24 Facts About Ian McCartney

Sir Ian McCartney was born on 25 April 1951 and is a British Labour Party politician who served as Member of Parliament for Makerfield from 1987 to 2010.

Ian McCartney was made a Knight Bachelor in the 2010 Dissolution Honours List.

Ian McCartney was born in Lennoxtown, Stirlingshire, to future Labour MP for East Dunbartonshire Hugh McCartney and his wife, Margaret, a trade unionist.

Ian McCartney led a paper-boys' strike at the age of fifteen, and had a number of jobs after leaving school, including a seaman, a local government manual worker, and a kitchen worker.

Ian McCartney was a councillor for Abram ward in Wigan from 1982 to 1987.

Ian McCartney became the MP for Makerfield following the 1987 general election.

Ian McCartney was one of the founders of the All-Party Parliamentary Rugby League Group the same year, and was its first chairman.

Ian McCartney held a number of positions during Labour's period in opposition, and was variously a spokesman on Health, Employment, Education and Social Services.

Ian McCartney was one of the shortest MPs, standing five feet, one inch tall.

Ian McCartney described himself on his parliamentary notepaper as the "Socialist MP for Makerfield".

On 23 May 2009, Ian McCartney announced he would not stand again at the 2010 general election due to poor health.

Ian McCartney was made Minister of State for Competitiveness at the Department of Trade and Industry following the 1997 general election when Labour came to power.

Ian McCartney was moved to be Minister of State at the Cabinet Office in 1999, where he was responsible for modernising Government and E-Government.

In 2001, Ian McCartney became Minister of State for Pensions at the Department for Work and Pensions, and he was promoted to the Cabinet as Minister Without Portfolio and Party Chairman in April 2003.

Ian McCartney was chair of the party's National Policy Forum, which formulates Labour party policy.

Ian McCartney worked to make the role of Party Chair a voice for Labour Party members within the Labour Government.

Ian McCartney returned to government as Minister of State for Trade in May 2006, attending Cabinet but not voting there, but stepped down in 2007 when Gordon Brown became Prime Minister.

Ian McCartney had asked for the review; although only a portion of the amount was deemed excessive, he said he felt strongly that the full amount should be returned.

Ian McCartney commented that as a senior minister he held meetings at home and "had to feed guests".

In May 2009, after stepping down citing health issues, Ian McCartney said his family had urged him to step down following a further bout of illness after his 2005 heart surgery, and that he was being treated for disc injury and was possibly facing further surgery.

Ian McCartney was chair of Healthwatch Wigan, resigning from the post in 2016.

Ian McCartney was married firstly to Jean, with whom he had son Hugh and daughters Yvonne and Karen, later divorcing.

In 2002, Ian McCartney gave an interview to the Sunday Herald discussing his son's experiences in the justice system and how Ian McCartney believed "the way we deal with addicts sentenced his son to death".

In 2003, Ian McCartney stated in an interview he was still having break downs over the death of his only son.