Tommy McAvoy

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"Thomas McAvoy" redirects here. For the American judge, see Thomas James McAvoy.

Lord Temporal
In office
22 June 2010 – 8 March 2024
Life peerage
Member of Parliament
for Rutherglen and Hamilton West
Glasgow Rutherglen (1987–2005)
In office
12 June 1987 – 12 April 2010
Preceded byGregor Mackenzie
Succeeded byTom Greatrex
Personal details
Born(1943-12-14)14 December 1943
Labour and Co-operative
SpouseEleanor McAvoy
Children4

Thomas McLaughlin McAvoy, Baron McAvoy,

Rutherglen and Hamilton West
from 2005 to 2010.

McAvoy held several positions in the Government Whips' Office under the

Deputy Chief Whip
from 2015 to 2018.

Early life and career

McAvoy was born in Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, on 14 December 1943. He worked in a pawnbrokers,[2] as a storeman at the Hoover factory in Cambuslang, and was a shop steward for the Amalgamated Engineering Union; following the succession of trade union mergers, he was a member of Unite the Union (Amicus Section).

In 1982, McAvoy was elected to

Strathclyde Regional Council
, and served until 1987.

Parliamentary career

McAvoy was elected to Parliament in 1987 as the

Scottish Labour and Co-operative Member for Glasgow Rutherglen. Along with Robert Brown of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, he successfully campaigned for his hometown (an independent royal burgh from the 1100s to the 1970s) to be removed from the district of Glasgow and allocated to South Lanarkshire ahead of local authority re-organisation in 1994, via a local referendum.[3][2] From 2005 to 2010, he sat as the member for Rutherglen and Hamilton West
.

McAvoy was an opposition whip from 1990 to 1993 and again from 1996 to 1997.

When the Labour Party came into government in 1997, McAvoy was appointed

Privy Council in 2003. In October 2008, he was promoted to Treasurer of the Household
and Deputy Chief Whip.

McAvoy achieved the rare feat among whips of remaining popular with Labour MPs. An early day motion in July 2006 noted "the difficult task he has of securing government business whilst accommodating the parliamentary, political and personal requirements of 352 Labour colleagues" and congratulated him for "the respect he has earned from all sides of the House for his ability to perform these duties"; it was signed by 135 MPs.[4]

On 20 February 2010, McAvoy announced that he would stand down at the next general election.[5] The seat was retained by Labour with the election of Tom Greatrex. On 22 June 2010, McAvoy was created a life peer as Baron McAvoy, of Rutherglen in Lanarkshire,[6] and was introduced in the House of Lords that day.[7]

McAvoy remains to this day the longest serving Government Whip in the history of parliament with 13 years and 10 days service in the Government Whips Office. According to The Guardian: "...[his] personal crusades have been for peace in Northern Ireland and against abortion" (Andrew Roth, The Guardian).

After his introduction to the Lords, he served as a senior whip. In 2012, he took on the role of Opposition Spokesman for Scotland and Northern Ireland. In May 2015, after the election of

Denis Tunnicliffe.[8]

On 24 January 2018, he was elected Labour Chief Whip in the House of Lords and therefore Opposition Chief Whip, taking over from

Steve Bassam
.

McAvoy was appointed

Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for political and public service.[9][10]

Personal life

McAvoy and his wife Eleanor were married in 1968 in St Columbkille's Church [de], Rutherglen, and had four sons.[2] He was a school friend of Bobby Murdoch, later a successful footballer with Celtic and Scotland.[11]

His brother Eddie is a retired local politician who also worked at Hoover and subsequently served as the leader of South Lanarkshire Council from 1999 to 2017.[12]

Tommy McAvoy died on 8 March 2024, at the age of 80.[13][14]

References

  1. ^ "Former whip Tommy McAvoy takes seat in House of Lords". BBC News. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d From a pawnbrokers to Parliament - Tommy McAvoy looks back on a career that took him to the House of Lords, Marc McLean, Daily Record, 11 September 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  3. ^ Rutherglen residents not interested in Glasgow return, Daily Record, 9 April 2017
  4. ^ Early Day Motion – EDM 2597
  5. ^ "Longest-serving whip Tommy McAvoy MP to retire". BBC News Online. 20 February 2010.
  6. ^ "No. 59470". The London Gazette. 25 June 2010. p. 12025.
  7. ^ Today in the Lords
  8. ^ "Tommy McAvoy". Labour Lords.
  9. ^ "No. 63571". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 2022. p. N8.
  10. ^ "New Year Honours: Chief Medical Officer Gregor Smith knighted". BBC News. 31 December 2022. Archived from the original on 1 January 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Celtic legend Bobby Murdoch honoured at Rutherglen Town Hall". Daily Record. 17 October 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  12. ^ South Lanarkshire Council leader Eddie McAvoy to stand down at next election, Daily Record, 30 June 2016
  13. ^ "Tommy McAvoy: Keir Starmer leads tributes to former Rutherglen MP". BBC News. 8 March 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  14. ^ "Deceased Lords". House of Lords. Retrieved 11 March 2024.

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Gregor Mackenzie
 Member of Parliament for Glasgow Rutherglen
1987–2005 		Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament for Rutherglen and Hamilton West
2005–2010 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Comptroller of the Household
1997–2008 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Treasurer of the Household
2008–2010 		Succeeded by
John Randall
Party political offices
Preceded by
Steve Bassam
 Labour Chief Whip of the House of Lords
2018–2021 		Succeeded by
The Lord Kennedy of Southwark
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