Ian Lucas

Infobox MP
honorific-prefix =
name = Ian Lucas
honorific-suffix =

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constituency_MP = Wrexham
parliament =
majority = 6,819 (22.4%)
predecessor = John Marek
successor = Incumbent
term_start = 7 June 2001
term_end =
birth_date = Birth date and age|1960|09|18|df=yes
birth_place = Gateshead
death_date =
death_place =
nationality = British
spouse = Norah Lucas
party = Labour
relations =
children =
residence =
alma_mater = New College, Oxford
occupation =
profession =
religion =


website =
footnotes =

Ian Colin Lucas (born 18 September 1960, Gateshead) has been the Labour Party Member of Parliament for Wrexham in the United Kingdom since 2001.

Background

He was born and brought up in a council house in Gateshead. He attended Greenwell Junior High School on "Beacon Lough Road " in Gateshead then Newcastle Royal Grammar School, and won a place at New College, Oxford University to study jurisprudence gaining a BA in 1982. He qualified from the College of Law in 1983 and gained a Solicitor's Admission in 1985.

Professional career

He became a solicitor practicing in London from 1983-6, but moved to Wrexham the 1986, specialising in criminal and personal injury law for Percy Hughes and Roberts in Chester until 1987. He worked for Lees Moore and Price in Birkenhead until 1989. He then worked for Roberts Moore Nicholas Jones until 1992 in Wrexham. In 1992 he moved the short distance to Oswestry in Shropshire working for Dr Crawford, and formed his own practice, Crawford Lucas in 1997. The move was precipitated because of disagreements with his old firm when he had organised protests against cuts in legal aid. He was a partner in Stevens Lucas from 2000-1.

After the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997, Ian Lucas represented Trevor Rees-Jones (Diana's bodyguard, and survivor of the crash) in a legal battle with Mohamed Al-Fayed.

Political career

In 1986 he joined the Labour Party, and became chairman of the Wrexham branch. He was on Gresford Community Council in Wrexham from 1987-91. He contested the traditionally conservative seat of North Shropshire in the 1997 general election, but was narrowly defeated. He has served as a school governor, and on a local hospital board.

He was later selected to stand for the UK Parliament in Wrexham, and won the seat in 2001.

In Parliament he has served as a member of the Environmental Audit Select Committee and the Transport Select Committee. He is currently Parliamentary Private Secretary to Bill Rammell MP, Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education. He has also taken an interest in sustainable energy, devolution of powers in Wales, and links with Germany.

He resigned on September 6 2006, due to the refusal made by Tony Blair to name a date for stepping down as Prime Minister. However, he later refused to confirm or deny whether that was the genuine reason. Fellow Welsh Labour MPs Wayne David and Mark Tami also resigned on the same day.

Richard Brunstrom

In a BBC documentary in November 2007, Richard Brunstrom described Lucas as Ian "Ned Ludd" Lucas.

Personal life

He married Norah Anne Sudd, a music teacher, in July 1986 in Beverley, East Yorkshire, and has two children, Ellen (born February 1991) and Patrick (born September 1992).

External links

* [http://www.ianlucas.co.uk Official site]
* [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-6518,00.html Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Ian Lucas MP]
* [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/ian_lucas/wrexham TheyWorkForYou.com - Ian Lucas MP]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/mpdb/html/652.stm BBC Politics]

News items

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/7542690.stm BBC apologises in August 2008]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7114248.stm Welsh dragon on the Union flag in November 2007]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/6105536.stm Richard Brunstrom in November 2006]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/5320654.stm Leaving government in September 2006]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/5076720.stm Digital TV in June 2006]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/4161143.stm Death by negligent driving in January 2005]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/1962532.stm School merger in May 2002]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/1811178.stm Citizenship in February 2002]

Offices Held