Editing Colin Pickthall

{{Short description|British politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix = 
|name         = Colin Pickthall
|honorific-suffix = 
|image        = 
|office       = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] <br /> for [[West Lancashire (UK Parliament constituency)|West Lancashire]]
|parliament   = 
|majority     = 
|term_start   = 10 April 1992
|term_end     = 11 April 2005
|predecessor  = [[Ken Hind]]
|successor    = [[Rosie Cooper]]
|birth_date   = {{birth date and age|1944|09|13|df=yes}}
|birth_place  = [[Dalton-in-Furness]], [[Cumbria]], England
|death_date   = 
|death_place  = 
|restingplace = 
|birthname    = 
|nationality  = [[United Kingdom|British]]
|party        = [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]
|otherparty   = 
|spouse       = Judith Ann <small>(m. 1973)</small>
|relations    = 
|children     = 2
|residence    = 
|alma_mater   = [[Lancaster University]]
|occupation   = Teacher
|profession   = 
|cabinet      = 
|committees   = 
|portfolio    = 
|religion     = 
|signature    = 
|website      = 
}}
'''Colin Pickthall''' (born 13 September 1944) is a former British [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] politician who served as [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[West Lancashire (UK Parliament constituency)|West Lancashire]]. He was first elected to the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] in [[1992 United Kingdom general election|1992]], and retired at the general election of [[2005 United Kingdom general election|2005]].
==Background==
Pickthall's father was a shipyard fitter. He attended [[Ulverston Victoria High School|Ulverston Grammar School]], and then the [[University of Wales]], obtaining a B.A. Hons. in English Literature and History. He then went on to the [[University of Lancaster]], where he obtained an M.A. with the thesis "The Influence of Socialism on 20th Century British Poetry". He became a member of the [[Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament]], and the Labour Party, in 1963.

He married a [[Canadians|Canadian]], Judith Ann, in 1973; they have two daughters, Alisoun and Jenny. He initially worked as a lecturer of English at Ruffwood Comprehensive School and [[Edge Hill University|Edge Hill College of H.E.]] (where he became the Head of European Studies).
==Political career==
At the general election in [[1987 United Kingdom general election|June 1987]], Pickthall ran for Parliament in [[West Lancashire (UK Parliament constituency)|West Lancashire]], but lost to the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]] by 1,353 votes. Later, in 1989, he won the seat of Ormskirk on [[Lancashire County Council]] by a very small margin. However, this was sufficient for the Labour Party to take control of the County Council by one seat. 
 
At the [[1992 United Kingdom general election|April 1992]] general election, he took the parliamentary seat of West Lancashire, and in the following elections, in [[1997 United Kingdom general election|May 1997]] and [[2001 United Kingdom general election|June 2001]], he retained the seat with a substantial majority. He became a member of the [[Select committee (United Kingdom)|Select committee]] on Agriculture in 1992, the post that he maintained until 1997. He was appointed [[parliamentary private secretary]] (PPS) to [[Alun Michael]] MP in 1997, later serving [[Jack Straw]] MP. 

He resigned as PPS in December 2000 in response to the police investigation into his election expenses.<ref>{{cite news|title=Straw aide stands down|url=https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/6053112.straw-aide-stands/|publisher=www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk|date=18 December 2000|accessdate=12 September 2020}}</ref> He was reinstated shortly afterwards, in 2001, when the police investigation concluded there had been “no wrongdoing”.<ref>{{cite news| title=BBC Politics - Colin Pickthall|date=22 October 2002|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2118591.stm|accessdate=26 March 2008|work=BBC News|first=Labour|last=Mp}}</ref> He was transferred to the [[Foreign Office]] in 2001, where he continued as Straw's PPS.

He pledged his "continuing support" for [[Tony Blair]] in July 2004, remarking that his performance has been "psychologically remarkable".<ref>{{cite news|title=Outgoing MP still backing Blair|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lancashire/3903067.stm|publisher=news.bbc.co.uk|date=17 July 2004|accessdate=12 September 2020}}</ref>

Pickthall is considered a leftist, frequently campaigning on [[animal welfare]] and environmental issues. He is opposed to [[hare coursing]], as the [[Waterloo Cup]] took place at [[Great Altcar]], in his constituency, and [[fox hunting|hunting]]. His support for the [[Hunting Act 2004|hunting ban]] led to pro-hunt supporters leaving a dead fox on his doorstep in February 2005.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bad Blood|work=Skelmersdale Advertiser|date=24 February 2005|url=http://icseftonandwestlancs.icnetwork.co.uk/icskelmersdale/news/tm_objectid=15225729|accessdate=26 March 2008}}</ref> He retired from the [[House of Commons]] at the general election of [[2005 United Kingdom general election|May 2005]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Labour MPs call time on Commons|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/england/4374851.stm|publisher=news.bbc.co.uk|date=5 April 2005|accessdate=12 September 2020}}</ref>

Pickthall is a supporter of [[Humanists UK]].

==External links==
*{{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050305183449/http://www.colinpickthall.labour.co.uk/|date=5 March 2005|title=Colin Pickthall’s Official Website}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

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{{succession box | title=[[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[West Lancashire (UK Parliament constituency)|West Lancashire]] | before=[[Ken Hind]] | after=[[Rosie Cooper]] | years=[[1992 United Kingdom general election|1992]]–[[2005 United Kingdom general election|2005]]}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pickthall, Colin}}
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of Lancashire County Council]]
[[Category:Labour Party (UK) councillors]]
[[Category:Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies]]
[[Category:British humanists]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Wales]]
[[Category:Alumni of Lancaster University]]
[[Category:Alumni of Lonsdale College, Lancaster]]
[[Category:Academics of Edge Hill University]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1992–1997]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1997–2001]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2001–2005]]
[[Category:People from Dalton-in-Furness]]
[[Category:People educated at Ulverston Grammar School]]