About Eric
I was born in a council house in Kendray, a district of Barnsley, on the 9th April 1955. Apart from my time at university I have always lived in Barnsley.
I attended Hunningley Lane Junior School and Agnes Road Junior School where I passed my eleven plus exam and went to what was then the Holgate Grammar School for boys. I then worked for a year at a local company, Qualter Hall & Co, before going to Leeds University where I gained a degree in law.
I began work for the National Union of Mineworkers in 1978 as a compensation officer and in 1982 transferred to administrative duties and in 1985 became the Head of the Union’s General Department. I was elected as Member of Parliament for Barnsley Central for the first time on the 11th June 1987.
I had joined the Labour Party in 1979 and held the position of Treasurer and Secretary of my local party during the 1980’s. I was also Treasurer of the Barnsley District Labour Party and I was Secretary of the Yorkshire South European Labour Party.
During my Parliamentary career I was a member of the Energy Select Committee until 1991 when I entered the Opposition Whips office. I also served on the Select Committee on Televising the House of Commons and on the Procedure Committee of which I am still a member.
In 1994 I was appointed Opposition NHS spokesman and then spokesman on Local Government. Between 1995 and 1997 I was spokesman on Northern Ireland.
In 1997 I was appointed to the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs (the photo above shows me on a committee visit at Ground Zero a few days after 9/11). In 1999 I was appointed to the Speaker’s Panel of Chairmen. This involved chairing Standing Committees dealing with legislation, delegated legislation and Grand Committees.
In the last parliament, I was a member of the Department of Work & Pensions, Foreign Affairs and Culture, Media & Sport backbench committees and for a number of years I was Treasurer of the Yorkshire Group of Labour MPs. I was Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Packaging Manufacturing. This interest stems from Barnsley’s long association with the glass industry. I was also Vice Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Occupational Pensions Group as well as a Council Member of Parliament’s oldest committee, the Parliamentary & Scientific Committee.
I am a member of the Caravan Club Council. The Caravan Club is an organisation that represents the interests of over 850 000 caravanners and provides a wide range of services. Needless to say, I take a keen interest in caravanning issues as have been an active caravanner for many years.
I married my wife, Dawn, in September 1978 and we have two daughters, both now grown up.
