Ian Lucas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ian Lucas
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| Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Business and Regulatory Reform | |
| In office 9 June 2009 – 11 May 2010 |
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| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown |
| Preceded by | New position |
| Succeeded by | Baroness Wilcox |
| Member of Parliament for Wrexham |
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| In office 7 June 2001 – 6 November 2019 |
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| Preceded by | John Marek |
| Succeeded by | Sarah Atherton |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ian Colin Lucas
18 September 1960 Gateshead, County Durham, England |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse | Norah Lucas |
| Alma mater | New College, Oxford |
Ian Colin Lucas is a British Labour Party politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Wrexham, Wales. He served as an MP from 2001 until 2019.
He also worked as a government minister. From 2009 to 2010, he was a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Business and Regulatory Reform. This role was in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. He left this job when the Labour Party lost the 2010 General Election. Ian Lucas did not run for re-election in 2019.
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Early Life and Education
Ian Lucas was born on 18 September 1960. He grew up in Gateshead, England, in a council house. He was the second son of Colin and Alice Lucas. His father worked as an engineer and served in the army during the Second World War.
Ian went to Greenwell Junior High School. Later, he attended Newcastle Royal Grammar School. He then earned a place at New College, part of Oxford University. He studied law and received his degree in 1982. He became a qualified solicitor in 1985.
He is a fan of Sunderland A.F.C. football club.
Ian Lucas's Career as a Solicitor
Ian Lucas started his career as a solicitor in London from 1983 to 1986. In 1986, he moved to Wrexham, Wales. There, he focused on criminal and personal injury law. He worked for different law firms in Chester and Birkenhead.
From 1992, he worked in Oswestry, Shropshire. In 1997, he started his own law practice called Crawford Lucas. He had moved because of disagreements about cuts to legal aid. He even organized protests against these cuts.
Ian Lucas's Political Journey
Ian Lucas joined the Labour Party in 1986. He became the chairman of the Labour Party branch in Wrexham. From 1987 to 1991, he was part of the Gresford Community Council in Wrexham.
He first tried to become an MP in 1997 for North Shropshire. He was not successful that time. He also served as a school governor and on a local hospital board.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
In 2001, Ian Lucas was chosen to run for Parliament in Wrexham. He won the election and became the MP for Wrexham.
He worked as a Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Bill Rammell MP. Bill Rammell was a Minister for Lifelong Learning. Ian Lucas resigned from this role in 2006. He did this because the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, would not say when he would step down. Other Welsh Labour MPs also resigned that day.
Government Roles and Committees
In 2008, Gordon Brown promoted Ian Lucas to be an assistant government whip. In 2009, he became a minister for the first time. He was the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Business and Regulatory Reform. He held this job until the Labour government left office in May 2010.
After that, he became a shadow minister for the Middle East and Africa. This means he was part of the opposition party's team, watching over government actions in those areas.
Ian Lucas also served on important parliamentary committees. These included the Environmental Audit Select Committee and the Transport Select Committee.
Key Interests and Views
He has always been interested in sustainable energy. He also supports giving more powers to Wales (devolution). He likes to build strong connections with Germany.
He is a member of both the Labour Friends of Israel and the Labour Friends of Palestine & the Middle East. These groups aim to build understanding and peace in the Middle East.
Even though his local area voted to leave the European Union in 2016, Ian Lucas supported having a second public vote on the UK's EU membership. He would have voted to stay in the European Union if there had been another vote.
In 2016, he supported Owen Smith in his attempt to become the leader of the Labour Party. However, Owen Smith was not successful.
Ian Lucas decided not to run for re-election in the 2019 general election.
Parliamentary Work on Public Services
On 11 April 2019, Ian Lucas spoke in a debate in the House of Commons. He raised concerns about how public services handled certain incidents. He mentioned the North Wales Police, the probation service, and other organizations. He suggested they might have made mistakes. He also alleged that the Chief Constable for North Wales Police had not been fully clear with him about these matters.
