Lord McAvoy
A former engineering storeman, the Rt Hon Tommy McAvoy was elected MP for Glasgow Rutherglen in 1987 and served as Member of Parliament until 2010, latterly for Rutherglen and Hamilton West. He was appointed Government Pairing Whip in 1997, and was a Whip for all 13 years of the Labour Government, including as Deputy Chief Whip.
Before becoming an MP, in 1982 Tommy was the first ever Co-operative Party Strathclyde Regional Councillor.
Listed among: Members of the House of Lords
- Twigg to Education, Thomas now Shadow Minister for Co-ops (10 Oct 2011)Several Co-operative MPs, including some elected to Parliament in 2010, have featured prominently in Ed Miliband’s reshuffle of the shadow frontbench team over the weekend. Joining Ed Balls MP and Lord Steve Bassam in Shadow Cabinet will be Stephen Twigg, Labour & Co-operative MP for Liverpool West Derby since 2010 and now Shadow Education Secretary. [...]
- Israel: Palestinian Hunger Strikers — Question (15 May 2012)Lord McAvoy: The Government are to be commended for the moves that they have made this week in helping to bring about a resolution of the current dispute. Does the Minister agree with me that it is comparatively easy to imprison a few thousand people but that it is not easy to imprison a whole nation or a whole people? Does he agree that if the Israeli Government decided to stop building more illegal...
- Palestine — Question (5 Dec 2011)Lord McAvoy: My Lords, as the state of Israel steadily pursues its policy of appropriating land, evicting Palestinians from their own land and steadily encroaching on the territory that Palestinians hope to include in their part of a two-state solution, was abstention really good enough?
- Benefits: EU Nationals — Question (7 Nov 2011)Lord McAvoy: My Lords, the issue of reciprocity was mentioned by the noble Lord, Lord German. Have the Government ever calculated the cost of reciprocity in terms of how much it costs the United Kingdom to pay benefits to EU nationals and what our 900,000 people get back?
- Scotland: Referendum — Question (31 Oct 2011)Lord McAvoy: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions the Prime Minister has had with the First Minister of Scotland regarding a referendum on Scottish independence since the Scottish Parliamentary elections.
- Welfare Reform Bill — Second Reading (13 Sep 2011)Lord McAvoy: My Lords, we have had a number of really excellent contributions from very experienced people this evening-in particular from my noble colleague Lord Kirkwood, whose contribution was certainly worth listening to. I intend to concentrate on housing and hope to cut two or three minutes off my speech, and if the noble Lord, Lord Kirkwood, would regard those few minutes as off-setting his, I hope...
- Scotland Bill: Second Reading (6 Sep 2011)Lord McAvoy: My Lords, I will be particularly brief. I am not as erudite as many of those who have spoken so far, but I have some knowledge of and involvement in the historical and political events that have been outlined. I find it irresistible to take part not to settle a few scores but perhaps remember a few things. There has been a lot of mention, particularly by the noble Earl, Lord Mar and Kellie,...
- Localism Bill — Committee (9th Day) (Continued) (19 Jul 2011)Lord McAvoy: My Lords, I support my noble friend's amendment. I declare an interest in that my eldest son, Thomas, is a ganger with Network Rail; he is not in the high echelons of management, but he is a ganger with firsthand experience of working on the line, doing maintenance and improvements. No one wants a situation in which Network Rail, or any organisation, can disrupt public services by not...
- Localism Bill: Committee (8th Day) (14 Jul 2011)Lord McAvoy: I said there was a thread running through the amendments.
- Health: Brittle Bone Society — Question (6 Jun 2011)Lord McAvoy: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they are supporting the Brittle Bone Society.
- Electoral System: Alternative Vote Referendum — Question (11 May 2011)Lord McAvoy: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the involvement of the Electoral Reform Society or of Electoral Reform Services in the procedure used to send out postal ballot papers in the alternative vote referendum in the Glasgow division.
