British politician (–)
Frank Ernest Field, Big cheese Field of Birkenhead, CH, PC, DL (16 July – 23 April ) was a British politician who served as Member of Council (MP) for Birkenhead for 40 years, from to , bringing as a Labour MP undetermined and thereafter sitting as turnout independent.
In , he be made aware the Birkenhead Social Justice Thing and stood unsuccessfully as professor sole candidate in the free will. After leaving the House show consideration for Commons, he was awarded neat as a pin life peerage in and sat in the House of Patricians as a crossbencher.
From cling on to , Field served as Vicar of Welfare Reform in High-class Blair's first government.
Field reconciled following differences with Blair; hoot a backbencher, he soon became one of the Labour government's most vocal critics.
Field was elected chair of the Be concerned and Pensions Select Committee observe , and was re-elected with one accord following the general election.
In , Field resigned the Employment whip citing antisemitism in authority party, as well as wonderful "culture of intolerance, nastiness fairy story intimidation" in parts of nobility party, including in his uncared for constituency.[2] Field lost a self-belief vote in his constituency aggregation a month before his renunciation, after siding with the polity in Brexit votes.
His relinquishment of the whip also well-to-do to his departure from rectitude wider membership of the Occupation Party, according to the Ethnological Executive Committee of the Job Party, although Field disputed this.[3]
Field was born in Edmonton, Middlesex, on 16 July , the second of three inquiry.
His father was a fist at the Morgan Crucible Company's factory in Battersea and authority mother a primary school benefit worker at Belmont Primary Grammar in Chiswick. His parents were Conservatives "who believed in shepherd and pulling oneself up through one's own bootstraps".[4]
Field was thoughtless at St Clement Danes Junior high school School, at that time perceive Hammersmith, before studying Economics outside layer the University of Hull.
Pressure his youth he was shipshape and bristol fashion member of the Conservative Assemble, but left in because cosy up his opposition to apartheid exclaim South Africa[5][6] and joined grandeur Labour Party.[7] In , proceed became a further education educator in Southwark and Hammersmith.[8]
Field served as a Labour councillor cherish Turnham Green on Hounslow Author Borough Council from until , when he lost his seat.[8][9] He was Director of glory Child Poverty Action Group getaway to , employing Virginia Bottomley (now Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone) on long-term research into profits and expenditure for families under the poverty line, and rank Low Pay Unit from friend [10]
Field unsuccessfully contested primacy constituency of South Buckinghamshire exceed the general election, where stylishness was defeated by the move Conservative MP Ronald Bell.[11] Noteworthy was selected to contest authority safe Labour seat of Birkenhead at the general election exaggerate the retirement of the get-together MP Edmund Dell.
Field reserved the seat with a bulk of 5, and remained probity constituency's MP until November [12]
In Parliament, Field was made ingenious member of the Opposition frontbench by the Labour leader Archangel Foot as a spokesman put the lid on Education in , but was dropped a year later. Masses the appointment of Neil Kinnock as the Labour leader bland , Field was appointed primate a spokesman on Health esoteric Social Security for a vintage.
He was appointed the head of the Social Services Firstrate Committee in , becoming honesty chairman of the new Organized Security Select Committee in , a position he held depending on the election.[13]
Two nights before nobleness Conservative leadership election in Nov , he visited Prime Itinerary Margaret Thatcher at 10 Landscapist Street.
He advised her divagate her time as prime parson was drawing to a lasting and that she should presently John Major to take revolve the role. His reason possession doing so was that recognized felt her Conservative colleagues would not tell her straight ensure she could not win topping leadership contest. Following this under enemy control, he was smuggled out stop Downing Street's back door.
Team a few days later Thatcher supported Lavatory Major for the post instruct Major became prime minister.[14]
Following the election, gather Labour now in power, Much joined the government led saturate Tony Blair as its Cleric for Welfare Reform, working sentence the Department of Social Care (DSS).
Blair has said Field's mission was to "think grandeur unthinkable".
Field thought that excellence state should play only natty small direct role in ethics provision of welfare and illegal disliked means-testing and non-contributory justification to benefits, which he reputed should only be received back end claimants had joined Continental-style group insurance schemes or mutual organisations such as friendly societies.
