Peter Law facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peter Law
Official portrait, c. 2003
Member of Parliament for Blaenau Gwent
In office 5 May 2005 – 25 April 2006
Preceded by	Llew Smith
Succeeded by	Dai Davies
Majority	9,121 (25.9%)
Minister for Local Government and Regeneration
In office 6 May 1999 – 17 June 2000
First Minister	Alun Michael
Preceded by	Office created
Succeeded by	Edwina Hart
Member of the Welsh Assembly for Blaenau Gwent
In office 6 May 1999 – 25 April 2006
Preceded by	New Assembly
Succeeded by	Trish Law
Majority	11736 (59.4%)
Personal details
Born	Peter John Law (1948-04-01)1 April 1948 Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales
Died	25 April 2006(2006-04-25) (aged 58) Nantyglo, Gwent, Wales
Political party	Blaenau Gwent People's Voice (2005-2006) Independent (2005) Labour and Co-operative (before 2005)
Spouse	Trish Law
Children	3 daughters, 2 sons
Residence	Nantyglo
Alma mater	Open University
Occupation	Grocer, NHS Trust Chair

Peter John Law (born April 1, 1948 – died April 25, 2006) was an important Welsh politician. For most of his career, he was a member of the Labour Party. He served as a local councillor and later as an Assembly Member (AM) for Blaenau Gwent.

Later in his career, he became an independent Member of Parliament (MP) and AM for the same area. He left the Labour Party in 2005. In the 2005 general election, he won against the Labour candidate by a lot of votes. This victory was seen as one of the most surprising election results in recent times.

Early Life and Work

Peter Law was born in Abergavenny, Wales. He went to Grofield Secondary School and then Nant-y-Glo Community College. He also studied at the Open University.

Before becoming a politician, he ran a local shop, called a General Store, from 1964 to 1987. Later, he became the chairman of the Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust. This meant he helped lead a part of the National Health Service.

Political Journey

Peter Law started his political career as a local councillor. He served on the Nantyglo and Blaenau Urban District Council from 1970 to 1974. He then continued as a councillor on Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council until 1999. He was even chosen to be the mayor for 1988-1989.

He was a close supporter of Llew Smith, who was the MP for Blaenau Gwent. In 1999, Peter Law was chosen to represent Blaenau Gwent in the first elections for the National Assembly for Wales. He won this election easily.

He was made a minister in the Welsh government, in charge of local government and housing. However, he lost this job in 2000 when the government changed its team. Peter Law disagreed with some of the new government's choices. He became a strong critic from the backbenches, meaning he spoke out against the government from his seat in the Assembly.

The 2005 Election

Peter Law decided to leave the Labour Party in 2005. He was unhappy because the party used a special rule called an "all-woman shortlist" to choose who would run for MP in Blaenau Gwent. This rule meant only women could be chosen as candidates. Peter Law felt this rule was unfair and was used only in certain areas.

Blaenau Gwent was known as a very safe Labour seat. The previous Labour MP had won by a huge number of votes. Before Peter Law announced he would run, the Labour candidate said he would be "very foolish" to stand against her. She believed people in Blaenau Gwent would only vote for Labour.

However, Peter Law won the election with 58.2% of the votes. He defeated the Labour candidate and won by over 9,000 votes. This was a big surprise to many. He ran his campaign while also getting treatment for a brain tumour. He had first pulled out of the election due to his health, but was convinced to continue.

After his victory, Peter Law pointed out that the Labour Party still didn't admit they were wrong about the all-woman shortlist. His win was very important in the Welsh Assembly too. Because he became an independent, the Labour Party lost its overall majority. This meant other parties could work together to vote against Labour's plans.

Peter Law was one of only a few Welsh politicians to win a seat as both a party candidate and an independent.

Time in Parliament

Peter Law was recognized for his work. He won the award for Welsh Politician of the Year from both BBC Wales and the Wales Yearbook.

Family Life

Peter Law married Trish Bolter in 1976. They had three daughters and two sons. They lived in Nantyglo, Wales.

His Passing and Legacy

Peter Law passed away at his home in Nantyglo at the age of 58. He had a brain tumour that came back after first being found during his 2005 election campaign.

Because of his death, new elections were held in Blaenau Gwent for both the UK Parliament and the Welsh Assembly seats. In these elections, his former helper, Dai Davies, won Peter Law's old seat in the UK Parliament. His wife, Trish Law, won his seat in the Welsh Assembly. Both of them ran under the name of the Blaenau Gwent People's Voice Group.

Peter Law's funeral was held on May 4, 2006, exactly one year after he was elected to Parliament. Many schools and businesses closed so people could attend. People lined the streets to see the funeral procession. It was described as the biggest funeral in the town since that of Nye Bevan, another famous Welsh politician.

In December 2007, a concert was held to remember Peter Law. The money raised went to a local hospice. A plaque was also put up in his honour at the new Ebbw Vale Parkway railway station. This location was chosen because he had campaigned for many years to bring a railway link back to the community.

Offices Held

See also

• List of United Kingdom MPs with the shortest service