1. Ian Lavery was born on 6 January 1963 and is a British Labour Party politician who has served as Member of Parliament for Blyth and Ashington from 2024.
21 Facts About Ian Lavery
1. 2.
Ian Lavery was previously the MP for Wansbeck from 2010 to 2024.
3.
Ian Lavery is a member of the Socialist Campaign Group parliamentary caucus.
4.
Ian Lavery was born on 6 January 1963 in Newcastle upon Tyne to parents John Robert Lavery and his wife, Patricia.
5.
In July 1980, Ian Lavery started a mining craft apprenticeship, transferring to Ellington Colliery in 1981 and attended New College Durham, receiving a Higher National Certificate in mining engineering.
6.
In 1986, Ian Lavery was elected onto the National Union of Mineworkers committee at Ellington Colliery as compensation secretary.
7.
Ian Lavery has said that because of his union activity, he was barred by management from completing his Higher National Diploma qualification:.
8.
In 1992, Ian Lavery stood for the national executive committee of the NUM.
9.
In February 2010, Ian Lavery became the prospective parliamentary candidate for the Labour Party for Wansbeck.
10.
Ian Lavery was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary to deputy leader Harriet Harman, but resigned in 2012 after breaking the party whip by levelling an amendment to exempt prison staff and psychiatric workers from a general public sector increase in the pension age to 68.
11.
In March 2014, Ian Lavery posed with one of his sons who had blackened his face to look like Michael Jackson.
12.
Ian Lavery was appointed as Labour's national campaign co-ordinator, serving jointly with Andrew Gwynne in February 2017.
13.
In June 2017, Ian Lavery was appointed to the role of chair of the Labour Party.
14.
In January 2021, Ian Lavery was criticised after he questioned why anyone would have faith in the COVID-19 vaccine and expressed concern about the time it took to approve the vaccine.
15.
On 24 February 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lavery was one of 11 Labour MPs threatened with losing the party whip after they signed a statement by the Stop the War Coalition which questioned the legitimacy of NATO and accused the military alliance of "eastward expansion".
16.
Ian Lavery has gained the seat in the constituency of Blyth and Ashington, being the 2nd confirmed Labour seat in the 2024 General Election.
17.
Ian Lavery was elected MP for Blyth and Ashington at the 2024 general election.
18.
Ian Lavery married Hilary Baird in 1986, aged 23, at the Holy Sepulchre Church in Ashington.
19.
The couple have two sons, Ian Lavery Junior, born 1988 and Liam, born 1993.
20.
Ian Lavery is a trustee of CISWO in the North East area, Northumberland Aged Mineworkers' Homes Association, Woodhorn Colliery Museum and Buzz Learning Disability; he is a patron of Headway for South East Northumberland and Wansbeck Disability Forum.
21.
Ian Lavery is chair and trustee of Pitmen Painters, which reached international acclaim following the release of the West End play of the same name, and which follows a story about the formation of the Northumberland-based organisation.