add site
services
publishers
database
health videos
toolbar
stats
live show
health store
more stuff
JOIN/LOGIN
| advertise add site services publishers database health videos
| | about toolbar stats live show health store more stuff JOIN/LOGIN |
AINSWORTH CARE CENTER (AINSWORTH, NE) Detailed Hospital Profile hospital-data.com | Baja Bobs And Baja Bobs Brand Products - Nutrition, Vitamins, Skin Care naturalwebstore.com | About Dr. Bob Calcote | Bob Calcote Orthodontics | Charleston, SC smilescience.org |
Robert William Ainsworth (born 19 June 1952) is a British Labour politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Coventry North East since 1992, and is the current Secretary of State for Defence, replacing John Hutton on 5 June 2009.
[edit] Early lifeAinsworth was born in Coventry and attended the local Foxford Comprehensive School.[1] He first became active in politics as a trade unionist at the Jaguar Cars plant in Coventry[1] where he worked and served in many union capacities, including as Branch President (in what was later to become part of the Manufacturing, Science and Finance union). At this time he attended "a couple" of International Marxist Group meetings before deciding not to pursue an interest in the group.[2] In 1984, he was elected to Coventry City Council, became Chair of the Finance Committee,[3] and was deputy leader of the ruling Labour group. He was also Constituency Labour Party Chairman.[4] [edit] Parliamentary careerAinsworth became Labour candidate for Coventry North East in the run-up to the 1992 general election after the sitting MP, John Hughes, was de-selected by the Constituency Labour Party. Ainsworth was successfully elected with a 11,676 majority, and stepped down from the city council the following year. At the 1997 general election his majority rose sharply to 22,569, falling back to 15,751 at the 2001 election, and 14,222 at the 2005 election. [edit] In GovernmentAinsworth was appointed a Labour whip in 1995[3] and served in government until January 2001 when he was promoted to Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the former Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions. After the 2001 general election, Ainsworth was moved to the Home Office (as Parliamentary Under-Secretary with responsibility for Drugs and Organised Crime,[3] where he remained until 2003, when he became the Deputy Chief Whip (also known as the Treasurer of the Household). He was appointed to the Privy Council in February 2005.[5] On 29 June 2007, he moved to become the Minister of State for the Armed Forces.[3] [edit] Defence SecretaryOn 5 June 2009, he was appointed to the cabinet by Gordon Brown as Secretary of State for Defence,[6] in what was considered by some to be "a surprise choice".[7][8] As Defence Secretary, Ainsworth declared in July 2009 that "the government should have offered more support to British troops at the beginning of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq,"[9] a comment that provoked former Chief of Defence Staff General Lord Guthrie to accuse Ainsworth of not understanding "leadership in war".[10] At the Labour Party Conference in Brighton in 2009, Ainsworth stated that sending reinforcements to Afghanistan may not be possible because of a lack of necessary military resources. He said, "Before I agree to any increase in troop numbers I must be sure that the balance of risk is acceptable by evaluating the capacity of the supply chain to properly equip the increased force."[11] [edit] ExpensesIn the 2009 Parliamentary expenses scandal, in which a number of MPs were criticised for their expense claims, it was revealed that, in 2007-08, Ainsworth had allegedly claimed the maximum permissible amount of £23,083 for second-home allowances, making him the joint highest claimant that year.[12] [edit] References
[edit] External links
Categories: Councillors in the West Midlands | Labour MPs (UK) | Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom | Members of the United Kingdom Parliament for English constituencies | People from Coventry | UK MPs 1992-1997 | UK MPs 1997-2001 | UK MPs 2001-2005 | UK MPs 2005- | 1952 births | Living people | Treasurers of the Household | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ↑ top of page ↑ | about thumbshots |