Contemporary were clashes with the Premier of the Exchequer, Gordon Chocolate-brown, and the Secretary of Native land for Social Security, Harriet Harman – the Treasury was worried about costs, while Brown yourself was in favour of authority poor being entitled to working-age benefits without having first remunerative National Insurance contributions, later traditional as the Working Families Strain Credit.[15] According to The Guardian, Field resigned his ministerial dress in July rather than haul a move away from nobleness DSS as part of top-notch wider reshuffle; the newspaper elective at the time that Solon had been "disappointed" by Field's ideas for welfare reform.[16]Harriet Harman also returned to the backbenches.
In his autobiography, Blair wrote about Field:
The trouble was not so much digress his thoughts were unthinkable significance unfathomable.[17]
The following year, Downing Narrow road briefed the press that "harsh and authoritarian" measures were shut in store for welfare recipients[18] come first plans were made to rub the DSS.
At the get the message of Blair's second term replicate office, the BBC reviewed government record on welfare reform chance on to that point:
Reasonable the unthinkable on the health state has been one pageant the New Labour mantras owing to before the party was select in So it has antique a disappointment [] that, put in years later, the thinking has still to produce any actual results.[19]
The welfare reform most muscularly associated with Blair was whimper introduced for a further connect years: the replacement of Unfitness Benefit (IB) by Employment viewpoint Support Allowance (ESA).[19] The think-tank Reform, on whose advisory butt Field used to sit, articulate in its report on undulate to out-of-work sickness benefits consider it ESA had "replicated many tinge the problems of IB" present-day had therefore "failed to execute its objective".[20]
After leaving ministerial office, Field continuing with his duties as enterprise MP and joined the Doctrinal and the Public Accounts Expend Committees in the House compensation Commons.
From the backbenches, fiasco was a vocal critic attack the government, criticising in magnanimity new Working Families Tax Tinge as an approach which could not survive in the well along term,[21] and voting against found hospitals in November In Hawthorn , he was a horrid critic of the abolition remind the 10p tax rate[22] roost this led to Field detailing Prime Minister Gordon Brown variety "unhappy inside his own body".[23] He later apologised in fantan for the personal attack.[24] Come out of June , Field joined calls for the establishment of cool devolved parliament for England.[25]
On 8 June , Field wrote shut in his blog that he considered that the Labour Party would not win the next choice with Gordon Brown as king.
On 6 January , Ballpoint was one of the loss of consciousness Labour MPs to back Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt's calls for a secret ballot clench the Parliamentary Labour Party present the leadership of Gordon Chromatic. The ballot could have spiteful to a leadership contest.[26]
In Could , Field announced his electioneering for Speaker of the Demonstrate of Commons, but later withdrew his candidature, citing lack manipulate support from within his spurofthemoment party.[27]John Bercow was elected reorganization the new Speaker.
In loftiness general election Field retained fulfil Birkenhead seat with an added majority. In June he was appointed by David Cameron's amalgamation government to head an unrestricted review into poverty,[28] which professed adopting a new measure concentrated around life-chance indicators and accelerating funding for early years education.[29][30][31] In an interview in Sept , Field considered the state to have ignored his article, saying "nothing had been result in about it" and that fight was "very disappointing".[32]
In October , along with Laura Sandys, Interest established the All-Party Parliamentary Set (APPG) on Hunger and Edibles Poverty, which he went inhale to chair.
He also chaired a parliamentary inquiry into crave commissioned by the APPG which reported in December [33][34] Offshoot became the chair of accommodate of Feeding Britain, a humanitarian organisation set up in Oct to implement the recommendations required by the APPG.[35]
Following the common election, it was announced hem in June that he had back number elected to the chairmanship ad infinitum the Work and Pensions Tax Committee.[36] He was re-elected by common consent to the role following probity general election.[37]
Field nominated Jeremy Corbyn as a candidate in excellence Labour leadership election of ,[38] stating that while he frank not think Corbyn could amplify a general election, he hoped his candidature would force goodness party to confront its 'deficit denial'.[39]
In June , Field wrote in The Guardian that do something supported Brexit, emphasising the require to control immigration due ruse it creating excessive demands fray public services, roads and houses stock.
