Austin Mitchell
Dr
Austin Vernon Mitchell (born
19 September 1934) is the
Labour Member of Parliament for
Great Grimsby in
England.
Educated at
Bingley Grammar School, the
University of Manchester and
Nuffield College,
Oxford. He is a member of the
Socialist Campaign Group. He is a
Eurosceptic and opposes the
Common Fisheries Policy.
While lecturing
sociology at the
University of Canterbury, Mitchell wrote a popular book about
New Zealand,
The Half Gallon Quarter Acre Pavlova Paradise (
1972). The book title became a phrase in the
New Zealand English lexicon. Thirty years later, in
2002 he wrote
Pavlova Paradise Revisited, after another New Zealand expedition. In the 1960's and 70's, New Zealand was a
socialist laboratory. In the 80's and 90's, it
transformed to an open market economy. These drastic changes provided ample subject matter for social analysis.
He became an MP with a by-election in
1977, after the death of the previous MP,
Tony Crosland, at the time identifying himself as a
Gaitskellite. Immediately before being elected he was a presenter of
Yorkshire Television's local news programme,
Calendar.
Mitchell is widely credited with bringing
television cameras to the
Houses of Parliament. The move opened the proceedings of the house to the wider public, whom previously had only been able to follow via
newspapers, and
radio.
In October
2002 he temporarily changed his name to
Austin Haddock as
haddock is a staple catch for his constituents that was suffering a decline and it was his wish to promote it.
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Austin Mitchell MP official site
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Austin Mitchell's Weblog*
ePolitix - Austin Mitchell MP*
Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Austin Mitchell MP*
TheyWorkForYou.com - Austin Mitchell MP*
The Public Whip - Austin Mitchell MP voting record
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BBC News - Austin Mitchell profile 10 February, 2005
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Austin Haddock*
ElectionsUK article
