Tommy McAvoy

"Thomas McAvoy" redirects here. For the American judge, see Thomas James McAvoy.
The Right Honourable
The Lord McAvoy
PC
Opposistion Deputy Chief Whip in House of Lords
Assumed office
27 May 2015
Serving with Denis Tunnicliffe
Preceded by The Baroness Smith of Basildon
Treasurer of the Household
Deputy Chief Whip
In office
5 October 2008  11 May 2010
Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Preceded by Nick Brown
Succeeded by John Randall
Comptroller of the Household
In office
2 May 1997  5 October 2008
Prime Minister Tony Blair
Gordon Brown
Preceded by Timothy Wood
Succeeded by John Spellar
Member of Parliament
for Rutherglen and Hamilton West
Glasgow Rutherglen (1987-2005)
In office
12 June 1987  12 April 2010
Preceded by James Gregor Mackenzie
Succeeded by Tom Greatrex
Personal details
Born (1943-12-14) 14 December 1943
Rutherglen
Nationality Scottish
Political party Labour Co-operative
Spouse(s) Eleanor McAvoy
Children 4
Religion Roman Catholic

Thomas McLaughlin McAvoy, Baron McAvoy PC (born 14 December 1943) is a British Labour Co-operative politician who was the Member of Parliament[1] for Rutherglen and Hamilton West from 2005 to 2010, having previously been MP for Rutherglen from 1987 to 2005. He held several positions in the Labour Whips Office, including Comptroller of the Household from 1997 to 2008, then Treasurer of the Household from 2008 to 2010. He entered the Lords after retiring as an MP shortly after the 2010 General Election.

Early life and career

Tommy McAvoy was born in Rutherglen on 14th December 1943. McAvoy worked as a storeman at the Hoover factory in Cambuslang, and was a shop steward for the Amalgamated Engineering Union; following the succession of trade union mergers, he is now a member of Unite the Union (Amicus Section). McAvoy and his wife Eleanor have four sons.

Political career

In 1982, McAvoy was elected to Strathclyde Regional Council, and served until elected to Parliament in 1987 as the Labour Co-operative member for Glasgow, Rutherglen. From 2005 to 2010, he sat as the member for Rutherglen and Hamilton West.

He was an opposition whip from 1990 to 1993 and again from 1996 to 1997. According to The Guardian: "...[his] personal crusades have been for peace in Northern Ireland and against abortion" (Andrew Roth, The Guardian).

When the Labour Party came into government in 1997, McAvoy was appointed as Comptroller of HM Household, the third highest position in the Government Whips' office. He retained the same job until 2008, becoming one of the longest serving Comptrollers in history. He was appointed to the Privy Council in 2003. In October 2008, he was promoted to Treasurer of the Household and Deputy Chief Whip.

McAvoy has achieved the rare feat among whips of remaining popular with Labour MPs. An early day motion in July 2006 noted "the difficult task he has of securing government business whilst accommodating the parliamentary, political and personal requirements of 352 Labour colleagues" and congratulated him for "the respect he has earned from all sides of the House for his ability to perform these duties"; it was signed by 135 MPs.[2]

On 20 February 2010, McAvoy announced that he would stand down at the next general election.[3] The seat was retained by Labour with the election of Tom Greatrex. On 22 June 2010, McAvoy was created a life peer as Baron McAvoy, of Rutherglen in Lanarkshire,[4] and was introduced in the House of Lords that day.[5]

Since his introduction to the Lords, he served as a Senior Whip. in 2012 he took on the role of Opposition Spokesman for Scotland and Northern Ireland. In May 2015, after the election of Angela Evans Smith as Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords, he took over as Opposition Deputy Chief Whip in House of Lords, serving with Denis Tunnicliffe. [6]

References

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Gregor Mackenzie
Member of Parliament for Glasgow Rutherglen
19872005
Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament for Rutherglen and Hamilton West
20052010
Succeeded by
Tom Greatrex
Political offices
Preceded by
Timothy Wood
Comptroller of the Household
1997–2008
Succeeded by
John Spellar
Preceded by
Nick Brown
Treasurer of the Household
2008–2010
Succeeded by
John Randall
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