Nick Palmer | |
|---|---|
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| Member of Parliament forBroxtowe | |
| In office 1 May 1997 – 12 April 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Lester |
| Succeeded by | Anna Soubry |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1950-02-05)5 February 1950 (age 75) City of Westminster,London, England |
| Political party | Labour |
| Alma mater | Copenhagen University Birkbeck, University of London Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Occupation | Medical computing |
| Profession | Computer scientist |
Nicholas Douglas Palmer (born 5 February 1950) is a British politician, translator and computer scientist. He was theLabour PartyMember of Parliament (MP) forBroxtowe inNottinghamshire from1997[1] until he lost the seat at the2010 general election toConservativeAnna Soubry, by 390 votes.
Described byAndrew Roth as "quietly effective",[2] he wasParliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to theMinister of State,Margaret Beckett, in theDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs until April 2005.[3] He then became PPS to theMinister of State,Malcolm Wicks, first in theDepartment of Trade and Industry, and later in theDepartment for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform until Wicks stood down in October 2008.[3]
Palmer's father was atranslator/editor and his mother was a languageteacher. He is the cousin ofAnthony Palmer, a former Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff.[citation needed]
Palmer attended International Schools inCopenhagen andVienna. He was awarded an MSc atCopenhagen University and a PhD inMathematics fromBirkbeck College,University of London. He also studied atMassachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he researchedartificial intelligence andlanguage translation.[1]
Palmer speaks sixlanguages, and has worked as a professionaltranslator ofDanish andGerman for theEuropean Commission and other clients.[4]
He was born with acleft palate and was the first such person to enterParliament.[1]
As acomputer scientist, he developed the COMPACTclinical trials package for theMedical Research Council. Joining theSwisspharmaceutical firmCiba-Geigy, he became head ofNovartisInternet Service when Ciba-Geigy merged with Sandoz to form Novartis.[1]
Palmer has written three books aboutboard wargames (The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming (1977),The Best of Board Wargaming (1980), andBeyond the Arcade: Adventures and Wargames on Your Computer (1984)). He designed and developed a computer game about theBattle of Britain, namedTheir Finest Hour.[5] Palmer still attends internationalconventions, winning theDiplomacychampionship at theWorld Boardgaming Championships in 2007,[6] as well as giving a seminar in 2008 comparing the traits needed to succeed in wargaming to the traits needed to succeed in politics.[7]
He co-founded and editedFlagship magazine in 1983, which focused onplay-by-mail games. A keen card player, he has represented theHouse of Commons atbridge.[8]
Palmer joined theLabour Party on his twenty-first birthday[1] and was selected as the Labour candidate for the ultra-safe Conservative seat ofChelsea in the1983 general election, as well as contesting theEast Sussex and Kent South seat at the1994 elections to the European Parliament. Prior to contesting Broxtowe, he edited and published a magazine to represent the views of ordinary Labour party members –Grass Roots.[9]
While an MP, he served on a number ofSelect committees including theEuropean Scrutiny Committee,[10] theNorthern Ireland Affairs Committee,[11] and theTreasury Committee.[12] and also served as a member of theJustice Committee.[13]
He suggestedTV Licence exemption for over-75s which was then adopted by the government, along with similar measures like free bus passes for the elderly.[14]
In January 1998, Palmer introduced a bill under theTen Minute Rule, amending the Firearms act 1968 and raising the age for possession of air weapons, especially to prevent malicious use against pets.[15][16][17]
In April 2000, he introduced a private member's bill to presume consent for organ donation,[18] a measure still being considered which could increase transplants by 25%.[19]
In January 2002, he introduced a 10-minute rule bill advocatingIdentity Cards[20] which was adopted by the Government. He subsequently brokered a deal to get the government's version through theLords.[21]
He campaigned for five years for bells to be fitted to all new bicycles in response to a petition from his constituents. A bill was passed making them compulsory from 1 May 2004.[22]
He introduced a bill aboutfine print, requiring a minimum size of print in documents, especially those relating to advertising and contracts.[23]
