Mark Tami

Mark Richard Tami (born 3 October 1962) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Alyn and Deeside since 2001.

The Right Honourable Mark Tami MP
Tami in 2020
Opposition Pairing Whip
Incumbent
Assumed office 11 October 2010
Leader	Ed Miliband Harriet Harman Jeremy Corbyn Keir Starmer
Preceded by	Position Established
Member of Parliament for Alyn and Deeside
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 June 2001
Preceded by	Barry Jones
Majority	213 (0.5%)
Personal details
Born	Mark Richard Tami 3 October 1962 Enfield, England
Nationality	British
Political party	Labour
Spouse(s)	Sally Daniels Tami
Children	2
Alma mater	University of Wales, Swansea
Website	Official website

Early life

Born in Enfield, north London, Tami was educated at Enfield Grammar School and graduated in history at the University of Wales, Swansea. He was previously National Head of Policy of the union Amicus (previously the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union.[1]

Parliamentary career

Tami in 2017

Tami was first elected as MP for Alyn and Deeside in 2001 with a majority of 9,222, following the decision of the seat's former MP Stephen Barry Jones to step down from Parliament.

Tami was returned again as MP for Alyn and Deeside at the 2005 general election, with a reduced majority. He resigned his post as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Dawn Primarolo on 6 September 2006, due to the refusal by Tony Blair to name a date for stepping down as Prime Minister.[2] He was joined by future Deputy Leader of the Labour Party Tom Watson and fellow Welsh MPs Ian Lucas and Wayne David in resignation.[3]

Tami was promoted by Gordon Brown in July 2007 to a whip.[4] In the 2010 general election, Tami was re-elected for a third time, however with a further reduced majority of 2,919.[5] Following the election, Labour leader Ed Miliband made Tami Pairing Whip.

Tami was re-elected as MP for Alyn and Deeside on 7 May 2015 at the general election with a slightly increased majority from 2010. In the 2017 general election, Tami was returned with a vastly increased majority of 5,235 votes and a 52.1% share of the vote.[6]

In November 2018 he was appointed to the Privy Council.

Tami is the Chair of the All-party parliamentary group on Stem Cell Transplantation.

On Thursday 12 December 2019, Tami was the only Labour MP in North Wales not to lose his seat, narrowly beating the Conservative candidate Sanjoy Sen by just 213 votes, falling from a majority of over 5000 in the previous election.

In March 2020, Tami led a cross-party campaign to end the 9-week wait without income for people on Universal Credit when they reach state pension age. Tami's campaign successfully persuaded the government to change the law, winning 200,000 pensioners over £70 million.[7]

Expenses

During the MPs expenses scandal Tami was one of a number of MPs accused by the Daily Telegraph of over-claiming on council tax expenses for their second home. Tami said, "I will go back and calculate the exact level I have over-claimed in error and repay the sum involved". Tami was alleged to have claimed £1500[8] more than he should have, although the actual figure was £996.70,[9] for council tax on his London home.[10]

Personal life

He married Sally Daniels in July 1994 in Bromley and they have two sons. They live in Llanfynydd having lived in Bromley for many years. He is a former member of the TUC General Council and an active member of the Fabian Society.[11]

Tami's eldest son, Max, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in 2007 at age 9.[12] Max made a full recovery following intensive chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant at Alder Hey Children's Hospital.[13] Tami has repeatedly called for the Government to do more to help cancer patients and their families, including providing appropriate psychological support.[14]

Styles

• Mr Mark Richard Tami (3 October 1962 – 7 June 2001)
• Mr Mark Richard Tami MP (7 June 2001 – 23 November 2018)
• The Right Honourable Mark Richard Tami MP (23 November 2018 – Current)[15]

References

1. Profile Archived 6 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, votetami.marktami.co.uk; accessed 8 May 2015.
2. "Seven MPs resign posts over Blair departure". The Independent. 6 September 2006. Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
3. "Resignations and threats:the plot to oust the Prime Minister". The Guardian. 7 September 2006. Archived from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
4. "Rt Hon Mark Tami MP". UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
5. "BBC NEWS – Election 2010 – Alyn & Deeside". BBC News. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
6. "Alyn and Deeside remains in Labour hands after impressive election win". Deeside.com.
7. "Universal Credit: Government spends £70m to overturn 'nine-week wait' between benefit and state pension payment". The Independent. 5 March 2020. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
8. Watt, Robert Winnett and Holly (19 June 2009). "MPs' expenses: MPs made inflated council tax claims". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 27 October 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
9. Live, North Wales (1 July 2009). "Labour MP Mark Tami has paid back almost £1,000 he mistakenly claimed for council tax on his designated London Home". northwales. Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
10. "MPs' expenses: MPs made inflated council tax claims". Daily Telegraph. 19 June 2009. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
11. Profile Archived 6 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, votetami.marktami.co.uk; accessed 8 May 2015.
12. Live, North Wales (20 August 2007). "MP Mark Tami's son fights leukaemia". northwales. Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
13. "MP Mark Tami calls on Government to ensure children with cancer not left behind". 10 January 2013. Archived from the original on 13 June 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
14. PoliticsHome.com (22 November 2018). "Mark Tami MP: When it comes to cancer, survival is only the first battle". PoliticsHome.com. Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
15. "Knighthood conferred and Privy Council Appointments: November 2018". 23 November 2018. Archived from the original on 24 November 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2018.

External links

• Mark Tami MP Welsh Labour Party profile
• Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005
• Voting record at Public Whip
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou