Preceded by Willie Rennie Relations Katie Docherty (wife) Party Labour Party Political party Labour Role Politician | Nationality British Name Thomas Docherty Majority 5,470 (11.2%) Religion Roman Catholicism Succeeded by Douglas Chapman | |
Born 28 January 1975 (age 49) ( 1975-01-28 ) Books Energy Companies (Minimum Tariffs) Bill | ||
Thomas docherty the world the university the citizen
Thomas Docherty (born 28 January 1975) is a British Labour Party politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Dunfermline and West Fife from 2010 until 2015.
Contents
- Thomas docherty the world the university the citizen
- Early life
- Parliamentary career
- Personal life
- References
Early life
Before becoming an MP Docherty was an Account Director with a communications consultancy, having previously worked for Network Rail, BNFL and as a research assistant to Scott Barrie, the former MSP for Dunfermline West.
Parliamentary career
Thomas Docherty was elected as the Member of Parliament for Dunfermline and West Fife in the May 2010 General Election with a 5,470 majority In 2011, he was a member of the special Select Committee set up to scrutinise the Bill that became the Armed Forces Act 2011. He was also a member of the Public Bill Committee for the Defence Reform Act 2014. Docherty proposed a Private Member's Bill aimed at banning discrimination against members of the Armed Forces and their families in 2014. The proposal was backed by shadow defence secretary Vernon Coaker but failed to progress Ed Miliband later suggested that a Labour government might introduce legislation along similar lines
Docherty also sat on the Administration Committee, Procedure Committee and the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee at various times during the 2010-15 Parliament He was a shadow minister with responsibility for environment, food and rural affairs between 2013 and 2014, and in 2014 was appointed Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Commons.
Having previously worked in political lobbying, he proposed a private member's bill in early 2013 which would have required lobbyists to sign a public register and code of conduct He criticised the government's own plans when they were unveiled later that year for excluding law firms. After the government's Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill passed, Docherty introduced a private member's bill aiming at repealing it.
In 2015 Docherty wrote to Culture Secretary Sajid Javid on Holocaust Memorial Day, suggesting a debate over banning Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler. Docherty advocated for a national debate to put "limits on the freedom of expression." He said he didn't necessarily think it should be banned but thought it was important that such a debate took place.
Docherty was defeated for re-election in 2015, losing to Douglas Chapman, the SNP candidate.
Personal life
He lives in Dunfermline with his wife Katie and their children. He is a member of Dunfermline Round Table and supports Dunfermline Athletic F.C. In 2016, after Jamie Reed announced his resignation, Docherty put his name forward to stand in the following by-election.