Ian Byrne
MP
Official portrait, 2019
Member of Parliament
for Liverpool West Derby
Assumed office
12 December 2019
Preceded byStephen Twigg
Majority29,984 (68.2%)
Personal details
Born
Ian Robert Byrne

(1972-05-10) 10 May 1972
Liverpool, England
Political partyLabour
Other political
affiliations		Socialist Campaign Group (2019–present)
Alma materOpen University
WebsiteOfficial website

Ian Robert Byrne[1] (born 10 May 1972)[2] is a British Labour Party politician. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Liverpool West Derby since the 2019 general election.[3] He is a member of the Socialist Campaign Group parliamentary grouping.

Early life and career

Byrne grew up on the Stockbridge Village (formerly Cantril Farm) estate in Liverpool. At the age of 16 he was present at the Hillsborough disaster and escaped before the crush occurred, however his father was seriously injured.[4]

He worked as a taxi driver while studying at The Open University and gaining a degree over six years.[5] He was an active member of Unite the Union, where he later got a job as a trade union organiser. His work included organising sub-contracted NHS workers for better pay and conditions.[6]

In 2015, Byrne co-founded Fans Supporting Foodbanks, a community initiative by football fans to tackle food poverty in Liverpool.[7][8] Before becoming an MP, he worked with Dan Carden in the neighbouring constituency of Liverpool Walton.

Political career

In 2018, Byrne was elected as a councillor to Liverpool City Council, representing the Everton ward alongside Labour's Cllr Jane Corbett and Cllr Frank Prendergast MBE.[9] He continued to serve as a local councillor after becoming an MP, donating his councillor's allowance to Vauxhall Law Centre.[10][11] In 2022, Byrne stood down from his council seat and was succeeded by his daughter, Ellie.[12]

On 3 November 2019, Byrne was selected as the Labour candidate for Liverpool West Derby, after the previous Labour MP Stephen Twigg announced he would be standing down at the 2019 general election.[13] Byrne won the "chaotic" selection process by three votes against Liverpool Wavertree local councillor Angela Coleman.[14][15] [16] Byrne apologised when it was reported he had posted racist, misogynistic and homophobic comments on his Facebook account, as well as a comment mocking the disabled; the Facebook account was then deleted.[17] Byrne faced calls to stand down as a candidate following the controversy.[18] Labour shadow Chancellor John McDonnell publicly stood by Byrne's nomination, despite the controversy.[19] On 12 December 2019, Byrne was elected with 77.6% of the vote share, a reduction of 5.2% from the previous election.[3]

Byrne is on the left of the Labour Party and was a supporter of the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. He is a member of the Socialist Campaign Group and backed his Campaign Group colleagues Rebecca Long-Bailey and Richard Burgon in the 2020 Labour leadership election and deputy leadership election.[20]

In 2020, Byrne launched a campaign for the Right to Food to be written into UK law.[21]

Byrne was named as "Overall MP of the Year" for 2021 by the Patchwork Foundation, who recognized his campaigning against food insecurity and workers' rights during the COVID-19 pandemic.[22][23]

On 14 December 2021, Byrne voted in favour of the Conservative government's 'Plan B' COVID-19 restrictions, including for an expansion of mask mandates and the introduction of vaccine passports.[24][25] However, he was one of 22 Labour MPs who voted against mandatory vaccination of NHS staff.[26]

Reselection issues 2022

During 2022, Byrne was criticised by some Labour members for allegedly putting his interests ahead of more local matters, and for focusing on national campaigns rather than on constituency issues.[27] West Derby Constituency Labour Party branches and affiliates voted to trigger a reselection process for the seat in October 2022.[28][29][15][30][31] Byrne raised concerns about his reselection process, and threatened to take legal action after alleging multiple rule breaches.[32][33] He sought police guidance following alleged intimidation, but his version of events was disputed by supporters of his rival, one of whom called on him to apologise.[27]

On 20 November 2022 Byrne was narrowly reselected as the candidate for Liverpool West Derby at the next general election.[34]

Personal life

Byrne is a supporter of Liverpool F.C. and a committee member of Liverpool supporters' union Spirit of Shankly.[35]

