Andrew Jonathan Cunningham was born in Dublin, Ireland on December 15, 1982. He is the son of Brian Garvin Cunningham of Belfast, Northern Ireland, a direct descendant of one of the 13 Apprentice Boys who closed the gates of Londonderry during the Siege of Derry on December 7, 1688.

Andrew 'Andy' Cunningham was a major political figure in North East England, brought down by the Poulson scandal of 1974, which also destroyed the careers of T. Dan Smith and Tory Home Secretary, Reginald Maudling. North East England is one of the regions of England. ... John Garlick Llewellyn Poulson (April 14, 1910 - January 31, 1993) was a British architect who caused a major political scandal when his use of bribery and connections to senior politicians were disclosed in 1972. ... Thomas Daniel Smith (May 11, 1915 - July 27, 1993) was a British politician who was Leader of Newcastle upon Tyne City Council from 1960 to 1965 and a prominent figure in the Labour Party in the north-east of England, such that he was nicknamed Mr. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Secretary of State for the Home Department, known as the Home Secretary, is the chief United Kingdom government minister responsible for law and order (except in Scotland). ... Rt. ...

At the height of his career in 1971 he held the following positions:

• Member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Labour Party
• Chairman of the Chester-le-Street and the Northern Region Executive of the Labour Party
• Head of the Northern Region of the General and Municipal Workers Union (GMWU) (the biggest union in the north-east)
• Alderman of Durham County Council
• Member of the Chester-le-Street town council
• Chairman of Durham Police Authority
• Chairman of Newcastle Airport Consultative Committee
• Member of the Northumbrian River Authority
• Member of the Peterlee New Town Development Corporation
• Member of the planning and education committees of Durham County Council
• Chairman of the Tyneside Passenger Transport Authority

His role with the GMWU in particular gave him considerable influence, via the Trade Union block vote, in the selection of Labour Party parliamentary candidates. The National Executive Committee or NEC is the chief administrative body of the Labour Party. ... The Labour Party has, since the early twentieth century, been the principal left wing political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics). ... Chester-le-Street is a market town in County Durham, England with a history going back to Roman times. ... The GMB is a general trade union in the United Kingdom, and has more than 600,000 members. ... County Durham is a county in north-east England. ... Chester-le-Street is a market town in County Durham, England with a history going back to Roman times. ... Durham Constabulary is a Home Office police force with the responsibilty of policing the county of Durham in the north east of England. ... Newcastle Airport (IATA: NCL, ICAO: EGNT) is the ninth largest airport in the United Kingdom. ... (see also the List of environmental organizations) The Environment Agency (Welsh: Asiantaeth yr Amgylchedd) of England and Wales was created by the Environment Act 1995, along with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. ... Peterlee is a new town in County Durham, England. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... A parliamentarian is a specialist in parliamentary procedure. ...

He was the father of Labour politician Jack Cunningham The Right Honourable John Anderson Jack Cunningham, Baron Cunningham of Felling, PC, DL (born 4 August 1939) is a British Labour politician and was Member of Parliament for Copeland until 2005. ...