Gregory Thomas Mulholland (born 31 August 1970) is a
Liberal Democrat
Several political party, political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties usually follow a liberal democracy, liberal democratic ideology.
Active parties
Former parties ...
politician in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
who was the MP for
Leeds North West
Leeds North West is a constituency in the City of Leeds which has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Alex Sobel, of Labour Co-op.
Boundaries
1950–1955: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Far He ...
.
He was first elected at the
2005 general election, winning the seat from
Labour
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the labour ...
and was re-elected with an increased majority at the
2010 general election, and with a reduced majority at the
2015 general election. Before his parliamentary career, he served as a councillor for
Headingley
Headingley is a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road. Headingley is the location of the Beckett Park campus of Leeds Beckett University and Headingle ...
. He served as a Liberal Democrat spokesman for Health, Schools and International Development.
At the
2017 general election he lost his seat to
Alex Sobel
Alexander David Sobel (born 26 April 1975) is a British Labour and Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Leeds North West since the 2017 general election. He defeated the Liberal Democrat MP Greg Mulholland, wh ...
of the
Labour Party.
Early life
Born in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
, Mulholland attended
St. Ambrose College
St Ambrose College is a Christian Brothers' Roman Catholic boys' grammar school in Hale Barns, Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. It was founded in 1946 by Dr Joseph Robertson. In 2012 the school became an academy, and was completely re-b ...
near
Altrincham
Altrincham ( , locally ) is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey. It is southwest of Manchester city centre, southwest of Sale and east of Warrington. At the 2011 Census, it had a population o ...
and studied politics at the
University of York
, mottoeng = On the threshold of wisdom
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £8.0 million
, budget = £403.6 million
, chancellor = Heather Melville
, vice_chancellor = Charlie Jeffery
, students ...
, going on to achieve an
MA in Public Administration and Public Policy. While at York University, he played at centre for the university
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
team in matches against Bradford, Leeds, Manchester and Hull. He then worked in marketing for five years, including two years spent in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
, working on several national promotional campaigns.
His first experience in politics was canvassing in the
Knowsley North by-election in 1986, while studying politics for A-level.
He had a long-standing interest and involvement in international development,
trade justice
Trade justice is a campaign by non-governmental organisations, plus efforts by other actors, to change the rules and practices of world trade in order to promote fairness. These organizations include consumer groups, trade unions, faith groups, ...
and debt campaigns. He was an active member of the campaigning groups Trade Injustice and Debt Action Leeds (TIDAL) and Catholic Aid For Overseas Development (
CAFOD
The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) is an international development charity and the official aid agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. It aims to tackle poverty globally. Through local Catholic Church and secular pa ...
).
Councillor
In 2003, he was elected as a
Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council is the local authority of the City of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is a metropolitan district council, one of five in West Yorkshire and one of 36 in the metropolitan counties of England, and provides the majority of l ...
lor for
Headingley
Headingley is a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road. Headingley is the location of the Beckett Park campus of Leeds Beckett University and Headingle ...
ward. From 2004 to 2005 he was the lead member for corporate services, until his election to Parliament in 2005. He was also the Liberal Democrat group's spokesperson on the
Leeds Supertram
The Leeds Supertram was a proposed light rail/tram system in Leeds and West Yorkshire in England. It would have been a three-line, system with 50 stations. It received provisional government approval in 2001, and was specifically for corridor ...
, approval for which was turned down in 2006.
Member of Parliament
Constituency and party
Mulholland was elected to Parliament at the
2005 general election for the constituency of
Leeds North West
Leeds North West is a constituency in the City of Leeds which has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Alex Sobel, of Labour Co-op.
Boundaries
1950–1955: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Far He ...
. This
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...
constituency extends from inner-city
Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
through suburban and rural areas to the towns of
Otley
Otley is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish at a bridging point on the River Wharfe, in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically a part of the West Ridi ...
and
Yeadon.
The seat had been held by the Conservative party from 1950 to 1997 and by the Labour party from 1997 to 2005. In the general election of 2010 the seat was retained by the Liberal Democrats with an increased majority. In the 2015 general election the seat was again retained by the Liberal Democrats, leaving Mulholland as one of eight Liberal Democrat Members of Parliament.
In the
2006 Liberal Democrat leadership election Mulholland backed
Chris Huhne
Christopher Murray Paul-Huhne (born 2 July 1954), known as Chris Huhne, is a British energy and climate change consultant and former journalist and politician who was the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Eastleigh from 2005 to 2013 an ...
, who eventually finished second behind
Menzies Campbell
Walter Menzies Campbell, Baron Campbell of Pittenweem, (; born 22 May 1941), often known as Ming Campbell, is a British Liberal Democrat politician, advocate and former athlete. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for North East Fife from ...
. In the
2007 Liberal Democrat leadership election he supported
Nick Clegg
Sir Nicholas William Peter Clegg (born 7 January 1967) is a British media executive and former Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom who has been president for global affairs at Meta Platforms since 2022, having previously been vicepr ...
.
