Sir Norman Peter Lamb (born 16 September 1957) is a
British politician and solicitor. He was the
Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament (MP) for
North Norfolk
North Norfolk is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in Norfolk, England. Its council is based in Cromer, and the largest town is North Walsham. The district also includes the towns of Fakenham, Holt, Norfolk, Holt, Shering ...
from
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
to
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
, and was the chair of the
Science and Technology Select Committee from 2017 to 2019.
Lamb was a candidate in the
2015 Liberal Democrats leadership election. He served most recently as
Minister of State for Care and Support in the
Department of Health, and previously as
Minister of State for Employment Relations in the
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) was a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It was created by the Gordon Brown premiership on 5 June 2009 by the merger of the Department for Innovation, Uni ...
, and earlier as
Parliamentary Private Secretary to Deputy Prime Minister
Nick Clegg
Sir Nicholas William Peter Clegg (born 7 January 1967) is a British retired politician and media executive who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2015 and as Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2007 to 2015. H ...
in the
Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government.
Early life and career
Lamb was born in
Watford
Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne.
Initially a smal ...
, Hertfordshire, the son of climatologist Professor
Hubert Lamb and the great-grandson of the mathematician Sir
Horace Lamb. He went to
Wymondham College in Norfolk, then the
University of Leicester
The University of Leicester ( ) is a public university, public research university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park, Leicester, Victoria Park. The university's predecessor, Univ ...
, graduating with an
LLB.
Following his graduation, Lamb worked as a solicitor. He began to specialise in employment law whilst working for Steele and Co Solicitors (now called Steeles Law). His book, ''Remedies in the Employment Tribunal: Damages for Discrimination and Unfair Dismissal'' was published in 1998.
Lamb worked for a year as a researcher for Labour MP
Greville Janner in the early 1980s. A meeting with
Shirley Williams in Parliament at this time, shortly after the formation in 1981 of the
Social Democratic Party (SDP), spurred Lamb into front line active politics and he was elected to
Norwich City Council
Norwich City Council is the local authority for Norwich, a non-metropolitan district with city status in Norfolk, England. It consists of 39 councillors, elected to represent 13 wards, each with three councillors. It forms the lower tier of l ...
where he led the Liberal Democrat group until he stood down in 1991 in order to pursue his Westminster ambitions.
Parliamentary career
Having first stood for election at
North Norfolk
North Norfolk is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in Norfolk, England. Its council is based in Cromer, and the largest town is North Walsham. The district also includes the towns of Fakenham, Holt, Norfolk, Holt, Shering ...
in 1992, when the Conservative majority was reduced, he came close to a major shock at the 1997 general election, when he reduced a
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
majority of 12,545 to just 1,293 votes. He was finally elected in 2001, which was his third attempt for the seat; narrowly defeating the incumbent Conservative MP
David Prior by 483 votes. He was re-elected in 2005 with a significantly increased majority of 10,606 votes, despite a campaign by the Conservatives and their candidate
Iain Dale to unseat him in what was one of their foremost target seats. He was re-elected for a second time in 2010 with a majority of 11,626 votes.
Norman Lamb's first appointment, after being elected, was as a Liberal Democrat spokesman on International Development. Soon after this, he was chosen by then party leader
Charles Kennedy
Charles Peter Kennedy (25 November 19591 June 2015) was a British politician who served as Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1999 to 2006, and was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ross, Skye and Lochaber from 1983 to 2015.
Kennedy wa ...
to act as his Parliamentary Private Secretary. Following the 2005 general election, Lamb was promoted and appointed Liberal Democrat
Trade spokesman (2005–2006), securing the endorsement of the Liberal Democrat Spring 2006 Conference for a policy to partially privatise the
Royal Mail
Royal Mail Group Limited, trading as Royal Mail, is a British postal service and courier company. It is owned by International Distribution Services. It operates the brands Royal Mail (letters and parcels) and Parcelforce Worldwide (parcels) ...
