Piers Merchant
Piers Rolf Garfield Merchant (2 January 1951 – 21 September 2009) was a British Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Newcastle upon Tyne Central from 1983 to 1987, and then MP for Beckenham from 1992 until he resigned in October 1997 following a scandal. Education Merchant was educated at Nottingham High School and the University of Durham, where he studied law and politics. He then worked for nine years at ''The Journal'' (Newcastle). Political career Merchant was first elected to the House of Commons at the 1983 general election for the Newcastle Central constituency, but lost his seat in the 1987 general election. He returned to parliament as the MP for Beckenham at the 1992 general election. He was caught by ''The Sun'' romancing with a teenage nightclub hostess on a park bench in south-east London. He resigned in 1997 following allegations that he was having an affair with his researcher. He later claimed that the whole af ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Newcastle Upon Tyne Central
Newcastle upon Tyne Central was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 2010 until its abolition for the 2024 general election by Chi Onwurah of the Labour Party. As with all constituencies since 1950, the constituency elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years. Under the 2023 periodic review of Westminster constituencies, the majority of the seat was included in the new constituency of Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West. History Parliament created this seat under the Representation of the People Act 1918 for the general election later that year. It was one of four divisions of the parliamentary borough of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, which had previously been represented by one two-member seat. The constituency covered the central part of Newcastle upon Tyne, being one of three constituencies in the city. Between 1983 and 2010, the seat did not actually include the city's co ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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1992 United Kingdom General Election
The 1992 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday 9 April 1992, to elect List of MPs elected in the 1992 United Kingdom general election, 651 members to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons. The governing Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party led by Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister John Major won a fourth consecutive election victory, with a majority of 21. This would be the last time that the Conservatives would win an overall majority at a general election until 2015 United Kingdom general election, 2015 and the last general election to be held on a day which did not coincide with any local elections until 2017 United Kingdom general election, 2017. This election result took many by surprise, as opinion polling leading up to the election day had shown a narrow but consistent lead for the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party under leader Neil Kinnock during a period of recession and declining living standards. John Major ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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2009 Deaths
This is a list of lists of deaths of notable people, organized by year. New deaths articles are added to their respective month (e.g., Deaths in ) and then linked below. 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 Earlier years ''Deaths in years earlier than this can usually be found in the main articles of the years.'' See also * Lists of deaths by day * Deaths by year (category) {{DEFAULTSORT:deaths by year ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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1951 Births
Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the United Kingdom announces abandonment of the Tanganyika groundnut scheme for the cultivation of peanuts in the Tanganyika Territory, with the writing off of £36.5M debt. * January 11 – In the U.S., a top secret report is delivered to U.S. President Truman by his National Security Resources Board, urging Truman to expand the Korean War by launching "a global offensive against communism" with sustained bombing of Red China and diplomatic moves to establish "moral justification" for a U.S. nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. The report will not not be declassified until 1978. * January 15 – In a criminal court in West Germany, Ilse Koch, The "Witch of Buchenwald", wife of the commandant of the Buchenwald concentration camp, is sentenced to li ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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1997 Beckenham By-election
A by-election in Beckenham, England, was called in 1997 when the sitting Member of Parliament, Piers Merchant (Conservative), resigned from Parliament on 21 October 1997. The Conservatives held the seat, with Jacqui Lait winning the by-election on 20 November. Background Piers Merchant had been under pressure during the May 1997 general election after tabloid newspaper stories about his relationship with a bar hostess whom he had employed as a researcher, but he had denied any impropriety, and retained the confidence of his local association. His resignation on 21 October was caused by further newspaper stories and video footage which confirmed that his denial had been misleading. He accepted the office of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead. At the by-election, the Conservatives selected Jacqui Lait, who had lost her seat at Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of E ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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1997 United Kingdom General Election
