Eric Pickles
Member of the United Kingdom Parliament for Brentwood and Ongar
Incumbent
Assumed office  1992
Preceded by	Robert McCrindle
Majority	11,612 (26.3%)
Born	20 April 1952 (1952-04-20) (age 56) Keighley, Yorkshire
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Irene Coates
Website	www.ericpickles.com

Eric Jack Pickles (born 20 April 1952 in Keighley, Yorkshire) is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was Co-Chairman of the Joint Committee Against Racism between 1982 and 1987. Unlike many Conservatives, he is pro-European, and supported the UK's signing of the Maastricht Treaty. If you hold the copyright to an image (e. ... The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ... Brentwood and Ongar is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Open seat redirects here. ... Sir Colin Brown Robert Arthur McCrindle MP (also known as Robert McCrindle) was Conservative MP of Billericay from 1970-74 and Brentwood and Ongar from 1974-92 (following boundary changes). ... is the 110th day of the year (111th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the constituency of the same name, see Keighley (UK Parliament constituency). ... For other uses, see Yorkshire (disambiguation). ... The Conservative Party, officially though less commonly known as the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... is the 110th day of the year (111th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the constituency of the same name, see Keighley (UK Parliament constituency). ... For other uses, see Yorkshire (disambiguation). ... The Conservative Party, officially though less commonly known as the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... Pro-European is a subjective term applied to a person who supports the European Union (EU) and/or further European integration, specifically in the context of political argument over the current and future status of the EU and its policies. ... The Maastricht Treaty (formally, the Treaty of European Union, TEU) was signed on February 7, 1992 in Maastricht, Netherlands after final negotiations in December 1991 between the members of the European Community and entered into force on November 1, 1993 during the Delors Commission. ...

Early life

He went to Greenhead Grammar School (now Greenhead High School) on Greenhead Road in Utley, north Keighley, then Leeds Polytechnic. Leeds Metropolitan University Leeds Metropolitan University is a university with campuses in Leeds and Harrogate, Yorkshire, England. ...

Local government

Between 1988 and 1990, Pickles had been leader of the Conservative group on Bradford Council. In September 1988 the Conservative Party gained control by using the Conservative mayor's casting vote to become the only inner-city council to be controlled by the Conservatives. The City of Bradford Metropolitan District is a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire with city status. ...

Whilst at Bradford, Pickles introduced several major changes, many of which proved controversial. A book, The Pickles Papers, was written about this period in Pickles's life.

Parliamentary career

Pickles has been Member of Parliament for Brentwood and Ongar since 1992. He is currently the Shadow Minister for Local Government, having held that post since June 2002. Before that Pickles had served as Shadow Minister for Transport (September 2001–June 2002), and Shadow Minister for London. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Brentwood and Ongar is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. ...

Since August 2005, Eric Pickles has also held the post of Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party.

At the 2001 general election, the Independent candidate Martin Bell, who had previously won Tatton from Neil Hamilton, stood against him, due to accusations that the Peniel Pentecostal Church had infiltrated the local Conservative branch. Pickles's majority was severely reduced, but he retained his seat by a margin of 2,821 votes (6.5%) becoming elected with only 38% of the votes against Martin Bell's 31.5%. Tony Blair William Hague Charles Kennedy The UK general election, 2001 was held on 7 June 2001 and was dubbed the quiet landslide by the media. ... For the British skier of the same name, please see Martin Bell (skier). ... Tatton is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Mostyn Neil Hamilton (born March 9, 1949) is a former barrister, teacher and Conservative Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom. ... Peniel Pentecostal Church is located in Brentwood, Essex, UK. The church has one of the largest congregations in Essex and is led by Bishop Michael Reid. ...

At the 2005 general election Pickles retained the seat with an increased majority of 11,612 (26.3%), nearly as many as the total votes cast for the second place candidate, and making this the second safest seat in Eastern England, and Pickles the MP with the third-highest share of the vote cast^[1] in this region. Pickles polled a total of 23,609 votes (53.5%). The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005. ...

On July 2 2007 David Cameron appointed Pickles to a reshuffled Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary. For the Canadian ice hockey player, see Dave Cameron. ... The Shadow Cabinet (also called the Shadow Front Bench) is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition (or the leader of other smaller opposition parties) form an alternative cabinet to the governments, whose...

Pickles was the Campaign Manager for the successful Crewe & Nantwich By-Election in May 2008. He is regarded as one of the party's chief campaigners and saw his standing amongst many MP's and members rise after his major contribution to the campaign.

Radio show

Pickles also appears as a radio presenter on local community radio station Phoenix FM together with the Leader of Brentwood Council (and fellow Conservative) Brandon Lewis in a show unimaginatively titled 'The Eric and Brandon Show'. The show is dubiously billed as non-party political, and involves the two politicians interviewing local personalities interspersed with bland music. Mercifully it is broadcast only once a month, live on 98.0FM and via live webcam on the internet, though the term 'live' may be stretching a point. Phoenix FM is a community radio station serving the areas of Brentwood and Billericay, England. ... Brandon Kenneth Lewis is the Conservative Leader of Brentwood Borough Council. ...

Personal life

He married Irene Coates in 1976 in Staincliffe.

References

1. ^ House of Commons Research Paper 05/33 - The General Election 2005

Sources

• Grogan, Tony, The Pickles Papers, Bradford, 1989, ISBN 0-948994-04-5

External links

• Eric Pickles MP official site
• Background information on the Peniel Church and Martin Bell's involvement
• The Pickles Papers, an account of Pickles's time as Leader of Bradford Council
• Guardian Unlimited Politics – Ask Aristotle: Eric Pickles MP
• They Work for You – Eric Pickles
• Open Directory Project – Eric Pickles' directory category
• BBC Politics page

News items

• Acknowledging the Conservatives' unpopularity in the north east of England