Jon Trickett

Jon Trickett was born in Leeds on 2 July 1950. He studied at Roundhay Grammar School (now called Roundhay School). He received a BA in politics from the University of Hull, and later an MA in Political Sociology from the University of Leeds.{{Cite news |last=Foster |first=Dawn |date=2015-09-16 |title=A rough guide to Jon Trickett, the new shadow communities secretary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/public-leaders-network/2015/sep/16/jon-trickett-shadow-communities-secretary-jeremy-corbyn-cabinet |access-date=2024-06-19 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}

Formed politically by the anti-Vietnam war movement, he joined the Labour Party in 1969 and was active on the Labour left in Leeds from the late 1960s. From 1974 to 1986 he worked as a builder and plumber.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/public-leaders-network/2015/sep/16/jon-trickett-shadow-communities-secretary-jeremy-corbyn-cabinet |title=A rough guide to Jon Trickett, the new shadow communities secretary |work=The Guardian |date=16 September 2015}} During the campaigns relating to the Common Market referendum in 1975 he was the secretary of the Vote No campaign in Leeds.

During the 1970s Trickett was a member of the ILP (the successor body of the Independent Labour Party), contributed to its newspaper, the Labour Leader, and was elected for a number of years to its ruling body, the National Administrative Council. Trickett was also active in anti-fascist and anti-war movements, and was a delegate to the Leeds Trades Council. Later he was the election agent for Michael McGowan who became the MEP for Leeds in 1984.

Trickett was first elected to Leeds City Council for the Beeston ward in 1984 at the age of 34. He replaced George Mudie as Leader of the Council in 1989, holding the leadership until 1996 and his election to Parliament. Brian Walker replaced Trickett as Council Leader. He resigned his council seat after the May local elections to take his seat in the House of Commons.

At the 1996 Hemsworth by-election, Trickett was elected to Parliament as MP for Hemsworth with 71.9% of the vote and a majority of 13,875.{{Cite web |title=Hemsworth by-election · British Universities Film & Video Council |url=http://bufvc.ac.uk/tvandradio/lbc/index.php/segment/0001100501003 |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=bufvc.ac.uk}} He was re-elected as MP for Hemsworth at the 1997 general election with a decreased vote share of 70.6% and an increased majority of 23,992.{{cite web |title=Election Data 1997 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1997.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054424/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_1997.txt |archive-date=15 October 2011 |access-date=18 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}}

Following the general election, Trickett was made a parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to Peter Mandelson and worked in the Cabinet office and subsequently the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). After leaving the government at the time of Mandelson's fall from grace, Trickett was chair of the Compass pressure group.{{Cite news |last=Woodward |first=Will |date=2008-06-12 |title=Labour MP stands down from leftwing group over support for 42 days |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2008/jun/12/labour.terrorism |access-date=2024-06-19 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}

At the 2001 general election, Trickett was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 65.4% and a decreased majority of 15,636.{{cite web |title=Election Data 2001 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2001ob.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054450/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2001ob.txt |archive-date=15 October 2011 |access-date=18 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}}

He played a significant role in rebelling against the Iraq War and participated in demonstrations against it in London, Wakefield, and Leeds.{{Cite web |date=2014-04-04 |title=Meet Jon Trickett, Ed Miliband's Left-Hand Man |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/04/02/trickett-interview_n_5075382.html |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=HuffPost UK |language=en}} He rebelled on a number of occasions against Tony Blair's reforms to public services. He led the demands for a recall of parliament at the time of the Israeli attacks on the Lebanon, and the campaign inside the Commons to amend the Companies Bill to secure public listed companies reporting on 'supply chain issues' in line with the suggestions of a range of non governmental organisations.{{Cite web |title=Trickett, Jon |url=https://macemagazine.com/profiles/trickett-jon/ |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=Mace Magazine |language=en-GB}}

At the 2005 general election, Trickett was again re-elected with a decreased vote share of 58.8% and a decreased majority of 13,481.{{cite web |title=Election Data 2005 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2005ob.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015054249/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2005ob.txt |archive-date=15 October 2011 |access-date=18 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}}

Trickett had previously voted against the Blair Government's 90-day detention proposals in the Terrorism Act 2006, which had been publicly advocated by the police, and was joined by both Labour and Conservative MPs in the vote, the only time Blair was defeated in the Commons. Trickett and Cruddas voted in favour of the subsequent 28-day detention proposal, and Trickett then resigned from his position in Compass after voting in favour of the legislation despite opposition to the Bill from some members of Compass.

In June 2007 he was asked by Gordon Brown to chair the party's manifesto group on housing, a position which he declined to take up. Following the cabinet reshuffle of 3 October 2008, Trickett became the Parliamentary private secretary to the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7653134.stm |title=Blair advised Mandelson on return |work=BBC News |date=5 October 2008 |access-date=19 July 2016}}

At the 2010 general election, Trickett was again re-elected with a decreased vote share of 46.8% and a decreased majority of 9,844.{{cite web |title=Election Data 2010 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726162034/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt |archive-date=26 July 2013 |access-date=17 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}}{{cite web |date=7 May 2010 |title=UK > England > Yorkshire & the Humber > Hemsworth |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/constituency/c13.stm |access-date=12 May 2010 |work=Election 2010 |publisher=BBC}}

On 7 October 2011, Trickett was appointed to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office by Labour Leader Ed Miliband. He was re-elected to the House of Commons at the 2015 general election with a majority of 12,078.{{cite web|title = Jon Trickett MP|url = http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/jon-trickett/410|website = UK Parliament|access-date = 3 June 2015}}

At the 2015 general election, Trickett was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 51.3% and an increased majority of 12,078.{{cite web |title=Election Data 2015 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017112223/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt |archive-date=17 October 2015 |access-date=17 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}}{{cite news |title=Hemsworth |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000740 |access-date=13 May 2015 |publisher=BBC News}}

Trickett was one of 36 Labour MPs to nominate Jeremy Corbyn as a candidate in the Labour leadership election of 2015.{{cite web |last=Bright |first=Sam |date=15 June 2015 |title=Who nominated who for the 2015 Labour leadership election? |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/06/who-nominated-who-2015-labour-leadership-election |access-date=19 July 2016 |publisher=Newstatesman.com}}

In February 2016, a former British National Party candidate was convicted of making an anti-semitic verbal attack upon Trickett.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/feb/04/constituent-pleads-guilty-to-anti-semitic-attack-on-jon-trickett-mp |title=Constituent pleads guilty to antisemitic attack on Jon Trickett MP |author=Frances Perraudin |newspaper=The Guardian |date=4 February 2016 |access-date=21 June 2016}}{{cite news |url=http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/153186/mp-shocked-and-shaken%E2%80%99-antisemitic-abuse |title=MP 'shocked and shaken' by antisemitic abuse |author=Marcus Dysch |newspaper=Jewish Chronicle |date=5 February 2016 |access-date=21 June 2016}}

On 27 June 2016 Trickett was appointed as Shadow Lord President of the Council and Campaigns and Elections Director.{{cite news |url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/politics/easington-mp-appointed-to-jeremy-corbyn-s-shadow-cabinet-1-7985886 |title=Easington MP appointed to Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet |author=Ross Robertson |newspaper=Sunderland Echo |date=28 June 2016 |access-date=3 July 2016}} Later that year, Trickett was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jul/05/len-mccluskey-plays-peacemaker-between-corbyn-and-watson|title=Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet agrees to Labour peace talks|last1=Stewart|first1=Heather|last2=Mason|first2=Rowena|date=5 July 2016|work=The Guardian|access-date=6 July 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2017/07/why-ed-balls-wrong-about-what-jeremy-corbyns-labour-needs-do-win |title=Why Ed Balls is wrong about what Jeremy Corbyn's Labour needs to do to win|work=New Statesman|access-date=2 July 2017}}

