Steve McCabe
{{Short description|British Labour Party politician}}
{{Distinguish|Steven McCabe|Stephen McCabe}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2016}}{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Right Honourable
| name = The Lord McCabe
| birth_name = Stephen James McCabe
| honorific-suffix =
| image = Official_portrait_of_Steve_McCabe_MP_crop_2.jpg
| caption = Official portrait, 2019
| office = Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
| term_start = 7 February 2025
Life peerage
| term_end =
| office1 = Member of Parliament
for Birmingham Selly Oak
| term_start1 = 6 May 2010
| term_end1 = 30 May 2024
| predecessor1 = Lynne Jones
| successor1 = Alistair Carns
| office2 = Member of Parliament
for Birmingham Hall Green
| term_start2 = 1 May 1997
| term_end2 = 12 April 2010
| predecessor2 = Andrew Hargreaves
| successor2 = Roger Godsiff
{{collapsed infobox section begin
| last = yes
| Government whip offices
| titlestyle = border:1px dashed lightgrey}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| embed = yes
| subterm = 2007–2010
| suboffice = Lord Commissioner
| subterm1 = 2006–2007
| suboffice1 = Assistant Whip
{{collapsed infobox section end}}}}
{{collapsed infobox section begin
| last = yes
| titlestyle = border:1px dashed lightgrey}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| embed = yes
| subterm = 2023–present
| suboffice = Veterans
| subterm1 = 2013–2015
| suboffice1 = Children and Families
| subterm2 = 2010–2010
| suboffice2 = Whip
{{collapsed infobox section end}}}}
| office3 = Member of Birmingham City Council
for Brandwood
| term_start3 = 3 May 1990
| term_end3 = 7 May 1998
| predecessor3 = R. Tyler
| successor3 = T. Davies
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1955|8|4|df=y}}
| birth_place = Port Glasgow, Scotland
| party = Labour
| alma_mater = Moray House, Edinburgh (CQSW)
University of Bradford (MA)
| website = {{URL|stevemccabe.org}}
}}
Stephen James McCabe, Baron McCabe (born 4 August 1955) is a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1997 to 2024. A member of the Labour Party, he represented Birmingham Hall Green from 1997 to 2010 and Birmingham Selly Oak from 2010 onwards.
Early life and career
Stephen McCabe was born on 4 August 1955 in Port Glasgow. He attended Port Glasgow High School before studying at Moray House College (later named Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh) in Edinburgh, where he was awarded a Diploma in Social Studies (Certificate of Qualification in Social Work) in 1977 and qualified as a social worker.{{cite web|url=https://feweek.co.uk/2016/01/25/learning-lecturing-and-labour/|title=Steve McCabe, Labour MP for Birmingham|last=Robertson|first=Alix|date=25 January 2016|website=FE Week|access-date=24 February 2020}}
He worked as a social worker in Wolverhampton for six years from 1977, and from 1978 to 1982 was a shop steward with the National and Local Government Officers Association.
In 1983, he was appointed manager of the Priory in Thatcham, providing alternatives to care and custody for young people for Berkshire Social Services. He left the Priory in 1985 and returned to education, graduating with an MA in Social Work at the University of Bradford in 1986.
Following his degree, he worked as a social services lecturer at the North East Worcestershire College in Redditch. In 1989, he became a child care worker in Solihull until 1991 when he was appointed as an education adviser to the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work (now called the General Social Care Council). He remained in this position until his election to the House of Commons.
He was elected as a councillor to Birmingham City Council in 1990 and served until 1998, during which time he was the chair of the city's technical services committee.
Parliamentary career
=House of Commons=
File:Steve McCabe MP (cropped).jpg
McCabe was elected as the Labour MP for Birmingham Hall Green at the 1997 general election with 53.5% of the vote and a majority of 8,420.{{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}} He was re-elected as MP for Birmingham Hall Green at the 2001 general election with an increased vote share of 54.6% and a decreased majority of 6,648.{{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 served as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Charles Clarke in his capacity as Secretary of State for Education and Skills from 2003-2004 and as Home Secretary from 2004–2005. He joined the government Whips Office in 2006 as an Assistant, and from 2007 was a Lord Commissioner to the Treasury (a full Whip).
