18 Facts About Andrew MacKinlay

Andrew Stuart MacKinlay was born on 24 April 1949 and is a British Liberal Democrat politician, who was the Labour Member of Parliament for Thurrock from 1992 until he stepped down at the 2010 general election.

Andrew MacKinlay was educated successively at St Joseph's School, Wembley; Our Lady Immaculate Primary School, Tolworth; Salesian College, now comprehensive Salesian School in Chertsey and Kingston College, now part of the South Thames College Group.

Andrew MacKinlay worked from 1965 as a committee clerk with Surrey County Council until 1975, when he served as a union official with the National and Local Government Officers' Association.

Andrew MacKinlay unsuccessfully vied for his local seat of Surbiton in both of the 1974 general elections, keeping his deposit in what was then demonstrably a three-party contest.

In 1998 Andrew MacKinlay was the first to introduce a freedom of information bill to the House of Commons.

Andrew MacKinlay maintained that he had not moved toward the left, but that the leadership of the Labour Party under Blair had moved to the political right.

Andrew MacKinlay continued to rebel against his party under the New Labour leadership of Gordon Brown; by 2008, he had broken the party whip 72 times.

In 2003, Andrew MacKinlay described Dr David Kelly as "chaff" during Dr Kelly's appearance before the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee.

Andrew MacKinlay apparently meant "chaff" as in the radar countermeasure rather than something of little value.

Andrew MacKinlay said that the final straw was the failure of a number of Labour MPs who had expressed support for Gary McKinnon, awaiting extradition to the US on computer hacking charges, to vote for a review of the extradition treaty.

On 1 October 2009, Andrew MacKinlay accepted a public apology and libel damages from the BBC over allegations made on BBC Two's Newsnight programme that he proposed an amendment to a British government motion on expenses of MPs so he would benefit financially.

Andrew MacKinlay argued that initiatives should be taken to encourage Ireland to participate in the Commonwealth.

Andrew MacKinlay brought forward a motion on the issue in the House of Commons.

Andrew MacKinlay felt that the London Declaration formula that permitted republics to participate in the Commonwealth had not been offered to Ireland as an option, though he felt it was not too late to do so.

Andrew MacKinlay argued that Ireland should be formally invited to join and that the Commonwealth was its "natural place".

Andrew MacKinlay is a keen researcher on World War I history, travelling, and is an honorary patron of Tilbury Football Club.

Andrew MacKinlay was once a member of the editorial board of Total Politics, a political magazine, of which his daughter, Sarah, was editor until August 2009.

Andrew MacKinlay was given the Freedom of Gibraltar in 2010.