John McDonnell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John McDonnell
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Official portrait, 2021
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| Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer | |
| In office 13 September 2015 – 5 April 2020 |
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| Leader | Jeremy Corbyn |
| Preceded by | Chris Leslie |
| Succeeded by | Anneliese Dodds |
| Deputy Leader of the Greater London Council | |
| In office 7 May 1984 – 7 May 1985 |
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| Leader | Ken Livingstone |
| Preceded by | Illtyd Harrington |
| Succeeded by | Michael Ward |
| Chair of the Finance and General Purposes committee | |
| In office 11 May 1982 – 21 May 1985 |
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| Leader | Ken Livingstone |
| Preceded by | Dr Anthony Hart |
| Succeeded by | Alex Mackay |
| Member of Parliament for Hayes and Harlington |
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| Assumed office 1 May 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Terry Dicks |
| Majority | 12,031 (31.4%) |
| Member of the Greater London Council for Hayes and Harlington |
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| In office 7 May 1981 – 31 March 1986 |
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| Preceded by | Arthur H. S. Hull |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Martin McDonnell
8 September 1951 Liverpool, Lancashire, England |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations |
Labour Party (1981–2024; suspended and whip withdrawn) Socialist Campaign Group |
| Spouses |
Marilyn Jean Cooper
(m. 1971; div. 1987)Cynthia Marie Pinto
(m. 1995) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Great Yarmouth Grammar School St Joseph's College, Ipswich< Burnley Technical College |
| Alma mater | Brunel University Birkbeck, University of London |
| Signature |  |
John Martin McDonnell (born 8 September 1951) is a British politician. He served as the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2015 to 2020. This role means he was the main spokesperson for the Labour Party on money matters.
He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Hayes and Harlington since 1997. He represented the Labour Party for many years. In July 2024, his party membership was suspended because he voted against a rule about child benefits. John McDonnell is known for being on the left side of politics. He is part of the Socialist Campaign Group.
Contents
Early Life and Education
John McDonnell was born in Liverpool, England. His family had an Irish Catholic background. His father, Bob, worked as a docker and later as a bus driver. His mother, Elsie, was a cleaner. When John was young, his family moved to Great Yarmouth in Norfolk.
He went to Great Yarmouth Grammar School. He also attended St Joseph's College, Ipswich, which was a fee-paying school. John later studied at Burnley Technical College. He then went to Brunel University and earned a degree in government and politics. He also completed a master's degree at Birkbeck, University of London.
After his studies, John worked for different trade unions. These included the National Union of Mineworkers and the Trades Union Congress. He also worked for local government councils in London.
Time in Local Government
Greater London Council (1981–1986)
In 1981, John McDonnell was elected to the Greater London Council (GLC). He represented Hayes and Harlington. He became the GLC's chair of finance. He was also the deputy leader to Ken Livingstone. Livingstone said John was very good with details and always balanced the budget.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
First Election to Parliament (1997)
John McDonnell became the MP for Hayes and Harlington in the 1997 United Kingdom general election. He won with a large number of votes. His first speech in Parliament was on 6 June 1997.
Key Campaigns and Views
As an MP, John McDonnell has supported many local community campaigns. He has strongly opposed the expansion of Heathrow Airport. This is because the proposed expansion would affect communities in his constituency.
He also disagreed with some policies of the Labour government at the time. These included the Iraq War and certain education reforms.
Inquiry into the Iraq War
In October 2006, John McDonnell was one of 12 Labour MPs. They supported a call for a parliamentary inquiry into the war in Iraq.
Groups and Campaigns
John McDonnell is a member of several groups in Parliament. These groups represent different trade unions. He also supports groups for various communities, like the Irish and Punjabi communities. He is interested in issues like endometriosis.
He chairs the Labour Representation Committee (LRC). This group works for socialist policies within the Labour Party. He also chairs "Public Services Not Private Profit." This campaign opposes the selling off of public services to private companies.
Economic Ideas
John McDonnell has spoken about his economic beliefs. He has mentioned that he finds ideas from thinkers like Marx helpful. He believes in learning from different economic theories. In 2018, he said that Marxism is about freedom and improving life chances. He also said it is about making democracy stronger.
He has always been against selling off public services. He believes these services should be owned by the public. He also supports making tax information clear and open. He has championed tax justice.
Against Austerity
In 2013, John McDonnell supported the People's Assembly Against Austerity. This group was against government spending cuts.
Heathrow Airport Expansion Protest
John McDonnell has been a strong opponent of plans to expand Heathrow Airport. He has protested against building a third runway. In 2009, he was briefly suspended from Parliament. This happened after he protested during a debate about the airport expansion. He felt the lack of a vote was unfair.
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer (2015–2020)
In 2015, Jeremy Corbyn became the leader of the Labour Party. John McDonnell was one of the MPs who supported him. Corbyn then appointed McDonnell as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer. This made him the main economic spokesperson for the Labour Party.
In his first speech as Shadow Chancellor, he talked about Labour's economic plans. He wanted to increase spending on things like roads and research. He described his economic vision as "socialism with an iPad". This meant using modern ideas to achieve socialist goals.
He also explored new ways for businesses to be owned. He suggested ideas like co-operatives and local ownership. These ideas aimed to give more control to workers and communities.
In 2016, he became a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom. This means he can use the title The Right Honourable.
John McDonnell has stated his desire to "overthrow capitalism" and replace it with a "socialist society". He believes this would lead to a fairer society.
In 2019, he caused some discussion when he called former Prime Minister Winston Churchill a "villain." This was a strong statement.
When Keir Starmer became the new Labour leader, John McDonnell stepped down as Shadow Chancellor.
Return to the Backbenches (2020–Present)
Since 2020, John McDonnell has continued to be an active MP. He has met with Julian Assange to discuss his case.
He has also campaigned for proportional representation in elections. This is a system where the number of seats a party gets matches the percentage of votes they receive.
In 2022, he spoke out about the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. He initially signed a statement that questioned NATO. However, he later removed his signature. He then supported calls for more arms to be sent to Ukraine.
In July 2024, John McDonnell voted to remove the two child benefit cap. This was against the Labour Party's official position. As a result, his party membership was suspended for six months.
Personal Life
John McDonnell has two daughters from his first marriage. He also has a son from his second marriage to Cynthia Pinto, whom he married in 1995.
In 2013, he had a heart attack and took some time off work.
He was raised as a Roman Catholic. However, he now identifies as an atheist. Despite this, he respects the Church. He believes that the values of Catholicism are similar to the values of the Labour Party and socialism.
See also
- Economics for the Many
- Labour Representation Committee
- Socialist Campaign Group