At the 2005 general election, McCabe was again re-elected as MP for Birmingham Hall Green, with a decreased vote share of 47.2% and a decreased majority of 5,714.{{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}}
In October 2006, McCabe applied for selection to the redrawn constituency of Birmingham Selly Oak, which incorporated much of his existing seat. He was duly selected by the local Labour party in January 2007.{{cite web|url=http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/mail/news/tm_headline=mps-fight-to-be-candidate%26method=full%26objectid=18014012%26siteid=50002-name_page.html|title=MPs fight to be candidate|date=30 October 2006|work=Birmingham Mail|publisher=Trinity Mirror Midlands Limited|accessdate=16 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604044718/http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/mail/news/tm_headline%3Dmps-fight-to-be-candidate%26method%3Dfull%26objectid%3D18014012%26siteid%3D50002-name_page.html|archive-date=4 June 2011|url-status=live}}
In the 2009 expenses scandal, it was revealed that McCabe had over-claimed on his mortgage by £4,059.[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5345304/Steve-McCabe.html McCabe scandal over expenses] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214152407/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5345304/Steve-McCabe.html|date=14 February 2017}}, The Daily Telegraph; accessed 8 May 2015. A three-month investigation by the parliamentary fees office resulted in McCabe calling for Commons officials to be sacked.[http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/hall-green-mp-steve-mccabe-105814 "McCabe calls for Commons officials to be sacked"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020061127/http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/hall-green-mp-steve-mccabe-105814|date=20 October 2013}}, Birmingham Mail; accessed 8 May 2015. He later said: "I did make an error in my claim and, as the letter from the fees office shows, this money was repaid in a deduction from my next claim". Between 2004 and 2008, McCabe claimed £54,699 in expenses for his second home, on which he has a £60,000 mortgage. The claims included £5,500 for a new kitchen.
At the 2010 general election, McCabe was elected to Parliament as MP for Birmingham Selly Oak with 38.5% of the vote and a majority of 3,482.{{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 |title=Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll 2010 |url=http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/cs/Satellite?%26ssbinary=true&blobcol=urldata&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobheadername1=Content-Disposition&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1223417397253&blobheadervalue1=attachment%3B+filename%3D58210PGE+-+Statement+of+Persons+Nominated+and+Notice+of+Poll+2010.pdf}}{{Cite web |title=Birmingham City Council: General Election 2010 |url=http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/general-election-2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100508033256/http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/general-election-2010 |archive-date=May 8, 2010}}
From 2013 to 2015, he served as a Shadow Minister for Children and Families as part of Ed Miliband's front bench team.{{cite web|title=Steve McCabe|url=http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/steve-mccabe/298|website=Parliament UK|accessdate=4 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150410015810/http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/steve-mccabe/298|archive-date=10 April 2015|url-status=live}}{{cite web|date=25 January 2016|title=Steve McCabe, Labour MP for Birmingham|url=https://feweek.co.uk/learning-lecturing-and-labour/|access-date=3 December 2021|website=feweek.co.uk}}
In July 2013, McCabe called for a referendum on remaining in the EU to be held "as soon as possible", stating he found himself "at odds with his party" on the issue.{{cite news|last1=Walker|first1=Jonathan|title=Birmingham MP Steve McCabe calls for Europe referendum|url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/birmingham-mp-steve-mccabe-calls-4878301|accessdate=4 April 2015|work=Birmingham Mail|date=7 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150410050523/http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/birmingham-mp-steve-mccabe-calls-4878301|archive-date=10 April 2015|url-status=live}} McCabe joined 18 other Labour MPs in backing a referendum on Europe in a House of Commons vote called by rebel Conservative MPs.{{cite news|title=Full list of MPs who voted for an EU referendum|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2011/oct/25/mp-voted-for-eu-referendum|accessdate=4 April 2015|work=The Guardian|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150410052640/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2011/oct/25/mp-voted-for-eu-referendum|archive-date=10 April 2015|url-status=live}}
At the 2015 general election, McCabe was re-elected as MP for Birmingham Selly Oak with an increased vote share of 47.7% and an increased majority of 8,447.{{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 web |title=Alex Boulter |url=https://www.conservatives.com/OurTeam/Prospective_Parliamentary_Candidates/Boulter_Alex.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20141126001736/https://www.conservatives.com/OurTeam/Prospective_Parliamentary_Candidates/Boulter_Alex.aspx |archive-date=26 November 2014 |access-date=20 January 2015 |publisher=Conservatives}} He was again re-elected at the snap 2017 general election with an increased vote share of 62.9% and an increased majority of 15,207.{{cite web |title=Statement of Persons Nominated and notice of poll |url=https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/downloads/file/6824/statement_of_persons_nominated_and_notice_of_poll |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190208202715/https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/downloads/file/6824/statement_of_persons_nominated_and_notice_of_poll |archive-date=8 February 2019 |access-date=11 May 2017 |website=Birmingham City Council}}{{cite news |title=Birmingham Selly Oak |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000567 |access-date=9 June 2017 |website=BBC News}} At the 2019 general election, McCabe was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 56% and a decreased majority of 12,414.{{cite news |title=Birmingham Selly Oak Parliamentary constituency |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000567 |access-date=1 December 2019 |website=BBC News |publisher=BBC}}
