1. John David Pugh was born on 28 June 1948 and is a British Liberal Democrat politician.
17 Facts About John Pugh
1. 2.
John Pugh was the Member of Parliament for Southport from 2001 to 2017.
3.
John Pugh graduated from Durham University, attending St Cuthbert's Society, where he studied Philosophy.
4.
Formerly a religious studies teacher and Head of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby, John Pugh has lived in Southport since 1974.
5.
John Pugh served on Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council, representing Birkdale, from 1987 until his election to Parliament.
6.
At the time of his election, John Pugh was leader of the council, and of the Sefton Liberal Democrats.
7.
In December 2015, John Pugh voted to extend the bombing of ISIL targets in Iraq to Syria.
8.
On 19 April 2017, John Pugh announced that he would not be standing in the 2017 general election.
9.
Amongst John Pugh's campaigning interests was public sector IT, specifically around the role Open Source Software might play.
10.
John Pugh has argued that the public sector could reduce costs by increasing use of Open Source Software and has accused the BBC of effectively giving Microsoft illegal state aid in only making their iPlayer download service available on Windows computers.
11.
In October 2009, John Pugh introduced a private members' bill under the 10-minute rule calling for more local control over the NHS.
12.
Locally in Southport, John Pugh was interested in saving local pubs, and in the drinking culture of the UK.
13.
John Pugh saw cheap alcohol deals in supermarkets as one of the major problems causing pub closures, and fuelling the culture.
14.
John Pugh took the fight for Local Post Offices to 10 Downing Street.
15.
In Transport, John Pugh had long campaigned for the reinstatement of the Burscough Curves, and worked with local groups such as the Ormskirk, Preston and Southport Travellers' Association and the Southport Rail Transport Forum to save services from Southport to Manchester Piccadilly.
16.
John Pugh is married to Annette with three daughters and a son.
17.
John Pugh's interests include philosophy, computers, weight-lifting and supporting Liverpool FC.