John Pugh

John Pugh MP
Liberal Democrat Education Spokesman
Incumbent
Assumed office 29 July 2015
Leader	Tim Farron
Preceded by	David Laws
Member of Parliament for Southport
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 June 2001
Preceded by	Ronnie Fearn
Majority	1,322 (3%)
Personal details
Born	(1948-06-28) 28 June 1948 Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Political party	Liberal Democrats
Spouse(s)	Annette Pugh
Children	3 daughters, 1 son
Alma mater	Durham University
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Website	Official website

John David Pugh (born 28 June 1948 in Liverpool) is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom. He is Member of Parliament (MP) for Southport. First elected in 2001^[1] with a majority of 3,007, he was re-elected in 2005 with a slightly increased majority of 3,838, and again in 2010 with a majority of 6,024, or 13.8%. In the 2015 General Election, he was re-elected again, but with a reduced majority of 1,322 from Conservative candidate Damien Moore. John Pugh received 31% of the vote, with turnout at 65.75%.

Early life

Pugh was educated at Prescot Grammar School and Maidstone Grammar School. He graduated from Durham University,^[2] attending St Cuthbert's Society, where he studied Philosophy.^[3]

Career

Formerly a religious studies teacher and Head of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby,^[4] Pugh has lived in Southport since 1974.

He also taught at Salesian College (later Savio High School) in Bootle.

Political career

Pugh joined the Liberal Party in 1977. Pugh served on Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council, representing Birkdale, from 1987 until his election to Parliament. At the time of his election, Pugh was leader of the council (from 1992), and of the Sefton Liberal Democrats.^[5]

In his first term at Westminster John served on the Transport, Local Government and Regions Select Committee and was Liberal Democrat education spokesperson with responsibility for schools.

Following his re-election to Parliament in 2005, he served as shadow spokesperson for Transport and Health, and, subsequent to the election of Nick Clegg as party leader worked with Vince Cable as Shadow Treasury spokesperson. In the 2007 leadership election, John Pugh supported Nick Clegg in preference to Chris Huhne.^[6]

With the formation of the Coalition in 2010 he was appointed as Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Committee for Health and Social Care, a position he relinquished at the end of 2013 to focus on producing a report examining the social and economic issues facing the North.

In the 2015 leadership election, John Pugh supported Tim Farron in preference to Norman Lamb.^[7]

In December 2015 Pugh voted to bomb ISIL targets in Syria.^[8]

Campaign interests

Amongst Pugh's campaigning interests is public sector IT, specifically around the role Open Source Software might play. Pugh has argued that the public sector could reduce costs by increasing use of Open Source Software ^[9] and has accused the BBC of effectively giving Microsoft illegal state aid in only making their iPlayer download service available on Windows computers (at the time).^[10]

Pugh has interests in mental health policy.^[11] In October 2009, Pugh introduced a bill under the 10-minute rule calling for more local control over the NHS.^[12]

Locally in Southport, Pugh is interested in saving local pubs, and also in the booze culture that affects the UK.^[13] Pugh sees cheap alcohol deals in supermarkets as one of the major problems causing pub closures, and fuelling the booze culture.^[14] He also took the fight for Local Post Offices to 10 Downing Street.^[15]

In Transport, Pugh has long campaigned for the reinstatement of the Burscough Curves,^[16] and is working with local groups such as The Ormskirk, Preston and Southport Travellers' Association (OPSTA) and The Southport Rail Transport Forum (SRTF) to save services from Southport to Manchester Piccadilly^[17]

Pugh is a keen supporter of Amnesty International, with whom he is reported to have had close ties with the Formby & Southport Group over a number of years.^[18]

In 2013, he became one of the few Liberal Democrat MPs to vote against the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill.^[19]

Roles in parliament

• 2010– Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Committee for Health and Social Care
• 2008–10 Shadow Treasury Spokesperson ^[20]
• 2006–07 Shadow Health spokesperson
• 2005–06 Shadow Transport spokesperson,
• 2002–05 Shadow Ministerial Spokesman, Education

Personal life

He is married to Annette with three daughters and a son.^[21][22] He moved to Southport in 1974.

Pugh's interests include philosophy, computers, weight-lifting and supporting Liverpool F.C.

References

External links

• John Pugh MP official constituency website
• Southport – Diary of John Pugh MP
• Southport Lib Dems
• Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005
• Current session contributions in Parliament at Hansard
• Voting record at Public Whip
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
• Profile at Westminster Parliamentary Record
• Articles authored at Journalisted
• John Pugh MP at Open Rights Group