Chris Williamson (politician)
Christopher Williamson (born 16 September 1956) is a British politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Derby North from 2010 to 2015[4] and again from 2017[5] to 2019.[6] He was Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government from October 2010 to October 2013.[5] Williamson was a local councillor in Derby, representing the Normanton ward from 1991 until 2011. [7] He was twice leader of Derby City Council.
Chris Williamson | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2017 | |
| Deputy Leader of the Workers Party of Britain | |
| Assumed office 13 December 2023 Serving with Andy Hudd and Peter Ford | |
| Leader | George Galloway |
| Preceded by | Joti Brar |
| Shadow Minister for Fire and Emergency Services | |
| In office 3 July 2017 – 11 January 2018 | |
| Leader | Jeremy Corbyn |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Karen Lee |
| Member of Parliament for Derby North | |
| In office 8 June 2017 – 6 November 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Amanda Solloway |
| Succeeded by | Amanda Solloway |
| In office 6 May 2010 – 30 March 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Bob Laxton |
| Succeeded by | Amanda Solloway |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Christopher Williamson 16 September 1956[1] Derby, Derbyshire, England |
| Political party | Workers Party of Britain (since 2023)[2] |
| Other political affiliations |
|
| Spouse(s) | Lonny Wilsoncroft (m. 1997; died 2004) |
| Domestic partner | Maggie Amsbury[3] |
| Alma mater | Leicester Polytechnic |
In February 2019, Williamson was suspended from the Labour Party for his comments about how the party's responded to criticism over its handling of allegations of antisemitism within the party.[8] After an investigation, Williamson was reinstated in June 2019 with a formal warning.[9] He was suspended again two days later when the party decided to review the disciplinary decision.[10] In October 2019, Williamson won a High Court challenge to the legality of the review of the decision[11] but similar charges had been made on 3 September 2019, involving a further suspension; the High Court ruled the Labour Party's disciplinary procedure with regard to these charges should run its course. Labour's National Executive Committee blocked Williamson from standing as a Labour candidate in the 2019 general election.[12] He resigned from the Labour Party and stood as an Independent, losing the seat and his deposit.[13]
In July 2023, he joined the Workers Party of Britain. He was elected one of their deputy leaders in December 2023.[14]