Preceded by Jack Thompson Name Denis Murphy Religion Roman Catholic | Nationality British Role Politician | |
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Denis Murphy (born 2 November 1948) is a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wansbeck from 1997 until 2010.
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Early life
He attended the (Roman Catholic) St Cuthbert's Grammar School on Gretna Road in Newcastle upon Tyne. He then attended Northumberland College in Ashington.
He had previously led Wansbeck District Council. He is a member of the NUM and was the only member of the 1997 parliamentary intake to be backed by that union. Denis Murphy formerly worked down the mines himself. From 1965-9, he was an apprentice electrician. From 1969-94, he was an electrician at Ellington Colliery in Ellington, which closed in 2005.
Parliamentary career
On his proudest achievement in government since 1997 Denis Murphy said: "I was proud of the major role I played to secure funding for the UK mining industry, safeguarding hundreds of jobs in my constituency and the future of the last deep mine in the Great Northern coalfield, Ellington colliery in Northumberland." Ellington Colliery subsequently closed on 26 January 2005.
On 5 November 2009, Murphy announced his decision to stand down at the next general election. His successor in the constituency is Ian Lavery, the President of the National Union of Mineworkers.