Terry Rooney


Terence Henry Rooney is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Bradford North from 1990 to 2010. His constituency was abolished in boundary changes for the 2010 general election, when he was defeated in the new Bradford East seat by the Liberal Democrat candidate David Ward.

Early life and career

Rooney has lived all his life in Bradford. He has been a local Councillor and was Deputy Leader of the Council until winning the Bradford North seat at a by-election in 1990
Terry Rooney was born in Bradford in 1950. He went to Buttershaw Comprehensive School and then to Bradford College where he was awarded a Diploma in Higher Education. Before being elected as the Member of Parliament for Bradford North in a by-election in November 1990, Terry was a welfare rights adviser at the Bierley Community Centre. He was also a Bradford City Councillor from 1983–91 where he was Chair of the Labour Group from 1988–91 and Deputy Leader of the Council from 1990–91.

Member of Parliament

In Parliament, Rooney was Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee from 2005 to 2010. Other posts he held included:
Rooney's main political interests are the welfare state, public sector housing, poverty and industrial relations. He is an active trade unionist and a member of Amicus and UNISON. He was Chair of the Amicus Parliamentary Group. Rooney is a firm supporter of the retention of first-past-the-post for Westminster and has also supported more directly redistributive tax and spend policies.

Personal life

He is married to Susanne Rooney and they have three children and nine grandchildren.
Rooney is an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Until his defeat in 2010 he was the only member of the church in the British Parliament.