Gordon Oakes
British politician (1931–2005)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gordon James Oakes (22 December 1931 – 14 August 2005)[1] was a British Labour Party politician.
Gordon James Oakes | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Bolton West | |
| In office 15 October 1964 – 29 May 1970 | |
| Preceded by | Arthur Holt |
| Succeeded by | Robert Redmond |
| Member of Parliament for Halton Widnes (1971–1983) | |
| In office 23 September 1971 – 8 April 1997 | |
| Preceded by | James MacColl |
| Succeeded by | Derek Twigg |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 December 1931 Widnes, England |
| Died | 14 August 2005 (aged 74) |
| Party | Labour |
| Spouse |
Esther O'Neill
(m. 1952; died 1998) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Liverpool University |
| Profession | Solicitor |
Early life
Oakes was born in Widnes, Cheshire, and was educated at Wade Deacon Grammar School, in Widnes and at Liverpool University.[2] A solicitor by profession, he became a councillor on Widnes Borough Council in 1952, serving as Mayor in 1964.[2]
Parliamentary career
Oakes unsuccessfully contested Bebington in 1959 and Manchester Moss Side at a 1961 by-election.
He served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolton West from 1964 to 1970, when he was beaten by the Conservative Robert Redmond by 1,244 votes. He was re-elected for Widnes from a 1971 by-election until 1983, and for Halton from 1983 until 1997.
Oakes served as Parliamentary private secretary to the Home Secretary from 1966, and in the government of Harold Wilson as a junior minister and as a Minister of State under James Callaghan. He was made a member of the Privy Council in 1979. He left the Opposition front bench in 1983.
He was one of the MPs approached in the 1994 Cash-for-questions affair , to which he responded "That is not how we do things here".
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