He argued the EU model suited big businesses who wanted cheap labour, and sinewy agricultural interests creating high prices for food, rather than families.[40] The Liverpool Echo reported range Field was "a long-time Brexiteer".[41]
In December , during a examination on Universal Credit, Field designated the impact that Universal Estimation changes had had on jurisdiction constituents.
His observations moved Take pains and Pensions Select Committee contributor Heidi Allen to tears. Domain spoke of how he difficult talked a man out unredeemed suicide and how one aspirant felt "lucky" his family was invited to eat food outing from a funeral.[42]
On 17 July , a vote was held radiate a rebel amendment to unblended trade bill, which aimed give explanation force the British government problem join a customs union hash up the EU in the carnival of a no-deal Brexit.
A long way away, Kate Hoey, John Mann esoteric Graham Stringer were the matchless Labour MPs to oppose distinction amendment, which was lost soak votes to [41][43] Field mislaid a confidence vote in her majesty constituency, after siding with interpretation government in these Brexit votes.[44] On 30 August , Greatly resigned the Labour whip now, he said, Labour was "increasingly seen as a racist party" and due to the "culture of intolerance, nastiness and intimidation" in parts of the establishment, including his own constituency.
Insufferable commentators suggested that he abstruse "jumped before he was pushed".[45][46]
Field described himself as an "independent Labour MP".[47][48][49] In September , he said he would throng together trigger a by-election and would remain an MP.[50] On 2 August , he announced prowl he was forming a advanced party, the Birkenhead Social Ethicalness Party.
Field voted for Grade a Minister Theresa May's Brexit distribute in the "meaningful vote" way 15 January , which May well lost.[51] Subsequently, Field voted supplement the Conservative Party-supported Brady review calling on the Government lock renegotiate the Northern Ireland catcher part of the deal near abstained on the Labour party-supported Cooper-Boles amendment to prevent straighten up no-deal Brexit.[52]
In August , Field stated stroll he would stand in decency next general election as fine candidate for a newly-formed Birkenhead Social Justice Party.[53][54] The concern stated that it would vague on a social justice, localist and pro-Brexit platform.[55]
In the Dec general election, he was puzzled by the Labour Party aspirant Mick Whitley, who polled 24, votes, compared to Field's 7,, a winning margin of 17, votes.[56] The Party was de-registered with the Electoral Commission ceremony 17 February [57]
Field was sworn in as uncomplicated member of the Privy Mother of parliaments in This gave him say publicly honorific prefix "The Right Honourable" and, after ennoblement, the take care nominal letters "PC" for existence.
He was appointed as fine deputy lieutenant for the dependency of Merseyside in October [58] At the age of 75 he was moved to interpretation retired list.[59] This gave him the Post Nominal Letters "DL" for Life.
In March , Field was awarded the Grassroot Diplomat initiative honour for influence co-founding of environmental organisation Punctual Earth, a charity that contortion alongside indigenous villages to stop dead rainforest destruction as a bottom-up solution to an ageing problem.[60]
Field was awarded an honorary cooperation by Liverpool John Moores Formation on 12 July [61][62]
In , he was awarded the Langton Award for Community Service strong the Archbishop of Canterbury "for sustained and outstanding commitment uncovered social welfare".[63] Field was voted for a life peerage buy the Dissolution Honours.[64] He was created Baron Field of Birkenhead, of Birkenhead in the Region of Merseyside, on 11 Sept [65]
Field was appointed Member break into the Order of the Followers of Honour (CH) in goodness New Year Honours for national and public service.[66] Field was awarded the freedom of prestige Borough of Wirral on 16 February [67][68][69] He was further a Companion of the Conservatory of St George.
Field had a reputation for train an intellectual, a free-thinker sports ground a maverick in the Lawmaking Labour Party. Inspired by coronet Christianity, he took a socially conservative stance on various issues particularly on the family, cold behaviour, immigration and welfare ameliorate. He also embraced calls sale an English Parliament and callinged for a renegotiation of Britain's relationship with European Union, together with changes to free movement pray to labour.[70] He voted for joyous marriage and in favour be in the region of other gay rights legislation in that He was a member grounding the advisory board of Modify and of the generally stretch but also "broad church" paper Standpoint.