, and to use the proceeds to invest in a publicly owned Post Office network. In March 2006, he moved to the post of Chief of Staff to the newly elected leader, Sir
Menzies Campbell
Walter Menzies Campbell, Baron Campbell of Pittenweem, (; born 22 May 1941), often known as Ming Campbell, is a Scottish politician, advocate and former athlete. A member of the Liberal Democrats, he was Member of Parliament (MP) for North ...
. In December 2006, he became the party's Health spokesman and was succeeded by
Ed Davey
Sir Edward Jonathan Davey (born 25 December 1965) is a British politician who has served as the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, leader of the Liberal Democrat party since 2020. He served in the Cameron–Clegg coalition as Secretary of State ...
as Campbell's Chief of Staff.
At the 2010 general election, Lamb was re-elected for a third time as MP for North Norfolk. Lamb secured a larger majority than before, both in percentage terms and in absolute votes. Following the formation of the
Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government in May 2010, Lamb was appointed a
Parliamentary Private Secretary to
Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The deputy prime minister of the United Kingdom is an honorific title given to a minister of the Crown and a member of the British Cabinet, normally to signify a very senior minister, the deputy leader of the governing party, or a key political ...
,
Nick Clegg
Sir Nicholas William Peter Clegg (born 7 January 1967) is a British retired politician and media executive who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2015 and as Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2007 to 2015. H ...
.
On 3 February 2012, Norman Lamb was promoted to the role of junior minister in the
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) was a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It was created by the Gordon Brown premiership on 5 June 2009 by the merger of the Department for Innovation, Uni ...
after
Ed Davey
Sir Edward Jonathan Davey (born 25 December 1965) is a British politician who has served as the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, leader of the Liberal Democrat party since 2020. He served in the Cameron–Clegg coalition as Secretary of State ...
was appointed
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change following the resignation of
Chris Huhne
Christopher Murray Paul Huhne (born 2 July 1954) is a British energy and climate change consultant, and former journalist, business economist and politician who was the Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Eastleigh ...
consequent on
his prosecution and
resignation from Parliament.
In January 2015, ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'' highlighted a £497,000 grant to upgrade
Sheringham railway station in Lamb's constituency as an example of non-essential money being spent in marginal coalition constituencies ahead of the
2015 general election and accused the government of "electioneering on the taxpayer". Lamb had announced the additional spend as "fantastic news" for the area, with Downing Street subsequently denying that either the funding or Lamb's role in announcing the funding was linked to electoral objectives.
At the
2015 general election, Lamb was returned to Parliament with a significantly reduced majority. At the same election, the Liberal Democrats were reduced to just eight seats and lost their status as the UK's official "third party", having been overtaken by the
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party (SNP; ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic party. The party holds 61 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, and holds 9 out of the 57 Scottish seats in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, ...
in terms of seats won.
Nick Clegg
Sir Nicholas William Peter Clegg (born 7 January 1967) is a British retired politician and media executive who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2015 and as Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2007 to 2015. H ...
resigned as Leader of the Liberal Democrats the following day, on 8 May. Lamb stood at the
subsequent Lib Dem leadership election, where he lost to
Tim Farron
Timothy James Farron (born 27 May 1970) is a British politician who served as Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2015 to 2017. He has been the Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Westmorland and Lonsdale since ...
on 16 July. Lamb was re-elected at the 2017 general election with a majority of 6.7%, an election in which he served as Farron's chief of staff.
On 12 July 2017, Lamb beat fellow Lib Dem MP
Jo Swinson
Joanne Kate Swinson (born 5 February 1980) is a former British politician who was Leader of the Liberal Democrats from July to December 2019. Swinson was Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for East Dunbartonshire ( ...
to become the Chair of the
Science and Technology Select Committee by 343 votes to Swinson's 222.
In April 2018, Lamb had a stroke which he attributed to long working days and not getting enough sleep. Shortly after the stroke, Lamb told the ''
Eastern Daily Press
The ''Eastern Daily Press'' (''EDP'') is a regional newspaper covering Norfolk, northern parts of Suffolk
Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to ...