McCabe was appointed Parliamentary Chair of the Labour Friends of Israel in February 2020.{{cite news |url=https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/labour-mp-steve-mccabe-to-become-chair-of-labour-friends-of-israel/ |title=Veteran MP Steve McCabe to become chair of Labour Friends of Israel |date=25 February 2020 |work=JewishNews|access-date=6 March 2020}} He is a long-standing supporter and visited Israel as part of a delegation in 2019.{{cite news |last=Harpin |first=Lee |url=https://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/mp-steve-mccabe-is-new-parliamentary-chair-of-labour-friends-of-israel-1.497180 |title=MP Steve McCabe is new parliamentary chair of Labour Friends of Israel |date=24 February 2020 |work=The Jewish Chronicle |access-date=24 February 2020}}
In May 2022, McCabe announced his support for sanctions against Iran to "curb their nuclear ambitions".{{cite web |date=30 May 2022 |title=Curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions should not deter the UK from taking a tougher stance on Tehran |url=https://www.politicshome.com/thehouse/article/curbing-irans-nuclear-ambitions-should-not-deter-uk-from-taking-tougher-stance-on-tehran |access-date=2 June 2022 |website=Politics Home}}
Due to his statements in Parliament and his role as chair of the Labour Friends of Israel, Palestine Solidarity campaign (PSC) and the local group Palestine Solidarity Selly Oak have organised protests outside his surgeries, calling on him to engage with constituents' views effectively or resign.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-67461946|title=Palestine protesters call for Selly Oak Labour MP to be deselected|date=18 November 2023|accessdate=17 December 2023|work=BBC News}}
On 28 May 2024, he announced that he was not standing for re-election in the 2024 general election.{{cite web |last1=Pearce |first1=Vanessa |title=Shadow defence minister Steve McCabe to stand down |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1wwg6ljwezo#:~:text=Labour%20MP%20and%20shadow%20defence,make%20way%20for%20someone%20new%22. |website=BBC News |access-date=29 May 2024 |date=29 May 2024}}
=House of Lords=
On 20 December 2024, McCabe was nominated for a life peerage as part of the 2024 Political Peerages.{{cite web |title=Political Peerages December 2024 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/political-peerages-december-2024 |website=Gov.uk |access-date=20 December 2024 |date=20 December 2024}} He was created Baron McCabe, of Selly Oak in the City of Birmingham and of Broadfield in the County of Renfrewshire on 7 February 2025.{{London Gazette|issue=64656|page=2638|date=13 February 2025}}
Personal life
McCabe married Lorraine Lea Clendon in 1991.
In 2012, he underwent open heart surgery at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham for a heart murmur.{{cite news |url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/birmingham-mp-steve-mccabe-recovering-186313 |title=Birmingham MP Steve McCabe recovering after heart surgery |author=Jonathan Walker |newspaper=Birmingham Mail |date=4 June 2012 |accessdate=28 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424125233/http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/birmingham-mp-steve-mccabe-recovering-186313 |archive-date=24 April 2016 |url-status=live }} In August 2017, McCabe suffered minor facial injuries after a motorcyclist in Kings Heath, Birmingham threw a brick at him, which he reported to the police.{{cite news|last=Jamieson|first=Sophie|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/31/labour-mp-steve-mccabe-attacked-brick-motorbike-thug/|title=Labour MP Steve McCabe attacked with brick by 'motorbike thug'|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=31 July 2017|accessdate=1 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731224320/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/31/labour-mp-steve-mccabe-attacked-brick-motorbike-thug/|archive-date=31 July 2017|url-status=live}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [http://www.stevemccabe-mp.org.uk Steve McCabe website]
- {{UK MP links | parliament = stephen-mccabe/298 | hansardcurr = 1771 | hansard = mr-steve-mccabe | publicwhip = Steve_McCabe | theywork = steve_mccabe}}
- {{C-SPAN|1001015}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|uk}}
{{s-bef|before=Andrew Hargreaves}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament for Birmingham Hall Green|years=1997–2010}}
{{s-aft|after=Roger Godsiff}}
{{s-bef|before=Lynne Jones}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament for Birmingham Selly Oak|years=2010–2024}}
{{s-aft|after=Alistair Carns}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCabe, Steve}}
Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Category:Alumni of the University of Bradford
Category:Councillors in Birmingham, West Midlands
Category:Labour Party (UK) life peers
Category:Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Category:Life peers created by Charles III
Category:People from Port Glasgow