The 1997 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday, 1 May 1997. The governing Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party led by Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister John Major was defeated in a Landslide victory, landslide by the opposition Labour Party (UK), Labour Party led by Tony Blair, achieving a 179-seat majority and a total of 418 seats. This was the first victory for the Labour party in a general election in nearly 23 years, its previous one registering a majority of 3 seats in October 1974 United Kingdom general election, October 1974 under the leadership of Harold Wilson. It was also Labour's first comprehensive victory over the Conservatives since the 1966 United Kingdom general election, 1966 election, which had produced a 100-seat majority. This election also marked Labour's highest vote share since the 1970 United Kingdom general election, 1970 election and its second highest total number of votes in history (the largest being the 1951 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, typically blood tests that check for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. Those with high levels of PSA in their blood are at increased risk for developing prostate cancer. Diagnosis requires a prostate biopsy, biopsy of the prostate. If cancer is present, the pathologist assigns a Gleason score; a higher score represents a more dangerous tumor. Medical imaging is performed to look for cancer that has spread outside the prostate. Based on the Gleason score, PSA levels, and imaging results, a cancer case is assigned a cancer staging, stage 1 to 4. A higher stage signifies a more advanced, more dangerous disease. Most prostate tumors remain small and cause no health problems. These are managed with active surveillance of prostate cancer, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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North Devon
North Devon is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in Devon, England. Its council is based just outside Barnstaple, the district's largest town. The district also includes the towns of Ilfracombe, Lynton and Lynmouth and South Molton along with numerous villages, seaside resorts and surrounding rural areas. The east of the district includes part of the Exmoor National Park, and the district's coast is also recognised for its natural beauty, forming part of the North Devon Coast, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The district borders Torridge District, Torridge to the south-west, Mid Devon to the south-east, and the neighbouring county of Somerset to the east. The term "North Devon" can also be used to describe a wider geographic area than the local government district, often including neighbouring Torridge District, based in Bideford. History The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The new district covered the area ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Great Torrington
Great Torrington (often abbreviated to Torrington, though the villages of Little Torrington and Black Torrington are situated in the same region) is a market town in Devon, England. Parts of it are sited on high ground with steep drops down to the River Torridge below, with the lower-lying parts of the town prone to occasional flooding. Torrington is in the centre of Tarka Country, a landscape captured by Henry Williamson in his novel ''Tarka the Otter'' in 1927. Great Torrington has one of the most active volunteering communities in the United Kingdom. In July 2019, Great Torrington was reported to be the healthiest place to live in Britain. Researchers from the University of Liverpool found that the area had low levels of pollution, good access to green space and health services, along with few retail outlets. History There were Iron Age and medieval castles and forts in Torrington, located on the Castle Hill, Torrington, Castle Hill. Great Torrington had strategic sign ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Devon County Council
Devon County Council is the county council administering the English county of Devon. The council is based at Devon County Hall in the city of Exeter. The area administered by the county council is termed the non-metropolitan county, which is smaller than the ceremonial county; the non-metropolitan county excludes Plymouth and Torbay. The population of the non-metropolitan county was estimated at 795,286 in 2018, making it the most populous local authority in South West England. Devon is an area with "two-tier" local government, meaning that the county is divided into non-metropolitan districts carrying out less strategic functions, such as taking most planning decisions. There are eight such districts in the county council's area, each with its own district, borough, or city council. History Administration Devon County Council was established in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888, which created elected county councils to take over the administrative functions previ ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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North East England (European Parliament Constituency)
North East England was a constituency of the European Parliament. It elected 3 Members of the European Parliament, MEPs using the D'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation, until the Brexit, UK exit from the European Union on 31 January 2020. Boundaries The constituency corresponded to the North East England region of the United Kingdom, comprising the ceremonial counties of Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham and parts of North Yorkshire. History The constituency was formed as a result of the European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999, replacing a number of single-member constituencies. These were Durham (European Parliament constituency), Durham, Northumbria (European Parliament constituency), Northumbria, Tyne and Wear (European Parliament constituency), Tyne and Wear, and parts of Cleveland and Richmond (European Parliament constituency), Cleveland and Richmond. Returned members Election results Elected candidates are shown in bold. Br ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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United Kingdom Independence Party
The UK Independence Party (UKIP, ) is a Eurosceptic, right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. The party reached its greatest level of success in the mid-2010s, when it gained two Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), members of parliament (both through defections) and was the largest party representing the UK in the European Parliament. The party is currently led by Nick Tenconi, the Chief operating officer, COO of Turning Point UK. UKIP originated as the Anti-Federalist League, a somewhat single-issue Eurosceptic party established in London by Alan Sked in 1991. It was renamed ''UKIP'' in 1993, but its growth remained slow. It was largely eclipsed by the Eurosceptic Referendum Party until the latter's 1997 dissolution. In 1997, Sked was ousted by a faction led by Nigel Farage, who became the party's preeminent figure. In 2006, Farage officially became leader and, under his direction, the party adopted a wider policy platform and capitalised on concerns abou ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |