John Whitby

{{Infobox officeholder

| name =

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MP}}

| image = John Whitby.jpg

| caption = Official portrait, 2024

| office = Member of Parliament
for Derbyshire Dales

| predecessor = Sarah Dines

| term_start = 4 July 2024

| term_end =

| majority = 350 (0.6%)

| office1 = Member of Derby City Council
for Mackworth and New Zealand
{{nobold|Mackworth (2010–2023)}}

| predecessor1 = Adrian Pegg

| term_start1 = 5 May 2022

| predecessor2 = Raymond Baxter

| successor2 = Adrian Pegg

| term_start2 = 5 May 2010

| term_end2 = 3 May 2018

| birth_name = John Michael Whitby

| birth_date =

| birth_place = Derbyshire, England

| party = Labour

| education =

| alma_mater = Open University (BA)

| website =

| module = {{Infobox musical artist|embed=yes

|occupations = Singer

|years_active = 1988–1998

|genre = Progressive metal
Alternative metal

|past_member_of = The Beyond

}}

| honorific_prefix = Cllr

}}

John Michael Whitby is a British Labour Party politician who has served as Member of Parliament for Derbyshire Dales since 2024.{{Cite web |date=2024-07-04 |title=Election results for Derbyshire Dales, 4 July 2024 |url=https://democracy.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=80 |access-date=2024-08-10 |website=democracy.derbyshiredales.gov.uk |language=en}} A former musician, he was the lead singer of The Beyond in the 1980s and 1990s.

Early life

Whitby was born in Derbyshire and educated at Woodlands Secondary Modern.{{cite news |last1=Hawley |first1=Zena |date=24 February 2018 |title=Derby mayor reveals painting he hopes will raise money for charity |url=https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/derby-news/derby-mayor-reveals-painting-hopes-1259867 |access-date=6 July 2024 |work=Derbyshire Live}} He received a Bachelor Arts degree in Social Science and Politics from the Open University.{{Cite web |title=John Whitby MP - Derbyshire Dales Constituency |url=https://www.derbyshiredaleslabour.org.uk/john-whitby/ |access-date=2024-08-10 |website=Derbyshire Dales Constituency Labour Party |language=en-GB}} At 21 he was living in Allestree, and was working on an Enterprise Allowance Scheme in Derby.{{cite news |last1=Sassi |first1=Michael |title=Rock Success made in Derby |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-telegraph-rock-success-made-in-d/150783016/ |access-date=6 July 2024 |work=Evening Telegraph |date=27 April 1990 |pages=15}}

Musical career

Whitby was the lead singer in the Derby progressive rock band The Beyond.{{cite news |last1=Curtain |first1=Peter |title=Heavy Metal Maestro Turns to Opera |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-telegraph-heavy-metal-maestro-tu/150781500/ |access-date=6 July 2024 |work=Evening Telegraph |date=11 September 1990 |pages=44}}{{cite news |title=Mayor to join former band The Beyond to raise money for charity |url=https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/mayor-derby-strut-stuff-stage-1039990 |access-date=6 July 2024 |work=Derbyshire Live |date=23 January 2018}} The band was described as a fusion of funk and metal. He was recruited by the band's founders, guitarist Andy Gatford and drummer Neil Cooper, with whom he had been school friends.{{cite news |title=The Beyond Back on Home Front |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-telegraph-the-beyond-back-on-hom/150782273/ |access-date=6 July 2024 |work=Evening Telegraph |date=17 August 1993 |pages=22}} After that band ended he, along with many of his band mates, formed the band Gorilla.{{cite news |last1=Day |first1=Eleanor |title=Gorilla play live at Virgin |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-telegraph-gorilla-play-live-at-v/150781095/ |access-date=6 July 2024 |work=Evening Telegraph |date=29 October 1997 |pages=15}}{{cite news |title=Sheldon's Sounds |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-derby-express-sheldons-sounds/150784739/ |access-date=6 July 2024 |work=The Derby Express |date=19 October 1995 |pages=27}} In 2018, while Whitby was a mayor, the band played a reunion gig, raising thousands for charity.{{cite news |last1=Harper |first1=Christopher |title=Watch the Mayor of Derby as he rocks out with his former band |url=https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/derby-news/john-whitby-the-beyond-derby-1227765 |access-date=6 July 2024 |work=Derbyshire Live |date=17 February 2018}}

Political career

After music Whitby joined the civil service.{{cite news |last1=Cooper |first1=Jon |title=Derbyshire Dales General Election candidates have their say on the campaign trail |url=https://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/people/derbyshire-dales-general-election-candidates-have-their-say-on-the-campaign-trail-4683323 |access-date=6 July 2024 |work=Derbyshire Times |date=28 June 2024}} He became a councillor on Derby City Council in the early 2010s. In May 2017 he was made Mayor of Derby, a position which is held for a year, during which he raised £64,000 for charity. Despite it being noted that he was popular, even with opposition parties, he lost his seat just before the end of his term.{{cite news |last1=Hawley |first1=Zena |title=Was John Whitby the coolest Mayor of Derby ever? |url=https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/derby-news/john-whitby-coolest-mayor-derby-1601143 |access-date=6 July 2024 |work=Derbyshire Live |date=23 May 2018}} He regained a seat on Derby council in the 2022 elections.{{cite news |last1=Hawley |first1=Zena |title=Labour make gains as Tories lose seats in Derby council elections |url=https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/derby-news/labour-make-gains-tories-lose-7044682 |access-date=6 July 2024 |work=Derbyshire Live |date=6 May 2022}}

In the 2024 United Kingdom general election, he stood for the Derbyshire Dales constituency. He gained the seat from Sarah Dines, a member of the Conservative Party, with a majority of 350.{{Cite web |title=Derbyshire Dales {{!}} General Election 2024 |url=https://election.news.sky.com/elections/general-election-2024/derbyshire-dales-182 |access-date=5 July 2024 |publisher=Sky News}}{{cite news |last1=Bisoni |first1=Irene |last2=Corbett |first2=Louis Dargavel |last3=Hawley |first3=Zena |last4=Allen |first4=George |last5=Slater |first5=Nigel |last6=Hennessy |first6=Peter |last7=Fisher |first7=Oscar |title=Derby and Derbyshire election results as Labour dominate |url=https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/derby-derbyshire-election-results-live-9387577 |access-date=6 July 2024 |work=Derbyshire Live |date=5 July 2024}}{{cite news |last1=Hardwick |first1=Tom |title=Sarah Dines "disappointed" as Derbyshire Dales swings to Labour – with every seat in the county turning red amid Tory electoral wipeout |url=https://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/politics/sarah-dines-disappointed-as-derbyshire-dales-swings-to-labour-with-every-seat-in-the-county-turning-red-amid-tory-electoral-wipeout-4692397 |access-date=6 July 2024 |work=Derbyshire Times |date=5 July 2024}} As an MP he supported calls for measures to restrict holiday lets in the constituency, to tackle the local housing crisis.{{cite news |last1=Torr |first1=George |title=Derbyshire Dales: Labour MP calls for new rules on holiday lets |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgrlrnkr38zo |access-date=8 August 2024 |work=BBC News |date=7 August 2024}}

Personal life

He is a foster carer.

References

External links

[https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-whitby-704197166/ LinkedIn profile]{{UK MP links

| parliament = 5342

| publicwhip = John_Whitby

| theywork = 26613

}}

{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament
for Derbyshire Dales|years=2024–present}}

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Living people

Category:Alumni of the Open University

Category:UK MPs 2024–present

Category:Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies

Category:Musicians from Derbyshire

Category:Politicians from Derbyshire