- Toby Perkins
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Toby Perkins MP Shadow Minister for Small Business Incumbent Assumed office
7 October 2011Leader Ed Miliband Preceded by Chuka Umunna Member of Parliament
for ChesterfieldIncumbent Assumed office
6 May 2010Preceded by Paul Holmes Majority 549 (1.2%) Personal details Born 12 August 1970
Sheffield, South Yorkshire, EnglandNationality English Political party Labour Occupation Politician Matthew Toby Perkins[1] (born 12 August 1970[2]) is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Chesterfield since 2010, winning the seat from Liberal Democrat Paul Holmes.[3] Before taking the seat, he was a councillor in the town.[4]
Perkins has one sister, Polly and is son of V.F. and Teresa Perkins. He is the great-grandson of A. P. Herbert, Independent Member of Parliament for Oxford University (1935-1950). He left Silverdale Comprehensive School in Sheffield in 1987 without completing his A Levels, and worked as a Sales Representative, Recruitment Manager & Care Manager before setting up the Rugby product business, Club Rugby.
He is a member of Amicus now Unite, is also a Director of Families First Co-operative, a social enterprise that runs an early years Nursery in Rother, an area of multiple deprivation in Chesterfield. Shortly before his parliamentary election, he was involved in setting up the Chesterfield Flood Victims Appeal in conjunction with Chesterfield's Zion Church; this is supported by Chesterfield Rotary Club and Soroptimist International of Chesterfield.
A former Chesterfield and Derbyshire Rugby Union player, who qualified as a Rugby Coach in 2006. He coaches a junior Rugby team at Sheffield Tigers RUFC. He is also a supporter of Sheffield United.
Perkins campaigned for healthier eating in Chesterfield's Council locations and led the formation of a Healthy Eating Scrutiny Panel on Chesterfield Borough Council. This saw Healthier options offered in all of Chesterfield's leisure facilities and agreement from the Council to create a Healthy Eating Policy.
He is married to Suzie (née Francis), who was born in Boythorpe, Chesterfield, and they have two children Lewis and Chloe.
Toby Perkins victory over Liberal Democrat Paul Holmes was against the national trend, overturning a majority of 3000 to win by 549 votes in the face of a national swing against the Labour Party. Results show that the victory was largely due to retention of the existing Labour vote, as there was a 7.5% swing towards the Conservative party in Chesterfield. [5][6]
References
- ^ http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/59418/notices/1118281/from=2010-05-06;to=2010-05-19;all=returned+westminster/
- ^ "Toby Perkins MP". BBC Online. http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/representatives/profiles/64625.stm. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
- ^ "Recount gives Tories Amber Valley". BBC News Online. 2010-05-07. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/england/8667599.stm. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
- ^ "Councillor demands inquiry into closure of new park cafe". Yorkshire Post. 2006-07-13. http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/localnews/Councillor-demands-inquiry-into-closure.1624958.jp. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
- ^ "BBC NEWS – Election 2010 – Chesterfield". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/constituency/b04.stm.
- ^ "BBC NEWS – Election 2005 – Chesterfield". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2005/html/141.stm.
External links
- Official website
- His page on the Labour Party UK website
- Chesterfield Borough Council Councillor Details
- His Facebook Group
- Official Twitter Feed
- Electoral history and profile at The Guardian
- Profile at BBC News Democracy Live
- Profile at TheyWorkForYou
Parliament of the United Kingdom Preceded by
Paul HolmesMember of Parliament for Chesterfield
2010–presentIncumbent Categories:- 1970 births
- Councillors in Derbyshire
- Labour Party (UK) MPs
- Living people
- Members of the United Kingdom Parliament for English constituencies
- People from Chesterfield
- UK MPs 2010–
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