Andrew MacKinlay

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Andrew MacKinlay

| image =

| office = Member of Parliament
for Thurrock

| parliament =

| predecessor = Tim Janman

| successor = Jackie Doyle-Price

| term_start = 9 April 1992

| term_end = 12 April 2010

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1949|4|24|df=yes}}

| birth_place = London, England

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nationality = British

| spouse = Ruth Segar

| children = 3

| party = {{unbulleted list

|{{longitem|Labour (1966–2018)}}

|{{longitem|Liberal Democrats (2019–present)}}}}

}}

Andrew Stuart MacKinlay (born 24 April 1949) is a British Liberal Democrat politician, who was the Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Thurrock from 1992 until he stepped down at the 2010 general election.{{Cite web|author=Staff Reporter|date=2019-05-31|title=Former Thurrock MP Andrew Mackinlay joins the Liberal Democrats|url=https://www.yourthurrock.com/2019/05/31/former-thurrock-mp-andrew-mackinlay-joins-liberal-democrats/|access-date=2021-02-27|website=Your Thurrock|language=en-US}}

In 2021 he was elected as a Liberal Democrat councillor for Kingston upon Thames London Borough Council, although he stood down a short time later, at the 2022 election.

Early life and career

MacKinlay was born in Wembley on 24 April 1949.{{Cite news |year=1997 |title=Profile: Andrew MacKinlay |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/politics97/mps/565.shtml |access-date=1 January 2025 |work=BBC News: Politics '97}}{{Cite news |last=Roth |first=Andrew |date=16 March 2001 |title=Profile: Andrew MacKinlay |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2001/mar/16/profiles.parliament13 |access-date=1 January 2025 |work=The Guardian}} He was educated successively at St Joseph's School, Wembley;{{Cite web|title=One reason why I am interested in...|url=https://www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?id=2009-03-10b.16.2|access-date=2021-02-27|website=TheyWorkForYou|language=en}} Our Lady Immaculate Primary School, Tolworth;{{Cite web|url=http://www.oli.kingston.sch.uk/index.asp|title= Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071004222202/http://www.oli.kingston.sch.uk/index.asp|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 October 2007|date=4 October 2007}} Salesian College (a private Catholic school at the time), now comprehensive Salesian School in Chertsey and Kingston College, now part of the South Thames College Group. He worked from 1965 as a committee clerk with Surrey County Council until 1975, when he served as a union official with the National and Local Government Officers' Association (NALGO). He joined NALGO in 1965. He joined the Labour Party in 1966. MacKinlay was elected as a Labour councillor in 1971 in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and served for two terms as one of two councillors for the ward of Tolworth West until 1978.{{Cite book|url=http://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Kingston-Upon-Thames-1964-2010.pdf|title=Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames Election Results 1964-2010|publisher=The Elections Centre Plymouth University|year=2012|pages=4–5}} He unsuccessfully vied for his local seat of Surbiton in both of the 1974 general elections, keeping his deposit in what was then demonstrably a three-party contest.[http://www.thurrocklabourparty.org.uk Thurrock Labour Party profile] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081226014256/http://www.thurrocklabourparty.org.uk/ |date=26 December 2008 }}; accessed 6 August 2014.

Parliamentary career

Following unsuccessful election campaigns in the safe Conservative seats of Croydon Central in 1983 and Peterborough in 1987, MacKinlay regained the historically safe Labour seat of Thurrock in 1992 from the Conservatives.

On 15 June 1992, he tabled an Early day motion, seeking a pardon for soldiers executed in the First World War.{{Cite web|url=https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/8013/pardon-for-executed-soldiers|title=PARDON FOR EXECUTED SOLDIERS - Early Day Motions - UK Parliament|accessdate=16 April 2023}} This campaign eventually succeeded with the Armed Forces Act 2006, where section 359 pardoned 306 British Empire soldiers.{{Cite web|url=https://thurrock.nub.news/news/local-news/new-book-tells-how-former-borough-mp-helped-gain-pardon-for-the-306-men-shot-at-dawn|title=New book tells how former borough MP helped gain pardon for the 306 men shot at dawn|first=Neil|last=Speight|date=5 March 2021|website=Thurrock Nub News|accessdate=16 April 2023}}

In 1998 MacKinlay was the first to introduce a freedom of information bill to the House of Commons.{{Cite web|date=2001-03-16|title=Andrew MacKinlay|url=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2001/mar/16/profiles.parliament13|access-date=2021-02-27|website=the Guardian|language=en}}