In the
2015 Liberal Democrat leadership election Mulholland backed
Tim Farron
Timothy James Farron (born 27 May 1970) is a British politician who served as Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2015 to 2017. He has also served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Westmorland and Lonsdale since 2005, before which he worked ...
.
In the
2017 general election Mulholland lost his seat to Labour's
Alex Sobel
Alexander David Sobel (born 26 April 1975) is a British Labour and Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Leeds North West since the 2017 general election. He defeated the Liberal Democrat MP Greg Mulholland, wh ...
, who gained a majority of 4,224.
Positions held
After his election to Parliament, he was appointed his party's junior
International Development
International development or global development is a broad concept denoting the idea that societies and countries have differing levels of economic or human development on an international scale. It is the basis for international classifications ...
spokesperson
A spokesperson, spokesman, or spokeswoman, is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others.
Duties and function
In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have receiv ...
from 2005 to 2006. In 2006 he was appointed Shadow Spokesperson on
Schools
A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compulsor ...
, and in 2007 he became Shadow Spokesperson on
Health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
. He was also a member of the House of Commons
Work and Pensions Committee
The Work and Pensions Select Committee is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The remit of the committee is to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Department for Work and Pens ...
.
Mulholland was a member of 27
all-party parliamentary group
An all-party parliamentary group (APPG) is a grouping in the Parliament of the United Kingdom that is composed of members of parliament from all political parties, but have no official status within Parliament.
Description and functions
All-party ...
s including 4 as chair or co-chair and 7 as vice chair.
Expenses
During and after the 2009 expenses scandal, Greg Mulholland's expense claims were generally without controversy and he was described as an angel by ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
'' after he called for stricter regulations. He did, however, have two claims rejected: for a cot and playpen, then later to have photographs reframed.
Subjects of interest
Land banking
In November 2005, Mulholland proposed the Sale of Green Belt Land Bill to prevent '
land banking
Land banking is the practice of aggregating parcels of land for future sale or development.
While in many countries ''land banking'' may refer to various private real estate investment schemes, in the United States it refers to the establishmen ...
' (property speculation in
Green Belt
A green belt is a policy and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges, which hav ...
land). However, the bill did not receive a second reading and was dropped without becoming law.
Abortion
As a Roman Catholic, Mulholland describes himself as holding 'pro-life' views and has a strong voting record against abortion, embryology and euthanasia. Mulholland is one of three Liberal Democrat MPs to have supported MP
Nadine Dorries
Nadine Vanessa Dorries (''née'' Bargery, 21 May 1957) is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport from 2021 to 2022 under Prime Minister Boris Johnson. A member of the Conservative Party, she ...
's attempts to reduce the number of weeks at which a woman can legally have an abortion.
Voting record
According to ThePublicWhip.org, as of February 2013, Greg Mulholland has supported the Coalition Government 91.6% of the time in the 2010 Parliament.
Healthcare
![Greg Mulholland, September 2009 3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Greg_Mulholland%2C_September_2009_3.jpg)
Mulholland took part in a community campaign in his constituency against further cuts at th
Wharfedale Hospitalin
Otley
Otley is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish at a bridging point on the River Wharfe, in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically a part of the West Ridi ...
. He called a public meeting at which he presented a 5,000-signature petition to Parliament after one ward was closed. He campaigned alongside other Leeds MPs for a new children's hospital in the city, questioning the then
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Tony Blair
Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of th ...
over the issue at
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs, officially known as Questions to the Prime Minister, while colloquially known as Prime Minister's Question Time) is a constitutional convention in the United Kingdom, currently held as a single session every W ...
.
He faced criticism for aspects of this campaign. An article in a Liberal Democrat ''Focus'' leaflet featuring Mulholland and distributed in Leeds claimed that the government had axed plans to build a new £204 million Children's Hospital at St James's, which had been backed by all the city's MPs. The Government claimed that this was untrue and that the decision had been made by the Leeds Hospital Trust without the Government's prior knowledge.
Caroline Flint
Caroline Louise Flint (born 20 September 1961) is a British politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Don Valley from 1997 to 2019. A member of the Labour Party, she attended the Cabinet of the United Kingdom as Minister for Hous ...
, Minister of State for Public Health, described the statement as: "taking political grandstanding too far. The article is not true, it is a complete misrepresentation."
Save the Pub
Greg Mulholland is an active campaigner for Save the Pub, an all party parliamentary group which aims to preserve and protect the Great British pub. In 2012, the group celebrated three years of success with the introduction of a special "Save the Pub Ale".
Rugby league
Mulholland set up a rugby league team called "
Political Animals", based at Westminster, to bring greater prominence and attention to rugby league within Parliament. He plays left wing for the team. He is also a Vice President of th
Leeds Rugby Foundationcharity.
Other
Mulholland was criticised for calling a constituent a "disingenuous, manipulative, illiberal shit" over Twitter in response to the constituent's comments on his vote in favour of the
Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013
The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (c. 30) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which introduced same-sex marriage in England and Wales.
Background
Civil partnerships were introduced in the United Kingdom in 2004, allowi ...