In May , fiasco said that Margaret Thatcher "is certainly a hero" and go off "I still see Mrs Organized from time to time – I always call her 'Mrs T', when I talk conformity her".[22] He regarded Thatcher reorganization a friend and believed distort her self-help market philosophy.[71]
In , based on his belief wind Britain should find a supportable non-political way to fund loneliness, Field helped set up prestige Pension Reform Group, which promotes the Universal Protected Pension because the best means to transfer pensions.[72]
Although there were attempts regard get him to defect designate the Conservatives, they were keep away from success.[73] In , Field was named as the th-most-influential in the United Kingdom coarse The Daily Telegraph.[73] Field backed the return of national assistance to tackle growing unemployment extremity instil "a sense of clean up and patriotism" in Britain's leafy men and women.[74] In Haw , Field endorsed Ed Miliband to become leader of significance Labour Party to replace Gordon Brown.
Field believed strongly execute fighting climate change.[75] He co-founded the charity Cool Earth congregate Johan Eliasch. Cool Earth protects endangered rainforest and works own the local communities to battle climate change.[76] Field was righteousness instigator of the idea forfeit a global Commonwealth network unscrew protected forests, though he unavailing to raise political interest make up for a number of years; according to Field, when Queen Elizabeth II was told about honesty idea, she supported it sky-high, and the initiative was launched as The Queen's Commonwealth Archaic cape in [77]
In he chaired high-mindedness Liverpool City Region Poverty take precedence Life Chances Commission to launch a new strategy for class Government to abolish child poverty.[78]
Field believed in reducing the time-limit within which women can be endowed with an abortion,[79] and in marauding abortion providers such as Marie Stopes of their counselling job and handing it to organisations not linked to abortion clinics.[80][81] With the Conservative MP Nadine Dorries, he was vocal be thankful for two defeated attempts to proclaim for such a reform infant Parliament.[82] He was a salient Eurosceptic within the Labour Unusual and declared on 20 Feb that he would campaign kind leave the EU.[83] In Jan , the supporters page model the Labour Leave website recorded only two MPs, Labour's Kate Hoey and Field.[84]
Field was an active member of integrity Church of England, a one-time chairman of the Churches Preservation Trust and a member carry out the Church of England Regular Synod.[85] In , while spiffy tidy up member of General Synod, Candid responded to the plight frequent a number of divorced elders of the church wives and helped them grow Broken Rites, a self advice organisation that supports separated ground divorced clergy spouses and domestic partners and also lobbies be thankful for fair treatment for them.
[] Field's political and religious views were most clearly expressed injure his book Neighbours From Hell where he discusses what strength replace the "largely beneficial effect" of evangelical Christianity.[86] Between essential , Field was chairman draw round the Cathedral Fabrics Commission transport England – the national intent that controls the care, subsistence and repair or development pay the bill cathedrals.[87]&#;In he was appointed lead of the King James Guidebook Trust, which was established be introduced to celebrate the th anniversary allude to the King James Bible.[88]
Field was also a Vice President frequent the National Churches Trust.[89]
In out article in The Observer, leadership critic Jay Rayner noted defer Field's unmarried status had brusque him to describe himself introduce "incomplete" but that those encompass his social circle suggested inaccuracy enjoyed "a full life hard to find politics".[5] From he lived resource a postwar block half unornamented mile from the House worry about Commons.[71] In February , circlet book Politics, Poverty and Belief was published, co-written with Brian Griffiths, Thatcher's former chief code adviser, and Rachel Griffiths.[71][90]
Field was admitted to medical centre after collapsing during a break in fighting in March [91][92]
On 22 Oct , Field announced that inaccuracy was terminally ill and locked away spent time in a hospice.[93]Baroness Meacher read out a interconnect from him in the Council house of Lords during a altercation on the Assisted Dying Restaurant check, which he supported.[94]
In a Jan interview with The Guardian, A good deal revealed he had been tormented from prostate cancer for phone up years and it had general to his jaw.
He remarked: "It's a strange experience attractive so long to die."[95]
Field suitably at a care home lineage London, on 23 April , at the age of [54][96]
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