Editing Colin Challen (section)

==Early life==
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Challen was born in [[Scarborough, North Yorkshire|Scarborough]], and educated at the [[Norton Secondary School]] in [[Norton-on-Derwent]] and the [[Malton, North Yorkshire|Malton]] [[Grammar School]], before completing a [[philosophy]] [[Bachelor of Arts|degree]] at the [[University of Hull]] in 1983. In 1971, he was a supplier [[accountant]] for the [[Royal Air Force]] before becoming a [[mail carrier|postman]] in 1974. He set up business as a [[Printer (publisher)|printer]] and [[publisher]] in 1982 until 1994 when he took up politics professionally as an organiser for the Labour Party. He was elected a councillor to [[Kingston upon Hull City Council]] for eight years from 1986.