29 Facts About Michael Meacher

Michael Hugh Meacher was a British politician who served as a government minister under Harold Wilson, James Callaghan and Tony Blair.

Michael Meacher was born in Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire on 4 November 1939, into a family with links to brewing and agriculture.

Michael Meacher was the only child of Hubert Meacher and his wife Doris.

Michael Meacher's father worked in finance, before a breakdown saw him return to the family farm.

Michael Meacher was educated at Berkhamsted School, at the time an all-boys independent school, to which he won a scholarship.

Michael Meacher then studied at New College, Oxford where he graduated with a first-class honours degree in classics and divinity, and at the London School of Economics, where he gained a Diploma in Social Administration.

Michael Meacher became a researcher and lecturer in social administration at the Essex and York universities and wrote a book about elderly people's treatment in mental hospitals.

Michael Meacher was the Labour Party candidate for Colchester at the 1966 general election, and fought the 1968 Oldham West by-election following the resignation of Labour MP Leslie Hale but lost to Conservative candidate Bruce Campbell.

Michael Meacher was first elected to Parliament in 1970 for Oldham West, reversing his previous defeat, and served as a junior minister under Harold Wilson and James Callaghan.

Michael Meacher was seen as a figure on the left and an ally of Tony Benn, and stood as the left's candidate against Roy Hattersley in the 1983 deputy leadership election.

Michael Meacher was an elected member of the Shadow Cabinet from 1983 to 1997, but Tony Blair refused to appoint him to the Cabinet, and instead made him Minister of State for the Environment, first at the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, then at the renamed Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Michael Meacher was criticised for hypocrisy when he condemned second home owners; according to the BBC and Channel 4's The Mark Thomas Comedy Product, he and his wife owned more than five homes themselves.

Michael Meacher was sacked in June 2003, and replaced by Elliot Morley.

Michael Meacher subsequently attacked the Labour government on a number of issues, particularly over genetically modified food and the 2003 Iraq War, though in the run-up to the invasion he had accepted reports by the intelligence services and government, saying that Iraq had chemical weapons.

Michael Meacher wrote a foreword for David Ray Griffin's book The New Pearl Harbor.

In June 2006 various articles appeared in the British media claiming Michael Meacher would stand as a stalking horse against Tony Blair in order to initiate a leadership contest; others suggested, especially after Gordon Brown came out in support of the Trident missile programme and nuclear energy, that Michael Meacher would challenge Brown from the left.

On 23 September 2006, Michael Meacher became the sixth Labour MP to start a blog.

Michael Meacher called for a more conciliatory policy in the Middle East, attempts to tackle income inequality, and a greater commitment to reducing energy use.

On 22 February 2007, Michael Meacher declared that he would be standing, challenging Brown and John McDonnell.

In December 2013, Michael Meacher attacked the firm Atos and its Work Capability Assessments of disabled people carried out on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions, in a sustained campaign documented through his blog.

Michael Meacher was one of 36 Labour MPs to nominate Jeremy Corbyn as a candidate in the leadership election of 2015.

On 22 February 2007, Michael Meacher declared his intention to stand for the leadership of the Labour Party.

On 21 April 2007, The Guardian claimed that Michael Meacher had the support of no more than three MPs and that his campaign was "virtually dead in the water".

On 27 April 2007, it was reported that Michael Meacher had reached an agreement with McDonnell that upon the day Blair announced his resignation, whichever of the two had fewer nominations would step aside and allow the other to challenge Gordon Brown.

On 14 May 2007, Michael Meacher agreed to stand aside to allow McDonnell to be the sole leadership candidate of the left.

Subsequent articles reported that Michael Meacher had 21 declarations of support while McDonnell had 24.

Michael Meacher appeared as himself in one episode of the BBC drama serial Edge of Darkness.

Michael Meacher married Molly Reid in 1962; they had four children and divorced in 1987.

Michael Meacher died from lung cancer at St George's Hospital in London on 20 October 2015, at the age of 75, and was buried on the western side of Highgate Cemetery.