Graham Allen (politician) - Parliamentary Career

Parliamentary Career

Graham Allen is the Chair of the Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee in the House of Commons to which he was elected by the whole House in 2010. In 2011 he wrote two seminal reports for Her Majesty's Government on Early Intervention. He contested the seat of Nottingham North at the 1987 General Election. Allen defeated the Conservative incumbent Richard Ottaway by just 1,665 votes. His majority at the 2010 general election was 8,138.

After helping to organise Tony Blair's leadership campaign, Allen was given a series of shadow portfolios, including transport and constitution, but in office he never rose higher than government whip. His frontbench career always promised more than he got the chance to deliver and he was returned to the backbenches in the reshuffle following the 2001 general election. His very radical views may have prevented his ministerial career from rising any further.

He opposed the Iraq War, and was at the forefront of a successful campaign to recall Parliament in September 2002, attempting to organise an unofficial recall if the House would not formally sit. He helped to organise the two largest rebellions in UK history within a governing party.