References

  1. ↑ "Members Sworn". Hansard.parliament.uk. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  2. ↑ "Byrne, Ian". Politics.co.uk. Retrieved 19 March 2021. 10 May 1972 comes up in searches
  3. 1 2 "Liverpool West Derby parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  4. ↑ Traynor, Luke (22 April 2020). "MP who survived Hillsborough backs new law for equal justice". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  5. ↑ Byrne, Ian [@IanByrneMP] (12 November 2019). ""One of my proudest achievements..."" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ↑ ""Only bold state intervention will see us through this crisis" – Ian Byrne's maiden speech". LabourList. 23 March 2020.
  7. ↑ "Fans Supporting Foodbanks: "It's not charity, it's solidarity". This is Anfield. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  8. ↑ "Heroic efforts in Liverpool creating vital PPE for the NHS and getting food to the needy". Liverpool Echo. 18 April 2020.
  9. ↑ "Councillor details - Councillor Ian Byrne". councillors.liverpool.gov.uk. 3 January 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  10. ↑ "New MP Byrne asked to stay on as councillor until May – donates allowance to law centre for vulnerable". Skwawkbox. 10 January 2020.
  11. ↑ "About". Ian Byrne MP official website.
  12. ↑ Humphreys, David (8 April 2022). "Labour holds on after Liverpool City Council by-elections". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  13. ↑ "Merseyside Labour MP Stephen Twigg to stand down". ITV News. 8 July 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  14. ↑ "Ian Byrne narrowly wins Liverpool West Derby selection race".
  15. 1 2 "Liverpool West Derby MP Ian Byrne facing fight to keep seat". 13 October 2022.
  16. ↑ Neame, Katie (21 November 2022). "Ian Byrne's win is unlikely to assuage the left's concerns about this selection round". LabourList.
  17. ↑ "Labour candidate Ian Byrne shared abusive comments about female politicians". LBC.
  18. ↑ "General Election: 'Sexist' Labour candidate 'should step down'". 8 November 2019 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  19. ↑ Sun, The (12 November 2019). "John McDonnell backs Labour candidate Ian Byrne despite homophobic slur". Head Topics.
  20. ↑ Byrne, Ian (2 March 2020). "From the Terraces to Westminster". Tribune. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  21. ↑ "The mission to end food poverty that is starting on the streets of Liverpool". Liverpool Echo. 20 December 2020.
  22. ↑ "Liverpool's Ian Byrne named MP of the Year". 19 March 2022.
  23. ↑ "MP of the Year Awards". 23 October 2012.
  24. ↑ "Health Regulations (Face Coverings) SI No 1400". UK Parliament. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  25. ↑ "Health Protection (Entry to venues etc) SI No 1416". UK Parliament. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  26. ↑ "draft Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) (No.2) Regulations 2021". UK Parliament. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  27. 1 2 "West Derby MP says he will seek police advice over intimidation". BBC News. 14 November 2022.
  28. ↑ "Liverpool Labour MP Ian Byrne faces reselection battle". BBC News. 14 October 2022.
  29. ↑ Byrne, Ian [@IanByrneMP] (13 October 2022). "I have been informed by the Labour Party that I have been 'triggered' and than an open contest to select the labour candidate to represent West Derby at the next General Election will begin imminently" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  30. ↑ Chappell, Elliot (11 October 2022). "Sam Tarry's deselection is just one part of a bigger shakeup of the Labour party". TheGuardian.com.
  31. ↑ Thorp, Liam (18 October 2022). "Burnham and Rotheram back Ian Byrne in West Derby seat FIGHT". Liverpool Echo.
  32. ↑ Thorp, Liam (27 July 2022). "Liverpool MP Ian Byrne raises concerns about reselection process". Liverpool Echo.
  33. ↑ Thorp, Liam (7 November 2022). "Byrne considers legal action over West Derby reselection process". Liverpool Echo.
  34. ↑ Thorp, Liam (20 November 2022). "Ian Byrne defeats Anthony Lavelle to win Labour's West Derby nomination". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  35. ↑ Thorp, Liam (13 September 2019). "Liverpool fans urged to show support for fan culture at Anfield on Saturday as trademark row rumbles on". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
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