Greg Mulholland

Infobox MP
honorific-prefix =
name = Greg Mulholland
honorific-suffix = MP


caption =
constituency_MP = Leeds North West
majority = 1,877 (4.2%)
term_start = 5 May 2005
predecessor = Harold Best (Labour)

office2 = Lib Dem Shadow spokesperson
for Health
term_start2 = 2007

office3 = Lib Dem Shadow spokesperson
for Schools
term_start3 = 2006
term_end3 = 2007

office4 = Lib Dem Junior spokesperson
for International Development
term_start4 = 2005
term_end4 = 2006

office5 = Councillor for Headingley ward
Leeds City Council
term_start5 = 2003
term_end5 = 2005
predecessor5 = David Pratt
successor5 = James Monaghan
birth_date = birth date and age |1970|8|31
nationality = British
party = Liberal Democrat
spouse = Raegan
children = Isabel, Madeleine
residence = Otley, West Yorkshire
alma_mater = University of York
website = [http://www.gregmulholland.org/ http://www.gregmulholland.org/]

Gregory Thomas Mulholland (born 31 August 1970) is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom, and is Member of Parliament for Leeds North West. He was elected in the 2005 general election, winning the seat from Labour, which had held it for eight years.

Early life

Born in Manchester, Mulholland attended St. Ambrose College near Altrinchamcite web|url=http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/biography/0,,-9010,00.html|accessdate=2007-10-05|title=Guardian "Ask Aristotle" biography] and studied politics at the University of York, going on to achieve an MA in Public Administration and Public Policy. While at York University he played at centre for the university rugby league team in matches against Bradford, Leeds, Manchester and Hull. He then worked in marketing for five years, including two years spent in Edinburgh, working on several national promotional campaigns.

His first experience in politics was canvassing in the Knowsley North by-election in 1986, while studying politics for A-levelcite web|url=http://www.libdems.org.uk/party/people/mr-greg-mulholland.html|accessdate=2007-10-05|title=Profile on Lib Dem website] .

He had a longstanding interest and involvement in international development, trade justice and debt campaigns. He was an active member of the campaigning groups [http://www.leedstidal.org TIDAL] (Trade Injustice and Debt Action Leeds) and CAFOD.

Councillor

In 2003, he was elected as a Leeds City Councillor for Headingley ward. From 2004-2005 he was the lead member for corporate services, until his election to Parliament in 2005. He was also the Lib Dem group's spokesperson on the Leeds Supertram, approval for which was turned down in 2006.

Member of Parliament

Constituency and party

Mulholland was first elected in the General Election of 2005, and represents the constituency of Leeds North West. This West Yorkshire constituency extends from inner-city Leeds through suburban and rural areas to the towns of Otley and Yeadon. It was previously held by Labour.

In the 2006 Liberal Democrat leadership election he backed Chris Huhne, who eventually finished second behind Menzies Campbell. In the 2007 Liberal Democrat leadership election he backed Nick Clegg.cite news
title =Nick Clegg: My leadership will be bold and give millions a voice
publisher =Yorkshire Post
date =2007-10-19
url =http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/opinion/Nick-Clegg-My-leadership-will.3394787.jp
accessdate =2007-10-20 ]

Positions held

Upon his election to Parliament, he was appointed his party's Junior International Development Spokesperson from 2005-2006. In 2006 he was appointed Shadow Spokesperson on Schools, and in 2007 he became Shadow Spokesperson on Health. He is also a member of the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee.

He is Vice-Chair of two all-party parliamentary groups, on Rugby League [cite web |url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallparty/register/memi447.htm |title=All-Party Parliamentary Rugby League Group
accessdate=2008-05-27] and Balanced and Sustainable Communities [cite web |url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallparty/register/memi163.htm
title=All-Party Parliamentary Balanced and Sustainable Communities Group
accessdate=2008-05-27] . He was formerly a member of two other such groups on Beer and Small Shops.

ubjects of interest

Land Banking

In November 2005, Mulholland proposed the "Sale of Green Belt Land bill" to prevent 'land banking' (property speculation in Green Belt land) [cite web |url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/vo051101/debtext/51101-06.htm |title=Hansard 1 Nov 2005 column 728
accessdate=2007-10-23] .

