Editing Martin Salter

{{COI|date=September 2024}}
{{Short description|British politician}}

{{EngvarB|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = <!-- only free-content images are allowed for depicting living people - see [[WP:NONFREE]] -->
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Martin Salter
| honorific-suffix =
| office = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] <br /> for [[Reading West (UK Parliament constituency)|Reading West]]
| parliament = 
| majority =
| predecessor = [[Tony Durant]]
| successor = [[Alok Sharma]]
| term_start = 2 May 1997
| term_end = 12 April 2010
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1954|04|19}}
| birth_place = [[Hampton, London|Hampton]], [[Middlesex]]<!-- Do not change to London, Hampton was in Middlesex in 1954 -->, UK
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = British
| party = [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]
| relations =
| children =
| residence = 
| occupation =
| profession =
| religion =
| signature =
| website =
}}
'''Martin John Salter''' (born 19 April 1954) is a [[British Labour Party]] politician who was the Member of Parliament for [[Reading West (UK Parliament constituency)|Reading West]] from [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997]] to [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010]].

==Early life and career==

Born to Ray and Naomi Salter in [[Hampton, Middlesex]],<ref name=MS:PB>{{cite web|title=Political Biography|url=http://www.martinsalter.com/index.php/about/biography/|publisher=Martin Salter|accessdate=11 June 2012}}</ref> he received a grammar school education before attending the [[University of Sussex]],<ref name=MS:CV>{{cite web|title=Martin Salter – Curriculum Vitae|url=http://www.martinsalter.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/martin-salter-cv.pdf|publisher=Martin Salter|accessdate=11 June 2012}}</ref> though he left before gaining a degree, saying 'academic life was not for him – "I wanted to do politics, not study it"'.<ref name="RC:stand down">{{cite news|last=Powell|first=Ali|title=Martin Salter: Why I decided to stand down|url=http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/reading/articles/2009/02/12/9420-martin-salter-why-i-decided-to-stand-down/|accessdate=11 June 2012|newspaper=The Reading Chronicle|date=12 February 2009}}</ref><ref name="RC:Lives Here">{{cite news|title=Martin Salter lives here|url=http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/reading/articles/2009/02/12/9458-martin-salter-lives-here/|accessdate=11 June 2012|newspaper=The Reading Chronicle|date=12 February 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514182919/http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/reading/articles/2009/02/12/9458-martin-salter-lives-here/|archivedate=14 May 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Both his parents were active trade unionists, and grandfather George Baker was sent to [[Wormwood Scrubs (HM Prison)|Wormwood Scrubs]] prison in 1917 as a [[First World War]] [[conscientious objector]].<ref name="RC:stand down"/> He cites his politics teacher from the age of 14 for developing his political interest, when he took him to the Politics Society in Kingston to hear [[Tony Benn]] speak, saying that his teacher 'spotted something in me, a real interest'.<ref name="RC:stand down"/>

Starting in 1975, Salter began employment in the construction and transport industries, holding various jobs from a labourer to a cargo handler.  During this time, he was an active member in the [[Transport and General Workers' Union]] and the [[Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians]], and served as a shop steward tasked with 'negotiating working conditions and wages'.<ref name=MS:CV/>  He moved to Reading in 1980,<ref name=MS:Interview>{{cite web |title=Martin Salter Interview |url=http://www.martinsalter.com/index.php/about/martin-salter-interview/ |publisher=Martin Salter |access-date=11 June 2012 |archive-date=28 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328084423/http://www.martinsalter.com/index.php/about/martin-salter-interview/}}</ref> and in 1982 he switched his employment focus by being hired by Reading Borough Council to organise community-based playschemes for children, followed by a move in 1984 to become the co-ordinator of Reading Centre for the Unemployed.  Dropping that role in 1987, Salter would thereafter work for Co-op Home Services until 1996, first becoming the development officer then the regional manager.<ref name=MS:CV/>

