Ian Lucas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ian Lucas
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Business and Regulatory Reform
In office 9 June 2009 – 11 May 2010
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Preceded by	New position
Succeeded by	Baroness Wilcox
Member of Parliament for Wrexham
In office 7 June 2001 – 6 November 2019
Preceded by	John Marek
Succeeded by	Sarah Atherton
Personal details
Born	Ian Colin Lucas (1960-09-18) 18 September 1960 (age 64) Gateshead, County Durham, England
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Norah Lucas
Alma mater	New College, Oxford

Ian Colin Lucas (born 18 September 1960) is a British Labour Party politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Wrexham, Wales. He served as an MP from 2001 to 2019.

He also worked as a government minister. From 2009 to 2010, he was a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State. 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 decided not to run for re-election in 2019.

Early Life and Education

Ian Lucas was born in Gateshead, England, on 18 September 1960. He grew up in a council house there. His father worked in a factory 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.

Career as a Solicitor

Ian Lucas started his career as a solicitor in London in 1983. In 1986, he moved to Wrexham, Wales. There, he focused on criminal law and personal injury cases. He worked for different law firms in Wrexham and nearby towns like Chester and Birkenhead.

In 1997, he started his own law firm called Crawford Lucas. He had left his previous firm because he disagreed with cuts to legal aid. Legal aid helps people who cannot afford a lawyer.

A notable case he worked on was after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997. Ian Lucas represented Trevor Rees-Jones. Trevor was Diana's bodyguard and the only survivor of the car crash.

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 also on the Gresford Community Council in Wrexham.

In 1997, he ran for Parliament in North Shropshire. He did not win that election. He also served as a school governor and on a local hospital board.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

Ian Lucas was chosen to run for the UK Parliament in Wrexham. He won the seat in the 2001 general election. This made him a Member of Parliament (MP).

He served as a Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Bill Rammell MP. A PPS is an MP who helps a government minister. In 2006, Ian Lucas resigned from this role. He did so because Tony Blair, who was Prime Minister, would not say when he would step down.

Government Role and Later Years

In 2008, Gordon Brown promoted Ian Lucas to be an assistant government whip. A whip helps make sure MPs vote with their party. In 2009, he became a minister for the first time. He was a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Business and Regulatory Reform. He held this job until the Labour government left office in 2010.

After that, he became a shadow minister. This means he was part of the opposition party's team. He focused on the Middle East and Africa.

Ian Lucas was also a member of important committees in Parliament. These included the Environmental Audit Select Committee and the Transport Select Committee. He was interested in topics like clean energy and giving more power to Wales. He also worked to strengthen links with Germany.

In the 2016 referendum, his area of Wrexham voted to leave the European Union. However, Ian Lucas supported having a second vote on the UK's EU membership. He said he would vote to stay in the European Union if there was another vote.

Ian Lucas decided not to seek re-election in the 2019 general election.