About Jeremy
I was born on 26 May 1949, and have been the Labour Member of Parliament for Islington North since 1983, with a majority of 6,716 at the 2005 election.
I prioritise the needs of the poor and the human rights of all, at home and abroad. The need for more affordable housing for Islington constituents has dominated my work in Parliament for many years, and by referring to other links on this website, you can read some of my speeches and questions in the House and get an idea of the meetings I attend on this and other very important subjects, both with ministers and/or constituents, NGOs, schools and colleges and other organisations. The needs of minority groups, including asylum-seekers, have also been at the forefront of my work for the past 22 years.
‘Peacekeeping’
In what I refer to as my ‘peacekeeping role’, I have attended and spoken at human rights peace conferences, including Beijing, Mumbai, New Delhi, Rwanda, UN/Geneva and other parts of Europe. Particularly since September 11th, I have travelled to many countries to speak out against military efforts to solve problems and in favour of negotiation. I continue to argue for the rights of the oppressed, in particular, the Palestinians, Chagos Islanders, and the Western Saharwi.
My significant involvement in campaigning against miscarriages of justice (eg for Irish victims such as the Birmingham Six, the Guildford Four, the Bridgewater Three and Danny MacNamee) has taught me much about the dangers of rushing through Parliament anti-terrorist legislation which, more than anything else, enables the wrongful imprisonment of innocent people. I will continue to vote against similar draconian measures in Parliament.
I have campaigned enthusiastically for fair pension provision for all, against racism, and on the other major issues affecting my constituents, especially unemployment and low pay. As well as regularly attending the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva, I led an IPU delegation to Angola in 2004, followed by participating in a human rights-based visit to Rwanda at the request of Peace Brigades International. I visit Palestine when I can and was an observer at the 2005 presidential elections. In July 2006, I was similarly privileged to attend the DRC General Election as an election observer. I was a member of the 2007 Advisory Committee for the exhibition held in Parliament to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery.
Before entering Parliament, I was a full time official for NUPE (now part of Unison); I remain a member of, and supported by, Unison in Parliament. I think the role of trade unions in society is very important, as is their affiliation to the Labour Party.
Parliamentary groups
As a member of the Socialist Campaign Group in Parliament, I am also very involved in the parliamentary groups of the PCS, RMT, FBU, NUJ, Justice Unions, Family Court Union, Defend Council Housing, Trade Union Group and the Performers Alliance. I am a member of the Labour Representation Committee and supported the 2007 John4Leader campaign. My membership of the following All Party Parliamentary Groups tells more:
Subject groups
Cheese; cycling; human rights (joint vice-chair); IPU; Traveller Law Reform
Country groups
Angola; Brazil; Britain-Palestine; Caribbean; Chile; Cuba; Dominican Republic; East Timor; Great Lakes (Africa); Irish Britain Group; Latin American (vice-chair); Mexico (secretary); Somaliland; Venezuela (secretary)
Other
Centre 404 (patron); CND Parliamentary Group (chair); CND (national vice-chair); Dalit Solidarity Campaign (chair and trustee); Greater London Pensioners Forum (on Parliamentary Panel); Hanley Crouch Community Association (trustee); Highbury Vale and Blackstock Trust (trustee); Islington Music Forum (patron); Islington Pensioners Forum (joint president, with Lord Smith of Finsbury); Liberation (the Anti-Imperialist/Anti Racist Organisation - chair); Mitford Under-Fives (patron); Palestine Solidarity Campaign (patron); Refugee Therapy Centre (patron); and the Socialist Campaign Group.