The history of Great Grimsby’s representation is a tale of oscillation between Labour and Conservative governance. Once one of the so called ‘rotten boroughs’ the constituency has in more recent times enjoyed some notable Labour MPs. 

Anthony Crossland
Anthony Crossland

Anthony ‘Tony” Crosland: represented Great Grimsby from 1959 until his death in 1977, a prominent Labour politician and intellectual. Born on August 29, 1918, and educated at Highgate School and then at Trinity College, Oxford, Tony was a major influence on the moderate wing of the Labour Party during the mid-20th century.

Tony held various cabinet posts, including Secretary of State for Education and Science, President of the Board of Trade, and Foreign Secretary. He is perhaps most well-known for his book “The Future of Socialism” (1956), in which he articulated a vision of socialism that broke from the traditional emphasis on nationalisation of industries and class struggle. Instead, Tony advocated for a reformed capitalism that would promote social welfare and reduce inequality.

Tony’s work as Secretary of State for Education was particularly influential; he made significant changes to the educational system, pushing for comprehensive education over the selective grammar school system.

Austin Mitchell
Austin Mitchell

Austin Mitchell: Austin served as the Member of Parliament for Great Grimsby from 1977 until his retirement in 2015. Before entering politics, he had a career in television, working as an anchor and journalist. Known for his colourful personality and unorthodox methods of advocacy, he once legally changed his name to “Austin Haddock” to highlight the challenges facing the UK’s fishing industry, particularly the deep-water fishing fleet.

One of his significant contributions to British politics was his role in the push to televise parliamentary proceedings. Austin was instrumental in the efforts to make the workings of the Parliament accessible to the public, thereby increasing transparency and accountability. He believed that televising parliamentary debates and proceedings would not only inform the public but also lead to a higher level of discourse among politicians.

Politically, Austin was a Eurosceptic, skeptical of the European Union and its influence over British sovereignty. He was also a member of the socialist campaign group, advocating for progressive policies and social justice.

Throughout his political career, Austin was a dedicated representative for Grimsby and a vocal advocate for the issues he believed in. 

Melanie Onn
Melanie Onn

Melanie Onn: Succeeded Austin, representing Labour from 2015 to 2019, she was the first woman to represent Great Grimsby in Parliament. Born on the Nunsthorpe Estate in Grimsby, Melanie graduated in Politics from Middlesex University before starting work as an administrator at the Labour Party. She was quickly promoted becoming the Head of Compliance and served in that role during the 1997-2010 Labour Gov’t. Melanie stood for the European Parliament in 2006 but her ambition was always to represent her home town in Westminster.  She served as Shadow Deputy Leader of the House and Shadow Housing Minister.  

Shona McIsaac
Shona McIsaac

Shona McIsaac: Held the seat from its creation in 1997 until 2010. Her tenure broke the mould, demonstrating that the seat was not unassailable for Labour. She won the Cleethorpes seat with a majority of over 9,000, defeating Michael Brown, the sitting MP for the predecessor seat of Brigg and Cleethorpes. She was re-elected in 2001 with a majority of 5,620, and again four years later, finishing over 2,000 votes ahead of her Conservative rival.

She served as a Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of State within the Department of Health.

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