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Roy Hattersley


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ROY HATTERSLEY

Roy Hattersley - former deputy Labour leader

Roy Hattersley was made a Life peer after quitting the House of Commons in 1997. He was once held to be the leader of Labour's rightwing but in the Lords voted with leftwingers against the government.

He is a trenchant critic of Tony Blair: "New Labour is recklessly willing to sacrifice all claim to intellectual consistency in the pursuit of power." Educated at Sheffield City Grammar school and Hull University, he became a Sheffield City councillor at the age of 24 and was elected MP for Birmingham Sparkbrook in 1964. He went on to gain extensive ministerial experience in defence, education, science, and foreign affairs. In opposition he spoke on the environment, home affairs and the economy.

He became deputy leader after Neil Kinnock beat him in the 1983 leadership contest, and stood down with Kinnock following the 1992 election defeat. He voices his dissent in his regular Guardian column and has published several books including novels, memoirs, and political essays.

He is a fierce critic of grammar schools for contributing to inequality and the Social Exclusion Unit for doing nothing to help the poor.

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Guest tsavo

My Uncle was his Election Agent when Roy first stood in the local council elections for Primrose Ward. A very strange name for a ward that was part of the original Kelvin area. I was roped in to put fliers into envelopes and Roy Hattersley was the first man I ever saw in a 'good suit, with hand stitched lapels. His mother was also a local Councillor and eventually revealed that Roy's father was a Catholic Priest. He has written several novels mostly about Sheffield and the tool and cutlery trades. They are:

The Makers Mark, Skylarks Song and In That Quiet Earth. Read all three and enjoyed them.

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My Uncle was his Election Agent when Roy first stood in the local council elections for Primrose Ward. A very strange name for a ward that was part of the original Kelvin area. I was roped in to put fliers into envelopes and Roy Hattersley was the first man I ever saw in a 'good suit, with hand stitched lapels. His mother was also a local Councillor and eventually revealed that Roy's father was a Catholic Priest. He has written several novels mostly about Sheffield and the tool and cutlery trades. They are:

The Makers Mark, Skylarks Song and In That Quiet Earth. Read all three and enjoyed them.

Wasn't Roy Hattersleys mother (Edna?) city council leader and / or Lord Mayor of Sheffield at one point?

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Guest Noise Heat Power

Roy Hattersley wrote a couple of volumes of memoirs about his life in Sheffield and Yorkshire: 'Goodbye To Yorkshire' and 'A Yorkshire Boyhood'.

People on here would probably enjoy them.

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Guest tsavo

Give the novels a try, especially The Makers Mark. It opens on the Ecclesfield Road with a tool maker taking spades by horse & cart to a buyer. Lots of Sheffield places and factories you'll know.

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A fine politician with good judgement.

Even after retiring he saw straight through Ken Bates and his pathetic attempt to get his hands on Wednesdays assetts.

It was a brave and farsighted few who opposed this.....how right they were. Just look at Leeds.

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