==Political career==
Joining the Labour Party when he was 17, Salter became the secretary of his local residents' association in 1980, a post he held until 1984.<ref name=MS:PB/> The council, then under [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] control, had cut the holiday playscheme budget, and Salter campaigned to undo the changes, the success of which he cites as the reason for his decision to stand for the council.  He won election in [[Park (Reading ward)|Park ward]] in May 1984.<ref name=MS:Interview/>  Two years later, Labour gained control of the council and Salter was appointed chair of the leisure committee, and a year later became Deputy Leader of the Council, in which role he says he helped 'plan the successful development of the town centre and steered Labour to unprecedented local electoral success'.<ref name=MS:CV/> He first stood as a candidate for Parliament at the [[1987 United Kingdom general election|1987 general election]] in [[Reading East]].  Alleging some of his opponents were carpetbaggers, Salter ran under the motto of 'Martin Salter Lives Here', and he came a close third to the SDP (Alliance) candidate .<ref name="RC:Lives Here"/><ref name=GER1987>{{cite web|title=UK General Election results June 1987|url=http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge87/i16.htm|publisher=Politics Resources|accessdate=11 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130411171802/http://www.politicsresources.net/area/uk/ge87/i16.htm|archive-date=11 April 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Salter was selected as his party's candidate in Reading West for the [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997 general election]], and he stood down from the council in 1996 to concentrate on the campaign.<ref name=MS:Interview/>  Incumbent Conservative MP [[Tony Durant]] had a majority of well over 10,000 from the 1992 general election, but his decision to stand down left the seat more in play.  In the end, Salter gained the seat with a majority of around 3,000 against former MP [[Nicholas Bennett (politician)|Nicholas Bennett]].<ref name=MS:PB/>

On 30 November 2005, Salter resigned as [[Parliamentary Private Secretary]] to Schools Minister [[Jacqui Smith]] over school reform proposals and co-authored the Alternative Education White Paper with a group of centre-left MPs including [[John Denham (politician)|John Denham]], [[Angela Eagle]], [[Joan Ruddock]] and [[Alan Whitehead]]. In June 2007, he was appointed as vice-chair (Environment) of the Labour Party.<ref>[http://www.labour.org.uk/increased_role_for_mps_in_party Labour: Vote Labour on May 1<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703051208/http://www.labour.org.uk/increased_role_for_mps_in_party |date=3 July 2007 }}</ref>

On 10 February 2009, Salter announced that he would be standing down from the Commons at the [[2010 United Kingdom general election|next general election]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/berkshire/7881299.stm |title=Salter bows out at next election |work=[[BBC News]] |date=10 February 2009}}</ref>

===Angling activism===
After leaving Parliament in 2010 Salter took a sabbatical in Australia, where he produced an influential report entitled 'Keep Australia Fishing'.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lovefishing.com.au/blog.php?user=LoveFishing&blogentry_id=314 |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2012-01-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426085709/http://lovefishing.com.au/blog.php?user=LoveFishing&blogentry_id=314 |archivedate=26 April 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> In 2011 Salter took a part-time position with the [[Angling Trust]] as its National Campaigns Coordinator, and currently{{when|date=September 2024}} serves as the Trust's Chief Policy Advisor.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.anglingtrust.net/news.asp?itemid=1035&itemTitle=Salter+is+back+fighting+for+fishing&section=29&sectionTitle=News |title=Salter is back fighting for fishing - The Angling Trust |website=www.anglingtrust.net |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120192350/http://www.anglingtrust.net/news.asp?itemid=1035&itemTitle=Salter+is+back+fighting+for+fishing&section=29&sectionTitle=News |archive-date=2012-01-20}} </ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Meet the Senior Team |url=https://anglingtrust.net/about-us/meet-the-senior-team/ |website=Angling Trust |accessdate=25 August 2020}}</ref>

===Extreme pornography legislation===
Salter has promoted legislation proposing to criminalise possession of so-called "[[extreme pornography]]".<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6237226.stm | work=BBC News | title='Extreme' porn proposals spark row | date=4 July 2007 | accessdate=12 May 2010 | first=Chris | last=Summers}}</ref> His campaign came about after the conviction at [[Lewes Crown Court]] of Graham Coutts, for the murder of Brighton schoolteacher [[Jane Longhurst]]. A petition, objecting to "the presence of extreme Internet sites promoting violence against women in the name of sexual gratification", gained 50,000 signatures.

==Personal life==
He is married to Natalie.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120929010055/http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/msalter/ Daily Telegraph blog: Martin Salter]
*[https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/martin_salter/reading_west TheyWorkForYou.com – Martin Salter MP]

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|uk}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Tony Durant]]}}
{{s-ttl
 |title=Member of Parliament for [[Reading West (UK Parliament constituency)|Reading West]]
 | years=[[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997]]–[[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010]]
}}
{{s-aft | after = [[Alok Sharma]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Salter, Martin}}
[[Category:1954 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Sussex]]
[[Category:Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Reading]]
[[Category:Councillors in Berkshire]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1997–2001]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2001–2005]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2005–2010]]
[[Category:People from Hampton, London]]