Steve Bassam, Baron Bassam of Brighton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Bassam of Brighton
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Official portrait, 2018
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| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| Assumed office 18 November 1997 Life Peerage |
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
John Steven Bassam
11 June 1953 Hull, England, UK |
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| Political party | Labour and Co-operative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Sussex University of Kent |
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John Steven Bassam, Baron Bassam of Brighton (born 11 June 1953) is a British politician. He is a member of the House of Lords. He represents the Labour and Co-operative parties.
Contents
Early Life and Education
John Bassam grew up in Great Bentley, Essex. He lived on a council estate. He attended the local boys secondary modern school in Clacton-on-Sea.
Later, he studied at the University of Sussex and the University of Kent. He earned a Master's degree in social work. After his studies, Bassam started his career as a social worker. He worked for the Camden London Borough Council. He also held roles in local government organizations.
In his early years in Brighton, Bassam was involved in activism. He helped start a group that supported people living in empty buildings. This group worked to improve living conditions for these residents.
Political Career
John Bassam became active in local politics. He was elected as a councillor in Brighton. From 1987 to 1999, he served as the Leader of Brighton Council. Later, he led the Brighton and Hove Council.
In 1987, he ran for Parliament in Brighton Kemptown. However, he was not elected.
Joining the House of Lords
On 3 November 1997, John Bassam was given a special title. He became a life peer called Baron Bassam of Brighton. This means he became a member of the House of Lords for life. He officially joined the House of Lords on 18 November 1997. There, he sits with the Labour Party members.
Government Roles
In 1999, Bassam was promoted to a government role. He became a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Office. This department deals with law and order in the UK.
In 2001, he was appointed a Lord-in-waiting. This role means he was a Government Whip in the House of Lords. A whip helps make sure party members vote together. He served in this role until 2008. During this time, he also spoke for the government on topics like transport and culture.
In 2008, Gordon Brown, who was Prime Minister, promoted him again. Bassam became the Labour Chief Whip. This made him the main whip for the government in the House of Lords. On 8 July 2009, he became a Privy Councillor. This is a group of senior advisors to the King.
When the Labour Party became the Opposition in 2010, he continued as their Chief Whip.
Review of Expenses
In 2017, there was a review of Lord Bassam's expenses. He had claimed money for travel between his home in Brighton and Westminster. The review found that he had mistakenly claimed some travel allowances.
Lord Bassam said he had not broken any rules on purpose. He offered to pay back the extra travel money. He also referred himself to the House of Lords Commissioner for Standards.
The Commissioner found that his claims were a mistake, not dishonest. However, it was noted that he had been careless in not reading the rules properly. The Committee for Privileges and Conduct asked him to repay £15,737. He also had to write an apology letter. Lord Bassam agreed to step down as Chief Whip once a new one was chosen.