In July 2016, Trickett apologised for comments on Twitter which appeared to liken an attempted coup in Turkey to attempts to oust Jeremy Corbyn. Trickett deleted the relevant tweet and apologised, saying: "Okay okay. Tweet deleted and withdrawn. Shouldn't tweet when feeling ill. I apologise sincerely".{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-mp-jon-trickett-apologises-for-coup-joke-a7140401.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220614/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-mp-jon-trickett-apologises-for-coup-joke-a7140401.html |archive-date=14 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Turkey coup: Labour MP Jon Trickett apologises for joke about attempted power grab|work=The Independent|access-date=16 July 2016}}

At the snap 2017 general election, Trickett was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 56% and a decreased majority of 10,174.{{Cite news |title=Hemsworth parliamentary constituency – Election 2017 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/politics/constituencies/E14000740 |via=www.bbc.co.uk}} He was again re-elected at the 2019 general election, with a decreased vote share of 37.5% and a decreased majority of 1,180.{{Cite web |title=Error |url=https://www.wakefield.gov.uk/Documents/elections/HEMSWORTH%20Statement%20Of%20Persons%20Nominated%20And%20Notice%20Of%20Poll.pdf}}{{cite news |title=Hemsworth Parliamentary constituency, 2019 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000740 |access-date=16 December 2019 |website=BBC News |publisher=BBC}}

On 5 April 2020, following the election of Keir Starmer as Leader of the Labour Party, Trickett was asked to stand down from his frontbench roles.{{Cite tweet |user=jon_trickett |author=Jon Trickett |number=1246813057512243201 |date = 5 April 2020 |title=Keir has politely asked me to stand down from shadow cabinet. I wish him and the new team well. I reaffirm my commitment to the cause of working class emancipation and to the North. The struggle continues.}} He had backed Rebecca Long-Bailey for the party leadership.{{Cite news|url=https://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news/politics/jon-trickett-announces-support-rebecca-long-bailey-labour-leadership-contest-2000848|title=Jon Trickett announces support for Rebecca Long-Bailey in Labour leadership contest|work=Wakefield Express|last=Carney|first=James|date=27 February 2020|access-date=5 April 2020}}

Due to the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, Trickett's constituency of Hemsworth was abolished, and replaced with Normanton and Hemsworth. At the 2024 general election, Trickett was elected to Parliament as MP for Normanton and Hemsworth with 47.5% of the vote and a majority of 6,662.{{cite web |title=Normanton and Hemsworth results |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/E14001383 |access-date=8 July 2024 |website=BBC News}}{{cite web |title=Normanton and Hemsworth Constituency Results |url=https://www.wakefield.gov.uk/elections/current-elections/general-election-results-2024/#2024NormantonandHemsworth |access-date=8 July 2024 |website=Wakefield Council}}

In September 2024, Trickett was the only MP from the Labour Party to vote for a parliamentary motion which would block the Labour government's plan to means test the Winter Fuel Payment for pensioners, becoming part of the significant backlash to it, arguing that this reform would lead to a further increase in poverty among pensioners during the coming winter, which he warned would be "extremely difficult for my constituents of all ages". Trickett had supported the introduction of the payment as a universal benefit to pensioners, by Labour chancellor Gordon Brown in 1997.{{Cite news |last=Robertson |first=Adam |date=10 September 2024 |title=Winter Fuel Payment: Labour MP Jon Trickett votes against Government |url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/24575836.winter-fuel-payment-labour-mp-jon-trickett-votes-government/}}

Trickett married Sarah Balfour on 31 October 1993. They have three children.{{cite news|last1=Mollenkamp|first1=Carrick|last2=Higgins|first2=Andrew|date=2005-07-22|title=How a Teacher's Aide In Leeds Evolved Into Terrorist Bomber|language=en-US|work=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB112199831791193019|access-date=2021-01-11|issn=0099-9660}}

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• [http://www.jontrickett.org.uk Jon Trickett MP] official constituency website{{UK MP links| parliament = jon-trickett/410 | hansard = mr-jon-trickett | hansardcurr = 4334 | guardian = 5242/jon-trickett | publicwhip = Jon_Trickett | theywork = jon_trickett | record = Jon-Trickett/586 | bbc = 25290.stm | journalisted = jon-trickett }}

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Category:1950 births

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