‘Ben' (James Keith) CHAPMAN Labour WIRRAL SOUTH '97 (Mar)-

Majority: 5,049 (12.7%) over Conservative 3- way; Description: An essentially middle-class residential seat (dubbed `Surrey-sur- Mersey'); Conservative strength rises to the West at prosperous Heswall, on the Dee; there is some Labour support at Port Sunlight and Bromborough on the Mersey side of the peninsula; "a blue chip Tory seat; a traditional Conservative heartland" (); unchanged in the '95 boundary revision; Position: PPS, to '97-; Chairman: all-party Groups for China. Hongkong, Turkey '97-;

Outlook: A super-loyal, self-effacing backbencher and PPS still interested in trade with China; the by-election phenomenon who momentarily illuminated the whole political sky, revealing middle-class disillusion with the Conservatives at the end of 18 Tory years, only to fall to earth as a reticent and obscure Labour backbencher who began to speak up after his first year; the consultant and former civil servant cleverly chosen and fielded by `New Labour' as a symbol of its transformation into a business-friendly party, realising his ability to attract disillusioned Tories; "we've chosen a `Tory' candidate because this is a Tory seat" (senior Labour figure); "I worked with Ben for five years [when a civil servant] and never heard him express a political opinion; he is a blank piece of paper on which a script can be written" (his '97 Tory opponent, Les Byrne; a poser of friendly questions; pro: local grammar schools; History: He joined the Labour Party at 55 after leaving the civil service to set up his own trade and investment consultancy Apr '96; following the withdrawal of the previously- selected Labour candidate, Ian Wingfield, after allegations about his private life, Chapman was hurriedly chosen from among 40 would-be candidates for the Wirral South by-election caused by the death of its popular Conservative MP, ; his selection was protested by hard-Left NEC members Diane Abbott and Dennis Skinner on the technicality that his party membership was less than the statutory two years Nov '96; the by-election campaign, expected to be the last before the general election, produced a huge turnout of high-level canvassers, led on Labour's side by Leader ; Ian McCartney was Chapman's `minder'; the campaign slogan was "Ben Chapman Means Business" but his minders hardly allowed him to open his mouth; Blair countered the Tories' claim that Labour would threaten the closure of Harold Wilson's alma mater, Wirral Grammar School, by insisting "Labour poses no threat to grammar schools; where schools are good and parents want to keep them, they are under no threat" Feb '97; after a MORI poll accurately predicting a Labour victory over the Tories by 52% to 36%, the actual poll produced a landslide swing of 17%, producing a Labour majority of 7,888 on a high, 73% turnout, overturning the previous Tory majority of 8,183 Feb '97; despite 's telling Chapman not to bother unpacking his bags, since this had occurred in a seat never before won by Labour, the by-election was widely interpreted as the deathknell of Tory hopes for the ensuing general election nine weeks later; fighting the general election without the huge resources of the by- election, Chapman denied he had "been cut adrift on my own" and was re-elected with a similar majority and swing - 7,004 votes on a 15.4% swing from '92, one of the biggest in the country May '97; asked about the need to revise methods of calculating unemploymnent statistics and on the role of the Bank of in setting interest rates May '97; asked how many local young jobless would benefit from welfare-to-work proposals June '97; was named PPS to Richard Caborn June '97; was commended by Foreign Office Minister Derek Fatchett for his "real understanding of the situation in China" when he urged a vigorous pursuit of a new