Although MacKinlay had originally come from the right of the Labour Party, as an MP he came to be associated with the Labour left as a leader of a group of left-wing Labour MPs nicknamed the "awkward squad," known for rebelling against the New Labour leadership of Tony Blair.{{Cite news |date=16 October 2002 |title=Profile: Andrew MacKinlay |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2175568.stm |access-date=1 January 2025 |work=BBC News}} MacKinlay maintained that he had not moved toward the left, but that the leadership of the Labour Party under Blair had moved to the political right.{{Cite news |date=8 May 2005 |title=Rebel Hell Labour: Tony Blair has a projected majority of just 66 but 34 of his MPs with a rebel streak could spell defeat in the Commons. Will the Labour malcontents finally curb his ambitions? |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12494971.rebel-hell-labour-tony-blair-has-a-projected-majority-of-just-66-but-34-of-his-mps-with-a-rebel-streak-could-spell-defeat-in-the-commons-will-the-labour-malcontents-finally-curb-his-ambitions/ |access-date=1 January 2025 |work=The Herald}} He continued to rebel against his party under the New Labour leadership of Gordon Brown; by 2008, he had broken the party whip 72 times.{{Cite news |last=Webster |first=Philip |last2=Coates |first2=Sam |date=23 April 2008 |title=Unusual suspects in 10p tax rebels' ranks |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/unusual-suspects-in-10p-tax-rebels-ranks-l6vfgjz9z7f |access-date=1 January 2025 |work=The Times}}

In 2003, MacKinlay described Dr David Kelly as "chaff" during Dr Kelly's appearance before the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. The committee was investigating issues around the British government's dossier on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. MacKinlay's question was:

:I reckon you are chaff; you have been thrown up to divert our probing. Have you ever felt like a fall-guy? You have been set up, have you not?[https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmfaff/1025/3071510.htm Select Committee on Foreign Affairs Minutes of Evidence] Q167

MacKinlay apparently meant "chaff" as in the radar countermeasure rather than something of little value.[https://www.theguardian.com/hutton/keyplayers/story/0,13842,1031853,00.html "Hutton inquiry witness"], 29 August 2003; accessed 6 August 2014. It emerged during Kelly's subsequent inquest, however, that Kelly had been deeply upset by his treatment before the committee and had privately described an MP, assumed to be MacKinlay, as an "utter bastard".Neil Tweedie and Sandra Laville [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1440323/Dad-said-interrogator-MP-was-utter-bastard.html "'Dad said interrogator MP was utter bastard'"], The Daily Telegraph, 2 September 2003; retrieved 29 April 2009.Andrew Sparrow, [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1440390/Why-Mackinlay-the-Grand-Inquisitor-hit-a-raw-nerve.html "Why MacKinlay the Grand Inquisitor hit a raw nerve"], The Daily Telegraph, 2 September 2003; accessed 6 August 2014. MacKinlay reportedly apologised to Kelly's widow for the remark.[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1439853/Committee-MP-defends-relentless-grilling-of-Kelly.html "Committee MP defends relentless grilling of Kelly"], telegraph.co.uk; accessed 6 August 2014.

According to one report, in May 2007, MacKinlay made the nomination that resulted in Gordon Brown having enough nominations to be certain of not facing a contest over the leadership of the party.Nick Robinson [https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/nickrobinson/2007/05/its_official_it.html It's official. It's Brown"], 16 May 2007; accessed 6 August 2014. However, another report states that the decisive nomination was made by Tony Wright[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6660565.stm "Brown will enter No 10 unopposed"], bbc.co.uk, 16 May 2007; accessed 6 August 2014. with MacKinlay yet to nominate at that point.

=Notice of resignation=

On 24 July 2009, he announced that he would not stand at the next General Election due to disillusionment with the way he felt other MPs had caved in to party pressure rather than standing up for their beliefs.[http://iaindale.blogspot.com/2009/07/exclusive-andrew-mackinlay-quits.html "Andrew MacKinlay Quits Parliament"], iaindale.blogspot.com; July 2009. He said that the final straw was the failure of a number of Labour MPs who had expressed support for Gary McKinnon, awaiting extradition to the U.S. on computer hacking charges, to vote for a review of the extradition treaty.{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/5903494/Andrew-MacKinlay-MP-quits-over-hacker-Gary-McKinnons-extradition.html |title=Andrew MacKinlay MP quits over hacker Gary McKinnon's extradition |author=Matthew Moore |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=25 July 2009 |access-date=9 November 2014}}

=Damages win=

On 1 October 2009, MacKinlay accepted a public apology and libel damages from the BBC over allegations made on BBC Two's Newsnight programme that he proposed an amendment to a British government motion on expenses of MPs so he would benefit financially.BBC [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/8285200.stm Andrew MacKinlay MP – an apology][http://www.basildonrecorder.co.uk/news/4660880.Labour_MP_wins_apology_and_damages_from_BBC "Labour MP wins apology and damages from BBC"], basildonrecorder.co.uk; accessed 6 August 2014.Oliver Luft [http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=44415 MP paid 'substantial damages' over Newsnight slur] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616192834/http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=44415 |date=16 June 2011 }}, pressgazette.co.uk, 2 October 2009.

=Ireland and the Commonwealth=

MacKinlay argued that initiatives should be taken to encourage Ireland to participate in the Commonwealth.24 July 2007: Column 238WH – Ireland and the Commonwealth He brought forward a motion on the issue in the House of Commons. Ireland had participated in the Commonwealth in the 1930s and 40s. Mackinlay's view was that historians were wrong to say that Ireland had left the Commonwealth in 1949. This was, he said, because the Commonwealth, to the extent that it existed, was nothing like the Commonwealth of today. He felt that the London Declaration formula that permitted republics to participate in the Commonwealth had not been offered to Ireland as an option, though he felt it was not too late to do so. He argued that Ireland should be formally invited to join and that the Commonwealth was its "natural place".

Personal life

MacKinlay lives in Malden Rushett, Surrey with his wife.{{Cite web|title=Former MP slams South West Trains over Chessington South disabled access|url=https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/11468721.former-mp-andrew-mackinlay-slams-south-west-trains-over-chessington-south-disabled-access/|access-date=2021-02-27|website=Your Local Guardian|date=12 September 2014 |language=en}} He is a keen researcher on World War I history, travelling, and is an honorary patron of Tilbury Football Club. He and his wife Ruth (née Segar); have three children. While an MP, he employed his wife as his personal assistant.[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3279632.ece "Family jobs and parliamentary passes"]{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, timesonline.co.uk, 31 January 2008. He was once a member of the editorial board of Total Politics, a political magazine,{{cite web|url=http://www.totalpolitics.com/editorialboard.php|title=Total Politics – The Team|access-date=22 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080801024354/http://www.totalpolitics.com/editorialboard.php|archive-date=1 August 2008|url-status=dead}} of which his daughter, Sarah, was editor until August 2009.[http://www.totalpolitics.com/opinion/2658/from-the-editor.thtml "From the Editor"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029205727/http://www.totalpolitics.com/opinion/2658/from-the-editor.thtml |date=29 October 2013 }}, totalpolitics.com, 21 August 2009.[http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-3276,00.html Ask Aristotle: Andrew MacKinlay MP], politics.guardian.co.uk; Retrieved 6 August 2014.

He was given the Freedom of Gibraltar in 2010.{{cite web|url=https://www.gibraltar.gov.gi/new/sites/default/files/Press%20archives/Press%20Releases/2010/131-2010.pdf |access-date=16 April 2023|website=gibraltar.gov.gi|title=Press release|year=2010}}{{Cite web|title=Freemen of the City|url=https://www.mayor.gi/freemen-of-the-city/|access-date=2021-02-28|website=The Mayor of Gibraltar|language=en-GB}}

Political views

In December 2018, he allowed his Labour Party membership to lapse and, in May 2019, he joined the Liberal Democrats.{{Cite web|author=Staff Reporter|date=2019-05-31|title=Former Thurrock MP Andrew Mackinlay joins the Liberal Democrats|url=https://www.yourthurrock.com/2019/05/31/former-thurrock-mp-andrew-mackinlay-joins-liberal-democrats/|access-date=2021-02-28|website=Your Thurrock|language=en-US}} In the Chessington South by-election to Kingston upon Thames London Borough Council

held on 6 May 2021, he was elected for the Liberal Democrats.[https://www.kingstonlibdems.org/210227_chessington_south_candidate Lib Dems announce Andrew Mackinlay as Chessington South By-Election Candidate] He stood down at the 2022 election.

MacKinlay publicly supports the abolition of the monarchy and is identified as a republican.[http://www.republic.org.uk/supporters/index.php List of supporters] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531162033/http://republic.org.uk/supporters/index.php |date=31 May 2009}}, republic.org.uk; accessed 6 August 2014.