Bill Rammell

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Bill Rammell MP
Bill Rammell
Member of Parliament
for Harlow
Incumbent
Assumed office 
1 May 1997
Preceded by Jerry Hayes
Majority 97 (0.2%)
Born 10 October 1959 (1959-10-10) (age 48)
Islington
Nationality British
Political party Labour
Spouse Beryl Jarhall
Alma mater Cardiff University

William Ernest "Bill" Rammell (born 10 October 1959, Islington) is a politician in the United Kingdom. He has been Labour member of Parliament for Harlow since 1997 and is a Minister of State in the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

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[edit] Early life

He went to Burnt Mill Comprehensive on First Avenue in Harlow. At the University of Wales, Cardiff he studied for a BA in French and Politics, gaining a degree in 1982. He was president of Cardiff University Students' Union from 1982-3. He was a management trainee at British Rail from 1983-4. From 1984-7, he was a Regional Officer at the NUS. From 1987-9, he was Head of Youth Services for Basildon Council. He was the General Manager of King's College, London Students' Union from 1990-4, and worked as a Business Manager for University of London Union from 1994-7. He was a member of Harlow District Council from 1985 to 1997.

[edit] Parliamentary career

He was a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office until the 2005 general election, when he was appointed to the Department for Education and Skills as Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education. The department was disbanded by Gordon Brown on 28 June 2007, and in Brown's reshuffle Rammell moved to the newly created Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

In the 2005 election, he had the 3rd smallest majority of any Labour MP, at just 97 votes. The result was so close that the final declaration had to be delayed 2 days after voting, in order to give exhausted counting officials time to rest.

Although Bill Rammell is responsible for the UK government's lifelong learning policy, in September 2007 he somewhat controversially withdrew funding from significant amounts of adult and continuing education in UK universities, allegedly putting at risk such institutions as the Open University and Birkbeck College, in addition to lifelong learning departments throughout the UK.

He is a Pro-European, who is supportive of joining the Single European Currency, this verified by his time as Chair of Labour's Britain in Europe Group. He was the first British government minister to visit North Korea in September 2004.

In February 2008, Bill Rammell announced plans[1] to create a "national" database of children's school records and exam results which will make up a publicly-owned CV. The CV and "Learner Number" will stay with the child throughout adult life until retirement and only the British government will be able to remove records from their database entry. The plan will, however, only apply to English children as education is a devolved matter.

[edit] Voting Record

How Bill Rammell voted on key issues since 2001 (They Work For You)::

  • Has never voted on a transparent Parliament.
  • Voted for introducing a smoking ban.
  • Voted for introducing ID cards.
  • Voted for introducing foundation hospitals.
  • Voted for introducing student top-up fees.
  • Voted for Labour's anti-terrorism laws.
  • Voted for the Iraq war.
  • Voted against investigating the Iraq war.
  • Voted for replacing Trident.
  • Voted for the hunting ban.
  • Voted for equal gay rights.

[edit] Personal life

He married Beryl Jarhall on January 1 1983. They have a son (born September 1989) and a daughter (born November 1992).

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Anger over pupils database plan", BBC News online, 13 February 2008. Retrieved on 2008-02-14. 

[edit] External links

[edit] News items

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