. The constituent's earlier message had said "After abstaining, voting for a wrecking amendment, then trying to abolish marriage, I'm glad @GregMulholland1 finally voted the right way". Mulholland said he supported same sex marriage but believed there were flaws in the legislation, and was frustrated at being misrepresented.
In 2007, he was nominated for best campaigning politician in the
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
Political Awards for helping to secure the release of
Mirza Tahir Hussain
Mirza Tahir Hussain ( ur, مرزا طاہر حسین; born 1 June 1970) is a British man who spent 18 years on death row in Pakistan for the murder of a taxicab driver named Jamshed Khan in 1988. Following his conviction, Mirza was held in the Adi ...
from prison in Pakistan. He has tabled
Early Day Motion
In the Westminster parliamentary system, an early day motion (EDM) is a Motion (parliamentary procedure), motion, expressed as a single sentence, Table (parliamentary procedure), tabled by Member of Parliament, members of Parliament that formally ...
s on a variety of subjects including support for small breweries, winter fuel payments for the severely disabled under 60, and against biometric data collection in schools.
In 2008, Mulholland was recorded describing health minister
Ivan Lewis
Ivan Lewis (born 4 March 1967) is a British politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Bury South from 1997 to 2019, initially as a member of the Labour Party then as an independent from 2017.
After serving in various ministerial ...
as an "
arsehole
The word ''asshole'' (in North American English) or arsehole (in all other major varieties of the English language), is a vulgarism used to describe the anus, and often used pejoratively (as a type of synecdoche) to refer to people.
History
...
" after Lewis refused to let him intervene in a Westminster Hall debate on hospice funding. He later publicly defended his comment.
Mulholland has also been active in seeking to expose companies which wish to move out of the Leeds area to reduce costs. In 2011 he tabled an
Early Day Motion
In the Westminster parliamentary system, an early day motion (EDM) is a Motion (parliamentary procedure), motion, expressed as a single sentence, Table (parliamentary procedure), tabled by Member of Parliament, members of Parliament that formally ...
in parliament calling for a boycott of brands owned by
Carlsberg Carlsberg may refer to:
Places
* Carlsberg (district), a district in Copenhagen, Denmark
** Carlsberg station, its train station
* Carlsberg, Germany, a municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
* Carlsberg Fjord, Greenland Other uses
* Carlsbe ...
due to their brewery being moved from Leeds.
After Parliament
In September 2018 Mulholland announced that he would not be standing for election to Parliament in the next general election. He described the shock of losing his seat in the unexpected 2017 election, when "just eight weeks later I had lost my job, my career, our family income and actually to a great extent, my identity". He is establishing himself as a "specialist campaigning and public affairs consultant" and political campaigning would be incompatible with that role. He did not rule out the possibility of standing for Parliament again, but "only if we see real change in British politics". He would also devote more time to his band Summercross, whose album ''My Northern Heart'' was nearing completion.
It was subsequently announced that Kamran Hussain had been selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Leeds North West. Hussain said "Greg Mulholland was a brilliant MP. He was hard working, focused on the constituency, and I would like to emulate his work".
In August 2019 the album ''My Northern Heart'', with 12 songs written by Mulholland and performed by his band Summercross, was reported to be "Set to be released in the next few weeks". The songs refer to topics including the construction of the
Bramhope Tunnel, the suicide of
Big Country
Big Country are a Scottish rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife, in 1981.
The height of the band's popularity was in the early to mid 1980s, although it has retained a cult following for many years since. The band's music incorporated Scot ...
singer
Stuart Adamson
William Stuart Adamson (11 April 1958 – 16 December 2001) was a Scottish rock guitarist and singer. Adamson began his career in the late 1970s as a founding member and performer with the punk rock band Skids. After leaving Skids in 1981, he ...
, the campaign for the restoration of hire boats on the
River Wharfe
The River Wharfe ( ) is a river in Yorkshire, England originating within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. For much of its middle course it is the county boundary between West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire. Its valley is known as Wharfedale.
...
at
Otley
Otley is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish at a bridging point on the River Wharfe, in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically a part of the West Ridi ...
, and Mulholland's campaigning work for community pubs.
Personal life
He is married and has three daughters. The family lives in
Otley
Otley is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish at a bridging point on the River Wharfe, in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically a part of the West Ridi ...
.
In 2009, he completed the
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
marathon
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
in 3 hrs 18 mins 50 secs and the "Wessex 100 mile" walk in 38 hrs 24 mins, as a "126 mile challenge" to raise money for local charities, along with Otley & Yeadon councillor Ryk Downes and university lecturer Martin Rivett.
References
External links
Greg Mulholland MP''official constituency website''
Profileat the Liberal Democrats
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mulholland, Greg
1970 births
Alumni of the University of York
Councillors in Leeds
English people of Irish descent
English Roman Catholics
Liberal Democrats (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Living people
People educated at St. Ambrose College
UK MPs 2005–2010
UK MPs 2010–2015
UK MPs 2015–2017
Liberal Democrats (UK) councillors