Healthcare

In his constituency, Mulholland took part in a community campaign against further cuts at the [http://www.leedsteachinghospitals.com/patients/aboutus/hospitals/wharfedale.php Wharfedale Hospital] in Otley. He called a public meeting [cite web|url=http://www.leeds.gov.uk/moderngov/Published/C00000462/M00001316/AI00006071/$LTHTreportWDHScrutinyBoard19Feb2007.docA.ps.pdf|title=Briefing note: Wharfedale Hospital: |date=2007-02-19|work=Leeds City Council: Scrutiny Board: Health and Adult Social Care|pages=44-45|accessdate=2008-05-23] and presented a 5,000-signature petition to Parliament, [cite web|url=http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070328/debtext/70328-0020.htm
title=Wharfedale Hospital, Otley
date=2007-03-28
work=Hansard
pages=Col 1603
accessdate=2008-05-23] after one ward was closed. He has also campaigned alongside other Leeds MPs for a new children's hospital in the City, questioning the then Prime Minister Tony Blair over the issue at Prime Ministers Question Time. [cite web|url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070502/debtext/70502-0003.htm
title=Debate: Prime Minister
work=Hansard
date=2007-05-02
pages=Col. 1508
accessdate=2008-05-23] However, Mulholland was accused of "political grandstanding" and lying in public and the House of Commons over this matter after a "Focus" leaflet distributed by the Liberal Democrats in Leeds featuring Mulholland claimed the government was responsible for axing plans to build a new £204 million Children's Hospital at St. James's, a proposal backed by all the City's MPs. Hansard records that this statement was untrue, with the decision made solely by the Leeds Hospital Trust without the prior knowledge of the Government. Caroline Flint, Minister of state (Public Health), described the statement as:"...taking political grandstanding too far. The article is not true, it is a complete misrepresentation." [cite web |url=http://www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?id=2007-05-01b.441.0&s=mulholland+flint+hamilton+truswell+battle#g446.0
work=Hansard
title=Westminster Hall debates: Leeds Children's and Maternity Hospital
date=2007-05-01
accessdate=2008-05-21]

Other

In 2007, he was nominated for best campaigning politician in the Channel 4 Political Awards for helping to secure the release of Mirza Tahir Hussain from prison in Pakistan.

He has tabled Early Day Motions on a variety of subjects including support for small breweries, winter fuel payments for the severely disabled under 60, and biometric data collection in schools [cite web
url=http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMByMember.aspx?MID=4826&SESSION=885
title=Parliamentary information service EDMs by member 2006-2007
accessdate=2007-10-23] .

In 2008 Mulholland was recorded in Hansard describing health minister Ivan Lewis as an "arsehole" for refusing to let him intervene in a discussion on hospice funding. [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7221750.stm
title=MP defends himself over swearing
accessdate=2008-03-12] .

Voting Record

According to TheyWorkForYou.com, Mulholland is an occasional rebel against his party. [cite web |url=http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/greg_mulholland/leeds_north_west
work=TheyWorkForYou.com
title=Greg Mulholland MP
accessdate=2008-05-25] In May 2008, Mulholland voted for an amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill to reduce the abortion limit to 12 weeks. [cite web |url=http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2008-05-20&number=199
work=The Public Whip
title=Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill — Change abortion limit from 24 weeks to 12 weeks — rejected
date=2008-05-20
accessdate=2008-05-21]

Personal life

He is married to Raegan (on 13 August 2004), and they have two daughters, Isabel (born 25 July 2005) and Madeleine (born 29 September 2008). [cite news|url=http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Baby-joy-for-Leeds-MP.4540215.jp|title=Baby joy for Leeds MP|last=Mc Taggart|first=Suzanne|date=2008-09-30|work=Yorkshire Evening Post|accessdate=2008-10-01] They live in Otley in the north-west of the constituency. Outside politics, his interests include real ale, rugby league and hillwalking.

References

External links

* [http://www.gregmulholland.org/ Greg Mulholland MP] official site, including contact details and surgery times
* [http://www.libdems.org.uk/people/greg-mulholland Greg Mulholland MP] profile at the site of Liberal Democrats
* [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-9010,00.html Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Greg Mulholland MP]
* [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/greg_mulholland/leeds_north_west TheyWorkForYou.com - Greg Mulholland MP] includes "How Greg Mulholland voted on key issues"
* [http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpn=Greg_Mulholland&mpc=Leeds+North+West The Public Whip - Greg Mulholland] voting record