Elliot Morley - Political Career

Political Career

Before entering Parliament, Morley was a Labour member of Hull City Council representing Drypool Ward from 1979 to 1986.

He served as Fisheries Minister from 1997 to 2003. He was Minister for Environment and Agri-Environment in DEFRA but left government in the May 2006 reshuffle. During his time in government Morley pushed strongly for a series of environmental causes. In 2004, he sought to strengthen the United Kingdom's efforts to purchase legally harvested lumber and aided the launch of a programme to manage flooding and coastal erosion called 'WaveNet'. In 2005 Morley assisted in the establishment of a Governmental Decontamination Service, to provide decontamination and cleansing assistance after chemical, radiological, biological, or nuclear incidents and major accidental releases of harmful materials.

On 19 December 2006 he was appointed to the Privy Council. This was revoked on 14 June 2011. He was Chairman of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee, leaving this post when his expenses claims came under investigation. In 2007 Morley voted to support the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill, which would have given Parliament a blanket exemption from the Freedom of Information Act and thereby prevent the release of any information on expenses claims by Members of Parliament. However the Bill was defeated.