Tom McNally, Baron McNally

Tom McNally, Baron McNally, PC ( born February 20, 1943 in Blackpool ) is a British politician and the current Chief Whip of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords and Minister of State in the Ministry of Justice.

Youth and Education

McNally was born in Blackpool in an Irish Catholic family. He went there on the St Joseph 's College. He studied at University College London, where he was elected president of the debating club and as President of the Students Union.

Professional career

He first worked for the Fabian Society and was a full-time official of the Labour Party, where he worked as International Secretary. He was political adviser to the Secretary of State James Callaghan during the Cyprus conflict, before he became head of the Office of the Prime Minister, as Calghan successor Harold Wilson was.

Political career

In 1979 he was elected for the Labour Party in the House of Commons. In 1981, he was among the defectors to Social Democratic Party. In 1983 he was the SDP candidate in the constituency of Stockport, but only reached the third place. From 2007 he was president of the Liberal Democrat Party in Stockport. From 1993 he was director of public relations of Shandwick Consultants. On November 18, 1995 his elevation to Life Peer was announced. On December 20, he received the Letters Patent and the title of Baron McNally.

He acted as a group leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords from the session 2004/ 05 as the successor of Baroness Williams of Crosby.

In January 2006 he was involved in the resignation of Charles Kennedy with critical comments on the party leadership. McNally criticized Kennedy as dull and boring. In an interview on January 21, he said that he was addicted to alcohol since the 1980s.

In May 2010, after the formation of the Conservative- Liberal Democrat government Lord McNally was appointed Minister of State for Justice Kenneth Clarke under.

Family

Lord McNally is married and has two sons and a daughter.