Tony Wright (Cannock Chase MP)

For the MP for Great Yarmouth, see Anthony David Wright. For other people named Anthony Wright, see Anthony Wright (disambiguation).
Tony Wright
Member of Parliament
for Cannock Chase
Cannock and Burntwood (1992–1997)
In office
10 April 1992  12 April 2010
Preceded by Gerald Howarth
Succeeded by Aidan Burley
Personal details
Born (1948-03-11) 11 March 1948
Leicester, Leicestershire, England
Nationality British
Political party Labour
Spouse(s) Moira Wright
Children Three sons
Alma mater London School of Economics
Balliol College, Oxford
Harvard University
Website www.tonywright.org

Anthony Wayland Wright (born 11 March 1948) is a British Labour Party politician and author, who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cannock Chase from 1997 to 2010. He was first elected in 1992 for Cannock and Burntwood.

Early life

Wright was educated at Desborough County Primary School, then Kettering Grammar School (now known as the Tresham Institute although the old building has been recently knocked down) on Windmill Avenue in Kettering. Wright was educated at the London School of Economics (gaining a First class honours BSc in Government in 1970), Harvard University (where he was a Kennedy Scholar from 1970–1), and Balliol College, Oxford, gaining a DPhil in 1973.

He was a lecturer in politics at the University College of North Wales, Bangor from 1973–5. He was a lecturer in politics from 1975–92 at the University of Birmingham (School of Continuing Studies), where he is now an honorary professor.

Parliamentary career

He contested the Kidderminster seat in 1979. He has a keen interest in constitutional affairs, and from 1999 to 2010 was Chairman of the Public Administration Select Committee. He also chaired the Reform of the House of Commons Committee ("the Wright Committee") from 2008 to 2009. He has written or edited 21 books.

On 21 July 2008 Wright announced that, for health reasons, he would not stand again at the 2010 general election.[1] Susan Woodward stood as the Labour Party Candidate for Cannock Chase at the 2010 election but lost to the Conservative candidate Aidan Burley.

Return to academia

On 10 May 2010, University College London announced that Wright had been appointed Professor of Government and Public Policy.[2] He joined the Department of Politics at Birkbeck College as a Professorial Fellow on 1 September 2010.[3]

Personal life

He married Moira Phillips in 1973 in Oxford, and they have three sons, one of whom is BBC political correspondent Ben Wright. He has had leukaemia.

Works

References

  1. Labour MP set to quit over health; BBC News, 21 July 2008
  2. "Tony Wright joins SPP". University College London. 10 May 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  3. Tony Wright joins Department of Politics (Birkbeck press release)

News items

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Gerald Howarth
Member of Parliament for Cannock and Burntwood
19921997
Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament for Cannock Chase
19972010
Succeeded by
Aidan Burley
Preceded by
Rhodri Morgan
Chairman of the Public Administration Select Committee
1999-2010
Succeeded by
Bernard Jenkin
Party political offices
Preceded by
Margaret Hodge
Chair of the Fabian Society
1999 2000
Succeeded by
Calum MacDonald
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