Phil Turner (politician)
Phil Turner | |
|---|---|
| Leader of Camden Council | |
| In office 1982–1986 | |
| Preceded by | Roy Shaw |
| Succeeded by | Tony Dykes |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Labour |
Philip J. Turner is a former English Labour Party politician, who led Camden Council from 1982 to 1986.[1][2] He held many other positions on the council until 2006, when he lost his Kilburn seat to the Liberal Democrats.[3]
Turner was elected to the Camden Council as a Labour councillor for St. Pancras in the 1982 election,[4] and became leader of the council.[1] According to columnist John Gulliver, during Turner's tenure as council leader in the 1980s, members of the public began to attend Town Hall committee meetings more regularly.[5]
As council leader, Turner participated in the 1985 rate-capping rebellion against the Conservative government, which sought to restrict spending by local councils.[6] In April 1985, he sent a letter to Camden ratepayers that the council found it impossible to set a rate, but two months later, he sent a second letter announcing that Camden had finally set a rate after all.[6] Later that year, Turner hired John McDonnell as his policy advisor, after McDonnell was sacked by Ken Livingstone as deputy leader of the Greater London Council for his part in the rate-capping rebellion.[7]
In 1994, as chairman of the Camden leisure commttee, Turner promoted a scheme to improve, publicise, and encourage visits to Hampstead Cemetery as a historical site.[8]
As head of the council's leisure and community services committee in 1999, Turner proposed closing three libraries in Camden, and replacing them with high-tech "super libraries".[9] Thirteen Labour councillors including Aileen Hammond voted against the party whip, and the libraries were saved.[10] Turner later acknowledged that the rebels had been right, and that he had been wrong.[11][10]
Turner was the Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Hampstead and Highgate in 1987.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Travers, Tony (2015). London Boroughs at 50. Biteback Publishing. ISBN 9781785900112.
- ^ Gulliver, John (2 March 2017). "In memory of battles past". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ "2006 Camden Council election results". Camden Council. 5 May 2006. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ "London Borough Council Elections, 6 May 1982" (PDF). London.gov.uk. Greater London Council. 1982. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ Gulliver, John (16 January 2020). "The Town Hall shape of things to Cummings?". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Rate Support Grant (England)". Commons Hansard, UK Parliament. 16 July 1985. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ "Times Diary". The Times. 7 November 1985. Retrieved 20 July 2024 – via The Times Digital Archive.
- ^ "Grave accent". The Times. 12 March 1994. Retrieved 20 July 2024 – via The Times Digital Archive.
- ^ Salman, Saba (11 June 1999). "Smith approves Camden plan to close libraries". Evening Standard. Retrieved 20 July 2024 – via ProQuest.
- ^ a b Selwyn, Tom (27 January 2022). "Extreme disquiet in Labour's ranks". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ Gubbay, Judith; Saynor, John; Turner, Phil (25 February 2021). "Aileen Hammond, rebel without a faction who did what felt right to save our libraries". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ Britain Votes 4: British parliamentary election results, 1983–1987. Gower Publishing Company. 1988. p. 12. ISBN 0900178256.