Rochdale MP Tony Lloyd receives knighthood

Rochdale MP Tony Lloyd has received a knighthood for his parliamentary services in the Queen’s birthday honours.

Mr Lloyd has been the Member of Parliament for Rochdale since 2017, having served as a politician in Greater Manchester since 1979.

He said: “This is an honour and I am very grateful that my years as an elected politician, but importantly in public service, have been recognised. I am bound to reflect on the crucial role that those whom I’ve worked with over these years have played in allowing me to do the work I’ve done. That, of course, includes my close family, and those in my various offices, but it also includes all those people in the wider community, both here in Rochdale and throughout Greater Manchester, the United Kingdom and indeed, the rest of the world.

“In this year in particular, I am very conscious that there are so many people whose service isn’t always recognised. Those in our NHS, hospitals and care homes come easily to mind, who were there for us in our times of need. But of course, there are so many others - in policing, the fire service and in our schools, and so much more. Every one of them and countless others make our society both strong and rich in its humanity. 

“So, yes, a thank you for this honour but a huge thank you to those whose lives make our world so much better.”

Mr Lloyd’s first elected position was as Councillor on Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council from 1979-1984, where he served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Group. 

In 1983 he was elected to Parliament as the Member for Stretford, representing the constituency until 1997.

Before the General Election in 1997, Mr Lloyd served as a Labour whip, and Shadow Minister for Work and Pensions, Transport, Education and Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

In 1997 he became Member of Parliament for Manchester Central and served as Minister of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. He then led the UK Parliamentary delegations to the Parliamentary Assemblies of the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. 

Mr Lloyd became Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party in 2006.

In 2012 he stood down from Parliament and was elected as the Police and Crime Commissioner for Greater Manchester. Tony was appointed as Interim Mayor of Greater Manchester in 2015. He held both these positions until 2017’s election of Andy Burnham as the Mayor of Greater Manchester.

At the 2017 General Election he returned to Parliament as the Member of Parliament for Rochdale.

He was soon appointed Shadow Housing Minister and, subsequently, Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in March 2018, replacing Owen Smith.
 

Read more: Tony Lloyd appointed Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Published: 23 March 2018

In December 2019 under previous Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Mr Lloyd was made the shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, before new leader Keir Starmer replaced him with Ian Murray just a few months later.

Mr Lloyd stepped down as shadow Secretary of Northern Ireland in April 2020 to focus on recovering from Covid-19, whilst Louise Haigh took up the role.
 

Read more: Tony Lloyd MP steps down as shadow Secretary for Northern Ireland to focus on Covid-19 recoveryPublished: 28 April 2020