He remained in this position until his election to the House of Commons in 1997. He was elected a councillor in 1979 to the then Bury District Council, and served until 1992.
Political career
He contested the marginal Bury North seat, having been just elected as Chairman of the local constituency Labour Party, at the 1987 General Election but was defeated by the sitting Conservative MP Alistair Burt by 6,911 votes. He contested the Conservative-held marginal seat of Bolton North East at the 1992 General Election where the sitting MP Peter Thurnham was defending an 813 majority. The election in Bolton North East proved another tight tussle and Thurnham won by just 185. Thurnham retired at the 1997 General Election, having crossed the floor to join the Liberal Democrats on 12 October 1996. Crausby had no problem defeating the new Conservative candidate, Rob Wilson, by 12,669, and he has remained the MP there since, though his majority fell to 8,422 in 2001 and 4,103 in 2005. In the 2010 general election with a turnout of 64.97% he increased his share of the vote and gained 19,870 votes being 45.9% of votes cast in comparison to 16,874 votes being 45.7% of votes cast in 2005. He made his maiden speech on 17 July 1997, in which he remembered the inventor of the spinning mule Samuel Crompton who was born in Bolton.
In parliament, Crausby joined the Social Security Select Committee in 1999, and was a member of the Defence Select Committee from the 2001 General Election to 2010. He voted against the Iraq War in 2003.
In 2011, Crausby won the House Magazine's Commons Speech of the Year, for his speech on bringing the military covenant into law, beating the Prime Minister David Cameron.
In 2013, he became one of the few Labour MPs to vote against the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, which eventually was passed with cross-party support.[1]
Personal life
He married Enid Anne Noon in 1965 in Bury and they have two sons. His eldest son, also named David, is a commercial and editorial photographer, his work is represented by several agencies including Getty Images and Alamy. His son is currently based in Germany.
References
- ↑ George Eaton, "Labour and Lib Dem MPs who voted against gay marriage: full list", New Statesman, 6 February 2013. Last retrieved 26 August 2013.
External links
- David Crausby MP's website
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: David Crausby MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - David Crausby MP
- The Public Whip - David Crausby MP voting record
- Official YouTube channel
Video clips
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Peter Thurnham |
Member of Parliament for Bolton North East 1997–present |
Incumbent |