1 Copyright © Parliamentary Profile Services Ltd. ‘Ben' (James Keith) CHAPMAN Labour WIRRAL SOUTH '97 (Mar)- relationship July '97; claimed that Liverpool's "image problem", born out of the past influence of Militant and poor labour relations in the '80s, was being overcome July '97; visited Korea for meeting of the UK-Korea Forum, courtesy of the Royal Institute of International Affairs Sep '97; loyally highlighted the 1.5b lost in the privatisation of Railtrack Dec '98; welcomed the National Lottery Bill as tightening up regulation of the Lottery, complaining that his constituency had been inequitably treated, ranking 628th in sums received Apr '98; pushed David Clark on millennium computer compliance in the Government Apr '98; urged increased trade with Turkey May '98; complained about "harassment and victimisation" of "vulnerable witnesses" June '98; welcomed proposed freedom of information legislation June '98; urged speedier establishment of out-of- school-hours clubs June '98; urged better management of further education, citing the Wirral Metropolitan College which had "managed to create considerable debt by over-grandiose ideas, by straight mismanagement and by creating over- dependence on European funding that did not continue", forcing campus closures July '98; welcomed increased funding for British Council July '98; visited Turkey as Chairman of the all-party British-Turkey Group, as guest of the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board Sep '98; urged retention of Objective 1 and assisted area status for Merseyside, given that its GDP per capita was three-quarters of that of EU as a whole Oct '98; posed loyalist question on the UK economy Dec '98; visited Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland Jan '99; sought encouragement for Government lawyers who did pro bono work Feb '99; loyally welcomed the "single work- focused gateway" in provision of social security benefits Feb '99; reported he had been supplied a selection of soft questions to pose to Health Secretary by Dobson's PPS Ann Keen, claiming he had selected a question on primary health care policy Feb '99; visited the Falklands as guest of its government Feb '99; welcomed shipbuilding orders for a local yard but urged restoration of Cammell Laird yard at Birkenhead Feb '99; complained about vandalised local churches Feb '99; urged better TV coverage of the Wirral Apr '99; welcomed relaxation of quarantine regulations for pets May '99; posed loyalist question on eradication of child poverty July '99; urged local grammar schools be "left well alone...if they ain't broke, they don't need fixing" Oct '99; initiated debate of Wirral fire service Mar '00; initiated debate on the drug gammahydroxybutyrate, calling for it to be banned following the death of a constituent who took it on top of lager and wine May '00; the OBSERVER revealed that his all-party Turkish Group was funded by Istanbul-based Foreign Economic Relations Board which lobbies for Turkish business interests backing the Balfour Beatty contract for the controversial Ilisu dam project, the export credits for which were the responsibility of DTI Minister Dick Caborn, to whom Chapman was linked as PPS; a DTI spokesman claimed Chapman had not discussed the project with Caborn July '00; he was re-elected with a slightly trimmed majority of 5,049 on a .9% swing to the Conservatives June '01; sought greater co- ordination and funding for Dee estuary conservation June '01; called for conditions of service for clergy July '01; PRIVATE EYE reported that his all-party China Group was funded by French engineering firm Alstrom and Prudential July '01; visited Washington as guest of British Midland Aug '01; visited Turkey as Chairman of the all-party Turkish Group as guest of the Turkish Government Dec '01; urged coordination of NW development agency with the post-devolution Welsh development agency to meet needs of the 'unitary' economy Dec '01; sought action on alcohol abuse involving binge drinking and young people Dec '01; protested cyclists riding on pavements with no lights Jan '02; opposed higher Mersey Tunnel tolls Jan '02; welcomed PFI in Wirral schools Feb '02; sought windfall tax on banks to provide private venture capital for small business "ripped-off" by the banks Mar '02; cited damaging effect on local manufacturing of the sterling-Euro exchange rate May '02; visited China as leader of all-party China Group delegation paid for by Chinese Government May '02; called for closer economic links with China June '02; urged A340 air tanker project for local Broughton plant June '02; queried availability of digital hearing aids June '02; led opposition to and voted against higher Mersey Tunnel tolls July '02;

2 Copyright © Parliamentary Profile Services Ltd. ‘Ben' (James Keith) CHAPMAN Labour WIRRAL SOUTH '97 (Mar)- urged bench marking of public service standards Oct 02; visited Hongkong as guest of its government Nov '02; sought more consultation on siting of mobile phone masts Nov '02; declared progress toward universal suffrage in Hongkong "inadequate" Nov '02; asked PM Blair for an assurance there would be no charging for NHS services Apr '03; visited Syria as guest of the British Syrian Society May-June '03; urged compensation for those ill from serving in Gulf War June '03; urged improved legislation on transsexual rights Aug '03; visited Singapore as guest of its government Sep '03; Born: 8 July 1940 , Kirkby Stephen Family: Son, late James Hartley Chapman, farm labourer, and late Elsie Vera (Bonsfield); m 1st '70, Jane Deirdre (Roffe); 3d: Bridget '71, Charlotte '73, Clare '75; divorced '84; m 2nd '99 Maureen (Kelly), formerly his tenant; Education: Appleby Grammar School, Westmorland; Occupation: Founder-Director, Ben Chapman Associates (consultancy on Far Eastern trade and investment) '95-; Director, China Gateway-Northwest '96-; on Advisory Board, China Technology Link '96-; Director, Wirral Chamber of Commerce '96-; Owner: of holiday flat and cottage in Appleby and a commercial rented leasehold property in Manchester; ex: Director for Trade and Industry, Government Office for the Northwest '94-95; Regional Director for the Northwest, DTI '93-94; Deputy Regional Director for the Northwest and Director for the Merseyside, DTI, '91-93; Commercial Counsellor, Beijing '87-90; Assistant Director, DTI '81-87; First Secretary (Economics), Accra '78-81; First Secretary (Commercial) Dar-es-Salaam '74-78; Board of Trade '70- 74; Rochdale Inquiry into Shipping '67-70; Ministry of Aviation/BAA '62-67; MPNI '58-62; Pilot Officer, RAFVR '59-61; Traits: Dapper in a double-breasted navy blue pin-stripe suit and nippy black moccasins, speaks BBC RP" (Polly Toynbee, INDEPENDENT); chubby jowls; well-manicured appearance; "diffident air", a "master of self-effacement" (Jon Hibbs, DAILY TELEGRAPH); "sometimes appears too reticent to be a politician" (Russell Jenkins, TIMES); "obscure" (PRIVATE EYE); enjoys opera, theatre, music, sculpture, football; Address: House of Commons, Westminster, London SW1A 0AA; Anvil Cottage, Village Road, Heswall, Wirral L60 0DZ; Telephone: 0207 219 3000 (H of C); 0151 342 7293;

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