Alan Campbell (politician)

Early life and career

Alan Campbell was born on 8 July 1957 in Consett and went to Blackfyne Grammar School in the town before attending Lancaster University where he was awarded a BA in politics. He then gained a PGCE at the University of Leeds, before finishing his education at Newcastle Polytechnic with an MA in history.

He began his career as a history teacher at Whitley Bay High School in 1981; after eight years there became head of the sixth form at Hirst High School, Ashington, then head of department, where he remained until he was elected to the House of Commons.

Parliamentary career

Member of Parliament

Campbell was first elected to Parliament at the 1997 general election, when he was elected as MP for Tynemouth with 55.4% of the vote and a majority of 11,273 votes. He made his maiden speech on 2 June 1997.

At the 2001 general election Campbell was re-elected as MP for Tynemouth with a decreased vote share of 53.2% and a decreased majority of 8,678. After the election he became the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Minister of State at the Cabinet Office Gus Macdonald, and in 2003 became the PPS to Adam Ingram at the Ministry of Defence.

At the 2005 general election, Campbell was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 47% and a decreased majority of 4,143. He entered the government of Tony Blair after the election as an assistant whip, being promoted to a full whip in 2006. On 5 October 2008, Campbell was promoted to the Home Office as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.

In opposition

At the 2010 general election, Campbell was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 45.3% and an increased majority of 5,739 votes. After Ed Miliband was appointed party leader, he was appointed Deputy Chief Whip of the Labour Party, serving under Rosie Winterton as Chief Whip.

Campbell was again re-elected at the 2015 general election, with an increased vote share of 48.2% and an increased majority of 8,240. He was again re-elected at the snap 2017 general election with an increased vote share of 57% and an increased majority of 11,666. At the 2019 general election, Campbell was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 48% and a decreased majority of 4,857.

In government

At the 2024 general election, Campbell was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 50.6% and an increased majority of 15,455.

Following the Labour Party's landslide victory in the 2024 general election, he was appointed Chief Whip of the House of Commons and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury by Prime Minister Keir Starmer on 5 July, which mirrored his same previous position as the new Chief Whip of the Labour Party in the May 2021 shadow cabinet reshuffle.

In November 2024, Campbell voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which proposes to legalise assisted suicide.

In July 2025, Campbell voted in favour of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, which reduced eligibility for benefits aimed at reducing the cost of disability and supporting disabled people to participate in society and work, specifically affecting Personal Independence Payment and the health element of Universal Credit, including removing the latter entirely for under 22-year-olds.

Personal life

He married Jayne Lamont in August 1991 in Newcastle upon Tyne; they have a son and a daughter.

In May 2000, he had an operation at Newcastle General Hospital to remove a benign tumour from the top of his spine.

He was knighted as Knight Bachelor in the 2019 New Year Honours List.

References

References

1. "Ministerial Appointments: July 2024".
2. "Candidate: Alan Campbell". BBC News.
3. "Election Data 1997". [[Electoral Calculus]].
4. "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 2 Jun 1997 (Pt 17)".
5. "Election Data 2001". [[Electoral Calculus]].
6. "Election Data 2005". [[Electoral Calculus]].
7. "Election Data 2010". [[Electoral Calculus]].
8. "North Tyneside Council: Website unavailable".
9. "Election Data 2015". [[Electoral Calculus]].
10. "Tynemouth".
11. "Tynemouth Parliamentary constituency". BBC.
12. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/E14001557 Tynemouth]
13. "The new cabinet: Who is in Sir Keir Starmer's top team".
14. "Sir Keir Starmer reshuffles Labour frontbench amid poll recriminations".
15. (29 November 2024). "Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Second Reading".
16. (9 July 2025). "Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill: Third Reading".
17. "Alan CAMPBELL | Knights Bachelor | the Gazette".