Colin Pickthall

Who is Colin Pickthall?

Colin Pickthall in Dalton-in-Furness is a politician in the United Kingdom. He was Labour Member of Parliament for West Lancashire. He was first elected to the House of Commons in 1992, and retired at the 2005 general election.

Pickthall's father was a shipyard fitter. He attended Ulverston Grammar School, and the University of Wales, obtaining a B.A. Hons. English Literature and History. He then went on to the University of Lancaster, where he obtained an M.A. with the thesis "The Influence of Socialism on 20th. Century British Poetry." He became a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the Labour Party in 1963.

He married a Canadian, Judith Ann in 1973; they have two daughters, Alisoun and Jenny. He initially worked as an English lecturer in the Ruffwood Comprehensive School and Edge Hill College of H.E.

At the 1987 general election, Pickthall ran for Parliament in West Lancashire, but lost to a Conservative by 1353 votes. Later, in 1989, he won the Ormskirk seat on Lancashire County Council by a very small margin. However, this was sufficient for the Labour Party to take control of the County Council by one seat.