Steve Bassam, Baron Bassam of Brighton explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Right Honourable
The Lord Bassam of Brighton
Honorific-Suffix:PC
Office:Shadow Spokesman for Sport, International Trade, Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Termstart:15 April 2020
Leader:Keir Starmer
Office1:Shadow Spokesman for Further and Higher Education
Leader1:Jeremy Corbyn
Keir Starmer
Termstart1:25 March 2019
Office2:Opposition Chief Whip of the House of Lords
Leader2:Harman, Miliband, Corbyn
Term Start2:11 May 2010
Term End2:24 January 2018
Predecessor2:The Baroness Anelay of St John's
Successor2:The Lord McAvoy
Office3:Chief Whip of the House of Lords
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms
Primeminister3:Gordon Brown
Term Start3:3 October 2008
Term End3:11 May 2010
Predecessor3:The Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
Successor3:The Baroness Anelay of St John's
Office4:Lord-in-waiting
Government Whip
Primeminister4:Blair, Brown
Term Start4:7 June 2001
Term End4:5 October 2008
Predecessor4:The Baroness Amos
Successor4:The Lord Tunnicliffe
Office5:Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Home Affairs
Primeminister5:Tony Blair
Term Start5:29 July 1999
Term End5:7 June 2001
Predecessor5:Kate Hoey
Successor5:Beverley Hughes
Office6:Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Term Start6:18 November 1997
Life Peerage
Birth Name:John Steven Bassam
Birth Date:11 June 1953
Birth Place:Hull, England, UK
Party:Labour and Co-operative
Alma Mater:University of Sussex
University of Kent

John Steven Bassam, Baron Bassam of Brighton, (born 11 June 1953) is a British Labour and Co-operative politician and a member of the House of Lords.

Background

Bassam grew up on a council estate in Great Bentley, Essex and went to the local boys secondary modern school in Pathfield Road, now Clacton Coastal Academy in Clacton-on-Sea. He then went to study at the universities of Sussex and Kent, where he received a Master's in social work. Bassam then began his career as a social worker at Camden London Borough Council. He moved on to other roles in local government, serving as an assistant secretary at the Association of Metropolitan Authorities, later the Local Government Association.[1]

Bassam was also a squatter and a committed far left anarchist during his early years in Brighton, where he founded a squatters union alongside anti-fascist anti-Zionist activist, Tony Greenstein, which campaigned for the rights of squatters to occupy empty properties and improve the conditions of the squats.[2]

In January 1976, Bassam led the opposition to the eviction of a family from a house on West Hill Road, saying "We will gladly vacate the premises if we are assured that the family at the top of the housing list is given the house to live in."[3]

Interviewed in 2013, he claimed that he would not support anyone who occupies someone else's home.[4]

Political career

Bassam became involved in local politics and was elected a Brighton councillor. He rose to become Leader of Brighton, then Brighton and Hove Council, from 1987 until 1999. He stood unsuccessfully for Parliament in Brighton Kemptown at the 1987 general election against the Conservative MP Andrew Bowden.

On 3 November 1997, he was created a life peer as Baron Bassam of Brighton, of Brighton in the County of East Sussex, and was introduced in the House of Lords on 18 November,[5] sitting on the Labour benches.

Bassam was promoted to the frontbenches as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Office in 1999. In 2001, he was appointed a Lord-in-waiting (Government whip in the Lords). He served in that role and as Government spokesman for the Home Office until 2008. During the same period he served at various times as Government spokesman for a number of other departments: Lord Chancellor's Department 2001–04, Cabinet Office 2001–07, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (subsequently Communities and Local Government) 2002–04, 2005–07, 2008, Attorney General's Office 2005–08, Transport 2007–08, Culture, Media and Sport 2008.

In 2008, Gordon Brown promoted him to the role of Labour Chief Whip, and therefore Government Chief Whip and Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms.[6] On 8 July 2009 he was made a Privy Councillor.[7] When Labour moved into Opposition in 2010, he became Opposition Chief Whip.

In December 2011 and January 2012, Bassam engaged in a vigorous debate on Twitter with Brighton and Hove Greens about budget cuts by the council's Green administration.[8]

2017 expenses scandal

In December 2017 a Daily Express article claimed that Lord Bassam wrongly "claimed £260,000 in second home allowance despite only having one house".[9] The article noted that "Lord Bassam, the Labour chief whip in the Lords and a key member of Jeremy Corbyn’s team, was also given over £40,000 of taxpayers’ cash to cover the costs of his commute. He insisted he has not breached any rules but has offered to pay back travel expenses from his Brighton home to Westminster." He agreed to stand down as Labour's Chief Whip in the House of Lords following the appointment of a successor. He also referred himself to the House of Lords Commissioner for Standards over the accusations.[10] [11]

The Commissioner found that Bassam had claimed both the Lords allowance and the Lords Office Holders Allowance for travel costs, but had done so mistakenly rather than dishonestly. The Commissioner also noted that "his mistakewas compounded by a degree of negligence in not reading the guidance provided to him."[12] The Committee for Privileges and Conduct asked that Bassam repay £15,737 in over-claimed travel allowance and write a letter of apology to the Committee.[13] Bassam stated he would resign as chief whip once a replacement had been elected.[14]

External links

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Notes and References

  1. News: Bassam elevated to working peerage . 7 August 1997 . . 29 November 2018.
  2. News: Hove MP calls for end to 'squatter rights' . . 19 September 2010 . 26 December 2013 .
  3. Book: d'Enno . Douglas . Brighton crime and vice, 1800-2000 . 2007 . Grub Street Publishers . 9781783408108.
  4. Web site: Bond . Daniel . Waugh . Paul . Playing at Lords . PoliticsHome.com . 6 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191206152316/https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/social-affairs/politics/house/71949/playing-lords . 6 December 2019 . 17 October 2013.
  5. House of Lords Journal, vol. 231, Tuesday 18 November 1997. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
  6. Web site: Lord Bassam of Brighton . House of Lords Information Office . 11 May 2012 . dead . https://archive.today/20120905192430/http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/john-bassam/26880 . 5 September 2012 . dmy-all .
  7. Web site: Privy Counsellors: Orders Approved at the Privy Council Held by the Queen at Buckingham Palace on 8th July 2009 . http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20101103140224/http://www.privy-council.org.uk/files/word/Draft%20List%208%20July%20.doc . dead . 3 November 2010 . 11 May 2012 . Privy Council Office.
  8. Web site: Bassam v Greens . Theargus.co.uk . 10 February 2012 .
  9. https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/887629/labour-expenses-scandal-lord-bassam-jeremy-corbyn-second-home
  10. News: Expenses scandal peer to quit top Labour job . Craig . Jon . . 7 December 2017 . 29 January 2019.
  11. News: Labour chief whip Lord Bassam is shamed into repaying expenses . Grew . Tony . 3 December 2017 . . London . subscription . 29 November 2018.
  12. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201719/ldselect/ldprivi/126/126.pdf
  13. News: Committee publishes report into the conduct of Lord Bassam . UK Parliament . House of Lords . 27 April 2018 . 29 January 2019.
  14. News: Lord Bassam resigns: Labour's Lords chief whip stands down after expenses row . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/lord-bassam-resigns-labour-chief-whip-expenses-latest-a8096131.html . 25 May 2022 . subscription . live . Kentish . Benjamin . . 6 December 2017 . 29 January 2019.