'' that "There is no point killing myself. I've got to work smarter. When a doctor tells you about the importance of sleep you have to take notice ... I am kicking myself that I have allowed this to happen. I am determined to learn a lesson".
On 27 August 2019 Lamb announced he would not be seeking re-election and would stand down at the
next UK general election.
In 2018 Lamb became Vice-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Whistleblowing. On 24 October 2019 Lamb resigned from the group, writing to its secretariat "I do believe fundamentally in transparency and accountability to the public who ask questions."
Views
Lamb has expressed concern that the number of
GPs willing to work in
deprived areas is falling and Lamb would like doctors paid a patient premium to work with poor patients. Lamb said, "These figures
ndicating a fall in the numbers of doctors working in poor areasshow a really disturbing trend, particularly given that low-income areas were already under-doctored before this latest fall took place".
Brexit
Lamb was also concerned over public spending cuts and a possible
no-deal Brexit
A no-deal Brexit (also called a clean-break Brexit) was the potential Brexit, withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) without a withdrawal agreement. Under Withdrawal from the European Union, Article 50 o ...
, writing on
Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
in 2018: "Outrageous! A
homelessness
Homelessness, also known as houselessness or being unhoused or unsheltered, is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. It includes living on the streets, moving between temporary accommodation with family or friends, liv ...
crisis, care for elderly & disabled people close to collapse, funds for special needs children cut, people with mental ill health waiting far too long for treatment - and Gov spends billions on preparing for no deal Brexit which is completely avoidable!"
Following the
2019 General Election, Lamb said that he "largely fell out with the party in the period since
the referendum", and that the party's
position of reversing Brexit had become "more and more extreme". He left the Liberal Democrats in 2021.
Medical transparency
In his role as chair of the Science and Technology Committee, Lamb initiated measures that led to a significant improvement in medical research transparency in the UK.
Cannabis legalisation
Lamb has been an outspoken advocate for the legalisation of
cannabis in the UK. In 2018 he introduced a
Ten Minute Rule
The Ten Minute Rule, also known as Standing Order No. 23, is a procedure in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom for the introduction of Private members' bills in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, private member's bills in addition to ...
bill to legalise the drug, which was unsuccessful.
In 2019, as part of a BBC documentary, Lamb visited Canada and took
cannabis oil, where it is legal.
Personal life
He married Mary in 1984, and they have two sons. They live in
Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...
. Their son Archie Lamb was a co-founder of the independent record label
Takeover Entertainment which promoted
Tinchy Stryder
Kwasi Esono Danquah III ( ; born 14 September 1986), better known by his stage name Tinchy Stryder, is a British rapper, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and investor.
Stryder has released three solo studio albums, '' Star in the Hood'' (2007 ...
.
Lamb was
knighted in the
2019 Birthday Honours. He was appointed chair of
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, also known as SLaM, is an NHS foundation trust based in London, England, which specialises in mental health. It comprises four psychiatric hospitals (Bethlem Royal Hospital, Lambeth Hospital and t ...
in December 2019.
See also
*
Liberal Democrat frontbench team
The Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrats are a political party in the United Kingdom. While in Opposition (parliamentary), opposition, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats appoints a frontbench team of Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), ...
References
External links
* ''official constituency website''
Back Norman official 2015 party leadership campaign
Profileat the Liberal Democrats
*
Article archiveat ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
''
Profile: Norman Lamb ''
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
'', 17 October 2002
;Video clips
YouTubeExplaining Liberal Democrat health policy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lamb, Norman
1957 births
Living people
Alumni of the University of Leicester
British cannabis activists
Labour Party (UK) people
Councillors in Norfolk
Liberal Democrats (UK) councillors
Liberal Democrats (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
UK MPs 2001–2005
UK MPs 2005–2010
UK MPs 2010–2015
UK MPs 2015–2017
UK MPs 2017–2019
Knights Bachelor