Jack Williamson

[Ruth Murphy]

Name: Jack Williamson

Avatar: Charlie Cox

Age: 39 [b. 9th April 1968]. 

Sex: Male. 

Ethnicity: White. 

Marital Status: Married to Audrey Williamson (née Stanyon) 2004. Two children, Joseph [b. 2004] and Peter [b. 2006]. 

Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual. 

Party: Labour. 

Political Outlook: Identifies as a socialist, but is broadly Labour mainstream – drifted to the left in the 80s and to the centre in the 90s and through the New Labour period. 

Constituency: Bootle.

Year Elected: 2001.

Education: 

• Thomas Gray Primary School [1974-1979].
• Sacred Heart Catholic College [1979-1986].
• University of Liverpool, BA English Literature [1986-1989]. 

Career: 

• Press Officer, KIND Liverpool [1989-1995].
• Head of Campaigns, BITC [1995-1997]. 

Political Career: 

• Head of External Relations and Stakeholders, Labour HQ [1997-2001].
• Member of Parliament for Bootle [2001-].
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Trade and Industry [2002-2004]. 
• Minister of State for Education [2004-2005]. 
• Secretary of State for International Development [2005-2007]

Biography:

Jack Williamson was born in Bootle in 1968. His father, Alun Williamson, was a working class docker turned Trade Unionist and his mother, Kayleigh, a housewife. During Jack’s childhood his father had become a leading figure within the Labour Party locally and even had national profile, and had served both as Mayor of Bootle and as the Opposition leader within Sefton council. 

Considered “Bootle aristocracy” due to his father’s significant local role, Jack grew up with an intense loyalty to both the Labour Party and his local area. He was active in Labour politics from the age of 16, often campaigning against what he saw as the Thatcher government’s decimation of his community. 

He did well in school, but despite being pushed to go the Oxbridge route he went to the University of Liverpool to study English Literature where he graduated with a first class honours degree. With a hard work ethic (and decent local and familial connections) he quickly secured a job as a press officer for KIND Liverpool, where he focused on making a difference for disadvantaged children across Merseyside. 

For a short period of time Jack moved to London to live with his then girlfriend and worked as Head of Campaigns for Business in the Community. This work alongside his familial connections within Labour secured him a job at Labour headquarters, where he worked as Head of Relations and External Stakeholders at the dawn of the Blair government. 

When Joe Benton, MP for Bootle and a close friend of his father, stood down Jack went for the job. Boosted with strong local connections and credentials as well as the support of Labour HQ as reward for his loyal work, Jack was selected to become MP for one of the safest Labour seats in the country and his home constituency. Naturally, he won in 2001. The media noted his youth at the time of his election.

Working hard on backbench and constituency campaigns, Jack rose up the ranks throughout Labour’s secondary term and entered Cabinet after Blair’s third election victory in 2005 when he was promoted to Secretary of State for International Development. He garnered a reputation as an effective Minister, where he responded to the 2005 Kashmir Earthquake, led the negotiating team at the 2006 Darfur peace negotiations, helped found the Central Emergency Response Fund and helped increase the UK’s aid budget while securing debt relief for the world’s poorest countries at the G8 summit. 

Perhaps uniquely, Jack has never identified as a Brownite nor a Blairite, nor even a supporter of New Labour, and largely stayed away from factional battles within the Labour Party. He was reportedly dismayed with infighting and believed it had played a “significant role” in Labour’s 2007 defeat. 

Jack met his now wife, Audrey, when he worked in Labour HQ and they were coworkers. She now works at Unison. They have two children. Jack’s interests include Victorian Literature (his dissertation work never left him), football (he supports Liverpool FC, naturally) and science fiction movies.

[Ruth Murphy]

Signing out.

May not be permanent but I don’t really feel I have the energy and time for the game sadly.