Chris Williamson (politician)

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Chris Williamson
Official portrait, 2017
Deputy Leader of the Workers Party of Britain
Assumed office
13 December 2023
Serving with Andy Hudd and Peter Ford
LeaderGeorge Galloway
Preceded byJoti Brar
Shadow Minister for Fire and Emergency Services
In office
3 July 2017 – 11 January 2018
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byKaren Lee
Member of Parliament
for Derby North
In office
8 June 2017 – 6 November 2019
Preceded byAmanda Solloway
Succeeded byAmanda Solloway
In office
6 May 2010 – 30 March 2015
Preceded byBob Laxton
Succeeded byAmanda Solloway
Personal details
Born
Christopher Williamson

(1956-09-16) 16 September 1956 (age 67)[1]
Derby, Derbyshire, England
Political partyWorkers Party of Britain (since 2023)[2]
Other political
affiliations
Spouse(s)
Lonny Wilsoncroft
(m. 1997; died 2004)
Domestic partnerMaggie Amsbury[3]
Alma materLeicester Polytechnic

Christopher Williamson (born 16 September 1956) is a British politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Derby North from 2010 to 2015[4] and again from 2017[5] to 2019.[6] He was Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government from October 2010 to October 2013.[5] Williamson was a local councillor in Derby, representing the Normanton ward from 1991 until 2011. [7] He was twice leader of Derby City Council.

In February 2019, Williamson was suspended from the Labour Party for his comments about how the party's responded to criticism over its handling of allegations of antisemitism within the party.[8] After an investigation, Williamson was reinstated in June 2019 with a formal warning.[9] He was suspended again two days later when the party decided to review the disciplinary decision.[10] In October 2019, Williamson won a High Court challenge to the legality of the review of the decision[11] but similar charges had been made on 3 September 2019, involving a further suspension; the High Court ruled the Labour Party's disciplinary procedure with regard to these charges should run its course. Labour's National Executive Committee blocked Williamson from standing as a Labour candidate in the 2019 general election.[12] He resigned from the Labour Party and stood as an Independent, losing the seat and his deposit.[13]

In July 2023, he joined the Workers Party of Britain. He was elected one of their deputy leaders in December 2023.[14]

References[change | change source]

  1. "Williamson, Christopher, (born 16 Sept. 1956), MP (Lab) Derby North, 2010–15 and since 2017". Who's Who 2018. A.C. Black/Bloomsbury/Oxford University Press. 2017. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.251187. [page needed]
  2. "Chris Williamson Joins Workers Party". Workers Party of Britain. 11 July 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  3. Carr, Tim; Dale, Iain; Waller, Robert, eds. (2017). The Politicos Guide to the New House of Commons 2017. London: Politicos. p. 423. ISBN 9781785902789. Archived from the original on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  4. "Chris Williamson". Derby Telegraph. Archived from the original on 8 October 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  5. 5.0 5.1 "Chris Williamson MP". UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 17 June 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  6. "Derby North parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. Archived from the original on 22 November 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  7. "DERBY North MP Chris Williamson has resigned from his position as councillor for Normanton after 20 years". This is Derbyshire. 26 March 2011. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  8. "Labour MP Chris Williamson suspended in anti-Semitism row". BBC News. 27 February 2019. Archived from the original on 27 February 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  9. BBC. "Labour anti-Semitism row: Chris Williamson allowed back into party". 26 June 2019, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48778129 Archived 26 June 2019 at the Wayback Machine
  10. Kentish, Benjamin (28 June 2019). "Chris Williamson: Labour MP suspension descends into farce after he has whip removed again two days after being readmitted to party". The Independent. Archived from the original on 29 June 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  11. "Court finds Labour Party treated Chris Williamson MP unfairly in reopening case and referring him to the NCC". Bindmans. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  12. "Labour blocks Corbyn loyalist from standing at general election over antisemitism claims". The Independent. 6 November 2019. Archived from the original on 6 November 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  13. Speare-Cole, Rebecca (7 November 2019). "Chris Williamson to stand as independent MP in general election after Labour bans him from party". Evening Standard. London. Archived from the original on 7 November 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  14. britworker (2023-12-02). "New leadership elected at Workers Party congress". Workers Party of Britain. Retrieved 2024-03-01.