20 Facts About Paul Goggins

Paul Gerard Goggins was a British Labour politician who served as Member of Parliament for Wythenshawe and Sale East from 1997 until his death in January 2014.

Paul Goggins was previously a Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office.

Paul Goggins was born in Manchester and educated at St Bede's College, before going on to study at the Roman Catholic seminary Ushaw College, although he did not enter the priesthood.

Paul Goggins went on to study at the Birmingham Polytechnic, receiving a Certificate in Residential Care of Children and Young People in 1976.

Paul Goggins worked as a child care worker with the 'Liverpool Catholic Social Services' for a year in 1974, before becoming an officer in charge at the Wigan Children's Home in 1976.

Paul Goggins was appointed as project director for the NCH Action for Children in Salford in 1984.

Paul Goggins became the national director for Church Action on Poverty, a national church-based campaigning organisation, in 1989 where he remained until his election to Westminster.

Paul Goggins served as a councillor in the City of Salford from 1990 to 1998.

Paul Goggins was elected to the House of Commons at the 1997 general election for the newly created Wythenshawe and Sale East seat vacated by the retirement of Alf Morris, the former Labour MP for Manchester Wythenshawe.

Paul Goggins made his maiden speech on 20 May 1997.

Paul Goggins served on the social security select committee from 1997 until he was appointed as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Minister of State at the Department of Social Security John Denham in 1998, moving with Denham to the Department of Health in 1999.

Paul Goggins was promoted to the government of Tony Blair in 2003, where he was made the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office with the role of prisons and probation minister.

Paul Goggins became the parliamentary under Secretary for State with responsibility for the voluntary and community sector.

Paul Goggins forged links with various community and voluntary sector organisations such as ARVAC The Association for Research in the Voluntary and Community Sector.

Paul Goggins was the co-founder of the All Party Parliamentary Friends of CAFOD group and was Secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Group on poverty.

In February 2013, Paul Goggins voted against the second reading of the Marriage Act 2013.

Paul Goggins married Wyn Bartley in 1977 in Crosby and they had two sons and a daughter.

Paul Goggins was a season ticket holder at Manchester City FC Paul Goggins was a member of the Christian socialist movement who broadcast on the BBC Radio 4 Thought for the Day slot on the Today programme.

On 30 December 2013, Paul Goggins became seriously ill after collapsing while running, resulting in emergency surgery.

Paul Goggins died in Salford Royal Hospital on 7 January 2014 following complications from a brain haemorrhage, having never regained consciousness.