David Hinchliffe

For the Australian footballer, see David Hinchliffe (footballer).

David Hinchliffe
Hinchliffe in 2002
Member of Parliament for Wakefield
In office 12 June 1987 – 11 April 2005
Preceded by	Walter Harrison
Succeeded by	Mary Creagh
Personal details
Born	(1948-10-14) 14 October 1948 (age 76)
Nationality	British
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Julia North
Alma mater	University of Bradford

David Martin Hinchliffe (born 14 October 1948) is a British former Labour politician who was Member of Parliament for Wakefield from 1987 to 2005 when he stood down and was replaced by Mary Creagh.

Early life

He went to Lawefield Lane Primary School, then Cathedral School (now Cathedral Academy) on Thornes Road in Wakefield. After Wakefield Technical College, he went to Leeds Polytechnic (now Leeds Beckett University) where he gained a Certificate of Qualification in Social Work in 1971. He gained an MA in Social Work and Community Work from the University of Bradford in 1978. He was a social worker in Leeds from 1968 to 1979. He was a Social Work tutor for Kirklees Council from 1980 to 1987. He played Rugby League from the age of 8, going up through all the ranks to Open-Age rugby. He was playing hooker for Walnut Warriors of Wakefield, against Rossington from Doncaster, when he was concussed and after a couple of days in hospital he retired from playing, aged 29.

Parliamentary career

He was Chair of the Health Select Committee.

He was a founder and first secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Rugby League Group in 1988.^[1]

Hinchliffe, along with the All-Party Group, campaigned against what he described as "one of the longest (and daftest) grievances in history" that meant anyone over the age of 18 associated with rugby league was banned forever from rugby union, himself included.^[2] With the Rugby League Group, he highlighted the lack of official recognition to rugby league in the form of Honours, was instrumental in the lifting of a ban on rugby league in the British armed forces in 1994 and helped the sport to expand beyond its heartlands more freely by exerting pressure on the Rugby Football Union to end its discrimination against even amateur league players.^[1]

In 1998 he led the enquiry by the Health Select Committee into "The Welfare of Former British Child Migrants" following the exposure of the scandal by Margaret Humphreys in her book "Empty Cradles". As a result of the report, in 2010 the UK Government issued an apology to all Child Migrants.

Personal life

He married Julia North on 17 July 1982. They have a son, Robert (born October 1985) and a daughter, Rebecca (born May 1988).

References

1. David Hinchliffe (13 July 2004). "Memorandum by the All Party Parliamentary Rugby League Group (HON 91)". Parliament. Archived from the original on 30 June 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
2. David Hinchliffe (26 June 1994). "Do I not like that . . . / Hypocrisy has to end: David Hinchliffe MP explains why he has introduced a Bill to stop rugby union discriminating against the league code". The Independent. Archived from the original on 30 June 2009. Retrieved 26 April 2009.

External links

• Ask Aristotle
• They Work For You
• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by David Hinchliffe

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Walter Harrison	Member of Parliament for Wakefield 1987–2005	Succeeded by Mary Creagh