Michael Meacher facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable Michael Meacher
Official portrait, c. 1997–1999
Minister of State for the Environment
In office 2 May 1997 – 13 June 2003
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	John Gummer
Succeeded by	Elliot Morley
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade
In office 5 April 1976 – 4 May 1979
Prime Minister	James Callaghan
Preceded by	Stanley Clinton Davis
Succeeded by	Norman Tebbit
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security
In office 12 June 1975 – 5 April 1976
Prime Minister	Harold Wilson
Preceded by	Alec Jones
Succeeded by	Eric Deakins
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Industry
In office 7 March 1974 – 12 June 1975
Prime Minister	Harold Wilson
Preceded by	Peter Emery
Succeeded by	Gerald Kaufman
Shadow Cabinet offices 1983-97 Shadow Minister for Environmental Protection In office 25 July 1996 – 2 May 1997 Leader Tony Blair Preceded by Position established Succeeded by Position abolished Shadow Secretary of State for Transport In office 20 October 1994 – 19 October 1995 Leader Tony Blair Preceded by Frank Dobson Succeeded by Clare Short Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Shadow Minister for the Citizen's Charter In office 21 October 1993 – 20 October 1994 Leader John Smith Preceded by Mo Mowlam Succeeded by Ann Taylor Shadow Minister for Overseas Development In office 18 July 1992 – 21 October 1993 Leader John Smith Preceded by Ann Clwyd Succeeded by Tom Clarke Shadow Secretary of State for Social Security In office 2 November 1989 – 18 July 1992 Leader Neil Kinnock Preceded by Robin Cook (Health and Social Services) Succeeded by Donald Dewar Shadow Secretary of State for Employment In office 13 July 1987 – 2 November 1989 Leader Neil Kinnock Preceded by John Prescott Succeeded by Tony Blair Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Services In office 31 October 1983 – 13 July 1987 Leader Neil Kinnock Preceded by Gwyneth Dunwoody Succeeded by Robin Cook
Member of Parliament for Oldham West and Royton Oldham West (1970–97)
In office 18 June 1970 – 21 October 2015
Preceded by	Bruce Campbell
Succeeded by	Jim McMahon
Personal details
Born	Michael Hugh Meacher (1939-11-04)4 November 1939 Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England
Died	21 October 2015(2015-10-21) (aged 75)
Political party	Labour
Spouses	Molly Reid ​ ​ (m. 1962; div. 1987)​ Lucianne Sawyer ​ (m. 1988)​
Alma mater	New College, Oxford London School of Economics

Michael Hugh Meacher (born 4 November 1939 – died 21 October 2015) was a British politician. He served as a government minister under three different Prime Ministers: Harold Wilson, James Callaghan, and Tony Blair. A member of the Labour Party, he was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Oldham West and Royton. Before that, he represented Oldham West. He was an MP from 1970 until he passed away in 2015.

Before becoming a politician, Michael Meacher taught about social policy at the University of Essex and the University of York.

Early Life and Education

Michael Meacher was born in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England, on 4 November 1939. His family had a background in brewing and farming. His father, Hubert Meacher, was an accountant and stockbroker who later worked on the family farm. His mother, Doris, took in lodgers and worked for a local doctor. She hoped Michael would become an Anglican priest.

Michael Meacher attended Berkhamsted School, which was an all-boys private school at the time. He earned a scholarship to study there. Later, he went to New College, Oxford, where he earned a top degree in classics (studying ancient Greek and Roman culture) and divinity (the study of religious faith). He also studied at the London School of Economics, where he received a diploma in Social Administration. This field focuses on how governments and societies help people.

Political Career Highlights

Michael Meacher started his career as a researcher and lecturer. He taught about social administration at the Essex and York universities. He also wrote a book about how elderly people were treated in mental hospitals. In 1966, he ran for Parliament in Colchester but did not win. He tried again in a special election in 1968 for Oldham West but lost.

Joining Parliament

Michael Meacher was first elected to Parliament in 1970 for Oldham West. This time, he won the seat. He then served as a junior minister under Prime Ministers Harold Wilson and James Callaghan. A junior minister helps a senior minister with their duties. He worked in departments dealing with industry, health, and social security from 1974 to 1979.

Working in the Shadow Cabinet

When the Labour Party was not in power, Michael Meacher was part of the Shadow cabinet for 14 years. The Shadow Cabinet is a group of senior opposition MPs who "shadow" government ministers. They challenge government policies and propose their own. During this time, he also lectured at the London School of Economics. He was known for his left-wing political views.

Serving in Tony Blair's Government

From 1997 to 2003, Michael Meacher served as the Minister of State for the Environment. He worked first in the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and then in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. He was known for understanding complex environmental issues very well. He was one of the longest-serving ministers in the same role during the Labour Government.

After His Ministerial Role

In June 2003, Michael Meacher left his ministerial position. After this, he often spoke out against the Labour government's policies. He disagreed with them on issues like genetically modified food and the 2003 Iraq War.

In May 2005, he proposed a motion in Parliament about climate change. He asked the government to promise to reduce CO₂ emissions by 3% each year. He also started a blog in 2006 to share his political thoughts. He wrote articles criticizing some government policies and called for fairer economic policies and more efforts to reduce energy use.

In 2007, Michael Meacher considered running for the leadership of the Labour Party. However, he later decided to support another candidate, John McDonnell, to unite the left-wing candidates. In 2013, he spoke out against the company Atos regarding their assessments of disabled people. He was also one of the MPs who supported Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour Party leadership election in 2015.

Personal Life

Michael Meacher was married twice. His first marriage was to Molly Reid from 1962 to 1987. He then married Lucianne Sawyer in 1988.

He passed away in hospital on 21 October 2015, after a short illness. He was buried in Highgate Cemetery.

Images for kids

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  Michael Meacher in 2005

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  Michael Meacher's grave in Highgate Cemetery