In December 2005, he introduced another 10-minute rule bill intended to ensure speed camera warning signs displayed the limit they enforced.[24]
In May 2008, he introduced an amendment to theHuman Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 requiring that "strictly neutral information" be provided in cases offoetal abnormality.[25] This was based on his parents' experience of the expert advice from pioneering surgeonArchibald McIndoe who successfully reconstructed his cleft palate.[26]
He gave speeches in the Commons on animal welfare issues[27][28][29] and in December 2009 he was one of 8 cross-party supporters of a bill introduced byNigel Waterson to "make provision for residents of care homes andsheltered accommodation to keep domestic pets in certain circumstances."[30]
Based on his experience as a computer software developer, he spoke against the terms of theDigital Economy Bill and joinedTom Watson andAustin Mitchell in leading a Labour rebellion against its third reading.[31]
Palmer belonged to anAll-Party Parliamentary Group onAnimal Welfare,Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments (FRAME) andWorld Government. He is a member of theEast Midlands Labour Group and serves on theExecutive of theLabour Friends of Israel. He helped organise the visit of theDalai Lama to Britain in 2008, organising meetings and a special exhibit of amandala in the House of Commons.[32]
With his secretary, Philipa Coughlan (with sons Nick and Sean) and fellow MP,Liz Blackman, he compiled a book ofrecipes favoured by MPs. For example,Tony Blair's recipe was forMeatball and Tomato Sauce while speakerBetty Boothroyd preferredStewed Oxtail. Nick Palmer's own recipe was for Swiss-style potatoes –Berner Roesti.[9]
Palmer was one of many new Labour MPs elected in what was a landslide election for Labour in 1997. He held the seat comfortably with an increased majority at the 2001 election, and again with a reduced majority in 2005 election. An opinion piece suggested that part of the reason that Palmer had held his seat was due to his high constituency work rate.[33] In the 2010 election, the seat was lost to the Conservative candidateAnna Soubry, reflecting a national swing.[34]
While an MP, he responded to a "very high" percentage of constituents' letters,[35] addressing matters of local concern such asopen-cast mining and the development of the localNottingham tramway[36][37] and in February 2008 he asked about "proposals to build on virtually the entire green belt" in Broxtowe atPrime Minister's Questions.[38] In June 2008 he asked theDepartment for Transport about the second phase of the tram/train trials.[39] He campaigned for and organised a bus service to linkKimberley with theNottingham tram at Phoenix Park.[40]
A month after losing his seat in the2010 general election, Palmer became the first ex-MP to sign on forunemployment benefit. He said this was partly to keep hisnational insurance contributions continuous and partly to explore for himself what the unemployment services are like.[41] Palmer described the experience as sensitive but said he had received plenty of helpful suggestions and was favourably impressed.[42] In September 2010, he became Director of International and Corporate Affairs for theBUAV.[43]
In September 2011 Palmer contributed to the bookWhat next for Labour?. He wrote two pieces, one entitled "Student Fees: A Constructive Response" and the other "Animal Welfare: The Neglected Swing Issue".[44] He is the patron ofCats Protection.[9] In August 2010, pursuing his interest in animal welfare, he joined theCruelty Free International as their Director of International and Corporate Relations.[45] He then joinedCompassion in World Farming to head the UK branch of the charity which campaigns for the welfare of farm animals.[46]
He stood again for the Broxtowe seat at the2015 general election but failed to regain the seat.[47] In September 2016 he intervened in the leadership battle betweenJeremy Corbyn andOwen Smith. Palmer described himself as one who considered the 1997–2010 Labour government as 'very successful' but 'blighted by the disaster of Iraq'. He called on members and parliamentarians to give Corbyn a 'decent chance'.[48]
On 2 May 2019, he was elected toWaverley Borough Council in the Godalming Binscombe Ward.[49] He led the Labour group on the council and chaired the local party, receiving an award for endurance on the 50th anniversary of his party membership.[46] He resigned from Waverley Council in August 2024 where he was said to have been "one of the most popular Waverley members".[50]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forBroxtowe 1997–2010 | Succeeded by |
