Rooker graduated with an undergraduate degree from Aston University in the city of Birmingham and he served as editor of the Birmingham Student Union News (SUN) from 1963 to 1964.[1] He later received a postgraduate degree from the University of Warwick in industrial relations. In 1966, he was an unsuccessful candidate for membership of Birmingham City Council.
Rooker achieved a measure of national prominence in June 1977 while still a backbencher. With fellow MP Audrey Wise, he introduced the so-called Rooker–Wise Amendment to the Budget. This linked personal tax allowances to the rate of inflation, thereby preventing the erosion of non-taxable income. The BBC has described the amendment as "a rare example of direct backbench influence on the Budget".[2]
Beginning in 1998, Rooker led an unsuccessful attempt to prosecute World War II German General Wilhelm Mohnke for his alleged role in war crimes inflicted on British troops at Wormhoudt in 1940.[3]
On 6 May 2006, Rooker was appointed Minister of State for Sustainable Food, Farming and Animal Health at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. He was a controversial choice as minister responsible for animal welfare due to his well-known pro-hunting views. In 2007, following Rooker's appointment, numerous complaints from animal welfare campaigners were sent to the Labour Party. He later also became deputy leader of the House of Lords. He retained both these roles when Gordon Brown became Labour leader and Prime Minister in 2007 and showed himself to be outspokenly in favour of genetically modified (GM) foods at the September 2008 Labour Party Conference, when he accused people opposed to GM foods of "ignorance".[5] Rooker stood down in October 2008.[citation needed]
Later career
Rooker is a vice president of The Birmingham Civic Society. As of January 2008, he is a lay governor of Aston University. In July 2009, he was appointed as chair of the Food Standards Agency and resigned the Labour party whip for the duration until he ceased to be chair in 2013.[6]
In December 2015, Rooker called for Jeremy Corbyn to be removed as Labour Party leader before 2020.[7]
Rooker married Angela Edwards in 1972 in Paddington, London. He was widowed in January 2003. He married second wife Helen Hughes on 5 February 2010 in a private ceremony in Christchurch, New Zealand. He has a step daughter, Morwenna Hughes and a Granddaughter, Martha. In 2001, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Aston University of which he is an alumnus.
^"Aston announces this year's honorary graduates" (Press release). Aston University. 10 July 2001. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2008.
^"Budget rebellions remain scarce". BBC. 24 April 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
^"MP seeks release of more details". The Independent. 20 January 1994. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
jeff, rooker, jeffrey, william, rooker, baron, rooker, born, june, 1941, british, politician, life, peer, served, government, minister, from, 1997, 2008, member, labour, party, member, parliament, birmingham, perry, barr, from, 1974, 2001, right, honourablethe. Jeffrey William Rooker Baron Rooker PC born 5 June 1941 is a British politician and life peer who served as a government minister from 1997 to 2008 A member of the Labour Party he was Member of Parliament MP for Birmingham Perry Barr from 1974 to 2001 The Right HonourableThe Lord RookerPCOfficial portrait 2022Deputy Leader of the House of LordsIn office 1 June 2005 5 October 2008Prime MinisterTony BlairGordon BrownLeaderThe Baroness AmosThe Baroness Ashton of UphollandPreceded byThe Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanSucceeded byThe Lord Hunt of Kings HeathJunior ministerial offices1997 2008Minister of State for Sustainable Food Farming and Animal HealthIn office 6 May 2006 3 October 2008Prime MinisterTony BlairGordon BrownPreceded byThe Lord BachSucceeded byJane KennedyMinister of State for Children in Northern IrelandIn office 9 May 2005 6 May 2006Prime MinisterTony BlairPreceded byBarry GardinerSucceeded byMaria EagleMinister of State for Regeneration and Regional DevelopmentIn office 13 June 2003 9 May 2005Prime MinisterTony BlairPreceded byPosition establishedSucceeded byYvette CooperMinister of State for Housing and PlanningIn office 29 May 2002 13 June 2003Prime MinisterTony BlairPreceded byThe Lord Falconer of ThorotonSucceeded byKeith HillMinister of State for Asylum and ImmigrationIn office 11 June 2001 29 May 2002Prime MinisterTony BlairPreceded byBarbara RocheSucceeded byBeverley HughesMinister of State for PensionsIn office 29 July 1999 7 June 2001Prime MinisterTony BlairPreceded byStephen TimmsSucceeded byIan McCartneyMinister of State for Agriculture Fisheries and FoodIn office 6 May 1997 29 July 1999Prime MinisterTony BlairPreceded byTony BaldrySucceeded byJoyce QuinFurther offices heldChair of the Food Standards AgencyIn office July 2009 July 2013Appointed byHilary BennPreceded byDame Deirdre HuttonSucceeded byHeather HancockMember of the House of LordsLord TemporalLife peerage 21 June 2001Member of Parliament for Birmingham Perry BarrIn office 28 February 1974 14 May 2001Preceded byJoseph KinseySucceeded byKhalid MahmoodPersonal detailsBornJeffrey William Rooker 1941 07 05 5 July 1941 age 81 NationalityBritishPolitical partyLabour since 2013 before 2009 Independent 2009 2013 Alma materAston UniversityRaised and educated in Birmingham Rooker worked as a production engineer in the city before lecturing in the subject at Lanchester Polytechnic He studied at Aston University and the University of Warwick and he eventually gained a postgraduate degree in industrial relations After unsuccessfully attempting to be elected to Birmingham City Council in 1966 he was elected to the House of Commons at the February 1974 general election and joined the government after the Labour victory at the 1997 general election as Minister of State at the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food Upon standing down from the Commons at the 2001 general election Rooker was later appointed to the House of Lords where he continued to serve in the government under several ministerial portfolios until 2008 including as Deputy Leader of the House of Lords and Minister of State for Sustainable Food Farming and Animal Health from 2005 to 2008 He resigned the Labour whip in 