John McWilliam | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of Parliament for Blaydon | |
| In office 3 May 1979 – 11 April 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Woof |
| Succeeded by | David Anderson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John David McWilliam 16 May 1941 Grangemouth, Scotland |
| Died | 14 November 2009 (aged 68) Perth, Scotland |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 2 (by Catling) |
| Education | Leith Academy |
| Profession | Engineer |
John David McWilliam (16 May 1941 – 14 November 2009)[1] was a British Labour politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Blaydon from 1979 until he stood down at the 2005 general election.
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Early life
Born in Grangemouth, the son of Alexander McWilliam, a post office engineer, he went to Leith Academy. He later attended evening classes as a Post Office Telephones Youth in Training at Heriot-Watt Technical College and Napier College of Science and Technology.[2]
McWilliam joined the Labour party in 1966,[3] and prior to his election he worked as a telephone engineer, Technician 2A, for British Telecom [4]
Parliamentary career
While a City of Edinburgh councillor, McWilliam fought Edinburgh Pentlands in February 1974, but was defeated by Malcolm Rifkind. He was subsequently elected for Blaydon at the 1979 election just as the Callaghan government left office. He served briefly as deputy shadow leader of the House of Commons, before becoming an opposition whip. He resigned from this role in 1987 in protest at the sacking of two of his colleagues.[4] McWilliam served on the Defence Select Committee for 12 years, between 1987 and 1999.[3]
When Betty Boothroyd retired as Speaker of the House of Commons, McWilliam was one of the 12 candidates nominated to succeed her. In the election on 23 October 2000 he received 30 votes, the fewest of any of the candidates.[5]
He stood down at the 2005 general election after 26 years as an MP, and returned to living in Scotland where he died in November 2009.[6]
Personal life
He married Lesley Mary Catling on 6 February 1965. They had two daughters (Ruth Lesley, born 29 February 1972 and Fiona Alexandra, born 20 June 1974) and divorced in 1992. He married Mary McLoughlin on 31 March 1994. They divorced in 1997. He married Helena Lovegreen in March 1998; that union ended in 2009, when McWilliam died, but the couple had been in a bitter battle for a number of years, which resulted in him becoming estranged from his two children and Helena ensuring she became the sole beneficiary of his estate. The Will was never contested by the family due to cost and likelihood of a positive outcome. John McWilliam remained convinced that in the later stages of their marriage that Helena was poisoning him and contributing to his ill health. The cause of death replicated, along with Helena’s modus operandi in previous marriages and relationships, deaths to one of her two previous marriages. In the other marriage, she was accused and investigated for violent conduct and domestic abuse. Although she was never charged for any offence. The failing relationship and affair with her subsequent fourth husband left John McWilliam emotionally shattered in a time where his health was on a downhill spiral[2]
References
- ^ Dundee Courier, 18 November 2009.
- ^ a b "McWILLIAM, John David". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Vol. 2021 (online ed.). A & C Black. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ a b McWilliam profile, The Guardian, 20 October 2000. Accessed 30 January 2017.
- ^ a b John McWilliam MP profile, bbc.co.uk. Accessed 30 January 2017.
- ^ White, Michael (24 October 2000). "Ex-shop steward Martin is Speaker". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
- ^ "Tributes paid after former MP John McWilliam dies at 68", Newcastle Journal, 18 November 2009.
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by John McWilliam
- TheyWorkForYou.com - John McWilliam
- Ask Aristotle
News items
This page was last edited on 30 October 2023, at 22:32