2009 after being appointed chair of the Food Standards Agency He sat as an independent member in the House of Lords until 2013 when standing down as chair of the FSA he took up the Labour whip once again Contents 1 Early life and career 2 Early parliamentary career 3 Ministerial career 4 Later career 5 Personal life 6 References 7 External linksEarly life and career EditThe son of a factory worker Jeff Rooker attended Aldridge Road Secondary Modern Boys School Aldridge Road Great Barr He later attended Handsworth Technical School and College Goldshill Road Handsworth He initially trained as a production engineer working in various factories in and around Birmingham for 14 years and then became a lecturer on the subject at Lanchester Polytechnic Rooker graduated with an undergraduate degree from Aston University in the city of Birmingham and he served as editor of the Birmingham Student Union News SUN from 1963 to 1964 1 He later received a postgraduate degree from the University of Warwick in industrial relations In 1966 he was an unsuccessful candidate for membership of Birmingham City Council Early parliamentary career EditRooker was selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate in October 1971 for his home constituency of Birmingham Perry Barr which he won in the February 1974 general election Rooker achieved a measure of national prominence in June 1977 while still a backbencher With fellow MP Audrey Wise he introduced the so called Rooker Wise Amendment to the Budget This linked personal tax allowances to the rate of inflation thereby preventing the erosion of non taxable income The BBC has described the amendment as a rare example of direct backbench influence on the Budget 2 Beginning in 1998 Rooker led an unsuccessful attempt to prosecute World War II German General Wilhelm Mohnke for his alleged role in war crimes inflicted on British troops at Wormhoudt in 1940 3 Ministerial career Edit Rooker as a government minister After Tony Blair led Labour to power in the 1997 general election Rooker served as Minister of State for Agriculture Fisheries and Food In July 1999 he was moved to the Department of Social Security where he served as Minister of State for Pensions He was made a Privy Counsellor in 1999 Rooker stood down as an MP at the 2001 general election and was created a life peer on 16 June 2001 with the title Baron Rooker of Perry Barr in the County of the West Midlands 4 As a member of the House of Lords he was re appointed to the government as the Minister of State for Asylum and Immigration and remained in the post for a year He then was moved to the Department for Communities and Local Government where he served as Minister of State for Housing and Planning then subsequently Minister of State for Regeneration and Regional Development Following the 2005 general election Rooker was named the Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office with responsibility for children in Northern Ireland On 6 May 2006 Rooker was appointed Minister of State for Sustainable Food Farming and Animal Health at the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs He was a controversial choice as minister responsible for animal welfare due to his well known pro hunting views In 2007 following Rooker s appointment numerous complaints from animal welfare campaigners were sent to the Labour Party He later also became deputy leader of the House of Lords He retained both these roles when Gordon Brown became Labour leader and Prime Minister in 2007 and showed himself to be outspokenly in favour of genetically modified GM foods at the September 2008 Labour Party Conference when he accused people opposed to GM foods of ignorance 5 Rooker stood down in October 2008 citation needed Later career EditRooker is a vice president of The Birmingham Civic Society As of January 2008 he is a lay governor of Aston University In July 2009 he was appointed as chair of the Food Standards Agency and resigned the Labour party whip for the duration until he ceased to be chair in 2013 6 In December 2015 Rooker called for Jeremy Corbyn to be removed as Labour Party leader before 2020 7 Rooker is a member of Labour Friends of Israel 8 Personal life EditRooker married Angela Edwards in 1972 in Paddington London He was widowed in January 2003 He married second wife Helen Hughes on 5 February 2010 in a private ceremony in Christchurch New Zealand He has a step daughter Morwenna Hughes and a Granddaughter Martha In 2001 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Aston University of which he is an alumnus References EditLeigh Rayment s Peerage Pages self published source better source needed Leigh Rayment s Historical List of MPs Aston announces this year s honorary graduates Press release Aston University 10 July 2001 Archived from the original on 22 July 2012 Retrieved 5 January 2008 Budget rebellions remain scarce BBC 24 April 2008 Retrieved 23 June 2010 MP seeks release of more details The Independent 20 January 1994 Retrieved 5 April 2020 No 56252 The London Gazette 21 June 2001 p 7343 Driver Alistair 22 September 2008 Rooker accuses messianic anti GM lobby of ignorance Farmers Guardian Archived from the original on 12 May 2010 Jeff Rooker resigns Labour whip to chair Food Standards Agency The Times 1 July 2009 Retrieved 20 January 2011 Whale Sebastian 3 December 2015 Labour peer We need to get rid of Corbyn PoliticsHome Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 30 December 2022 LFI Supporters in Parliament Labour Friends of Israel Retrieved 8 September 2019 External links EditHansard 1803 2005 contributions in Parliament by Jeff Rooker Lord Rooker profile on the Defra official website They Work For YouParliament of the United KingdomPreceded byJoseph Kinsey Member of Parliament for Birmingham Perry BarrFeb 1974 2001 Succeeded byKhalid MahmoodPolitical officesPreceded byThe Lord Falconer of Thoroton Minister of State for Housing and Planning2002 2003 Succeeded byKeith HillPreceded byThe Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean Deputy Leader of the House of Lords2005 2008 Succeeded byThe Lord Hunt of Kings HeathOrders of precedence in the United KingdomPreceded byThe Lord Bhatia GentlemenBaron Rooker Followed byThe Lord Hannay of Chiswick Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jeff Rooker amp oldid 1130589526, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
