Kenneth Purchase (8 January 1939 – 28 August 2016) was a British

Labour Co-operative Labour and Co-operative Party (often abbreviated to Labour Co-op; ) is a description used by candidates in United Kingdom elections who stand on behalf of both the Labour Party and the Co-operative Party. Candidates contest elections under an el ...

politician who served as Member of Parliament for

Wolverhampton North East Wolverhampton North East is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. It is represented by Sureena ...

from 1992 to 2010.

Early life

He attended Springfield Secondary Modern School (became Woden Primary School) on Springfield Road in Wolverhampton. At

Wolverhampton Polytechnic The University of Wolverhampton is a public university in Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, England, located on four campuses across the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, Shropshire and Staffordshire. Originally founded in 1827 as the Wolverham ...

, (now

Wolverhampton University The University of Wolverhampton is a public university in Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, England, located on four campuses across the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, Shropshire and Staffordshire. Originally founded in 1827 as the Wolverham ...

) he gained a BA in Social Science. Ken worked as a

co-operative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, coöperative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democr ...

development officer. He was an apprentice toolmaker in the foundry industry from 1956–60 at the firm of Arthur Shaw & Company at

Willenhall Willenhall is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, Walsall district, in the county of the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England, with a population taken at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census of 49,587. It is ...

From 1960–8, he worked in experimental component development in the aerospace industry. From 1968–76, he was a toolroom machinist in the car industry. He worked in the property division of Telford Development Corporation. From 1981–2, he was a housing officer in the Housing Department of

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council Walsall Council, formally Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council, is the Local government in England, local authority for the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. The town of Walsall had been a Bo ...

. From 1982–92, he was a Business Development Advisor at Black Country CDA Ltd. He was a councillor on Wolverhampton Metropolitan Borough Council from 1970–90.

Parliamentary career

He unsuccessfully contested Wolverhampton North East in

1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...

, before winning at the next general election in

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

. He served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to

Robin Cook Robert Finlayson "Robin" Cook (28 February 19466 August 2005) was a British Labour Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1974 until his death in 2005 and served in the Cabinet as Foreign Secretary from 1997 until ...

for six years. On 27 October 2007 Purchase announced his intention to retire at the next general election.

Personal life

He married Brenda Sanders on 20 August 1960 in

Rowley Regis Rowley Regis ( ) is a town and former municipal borough in Sandwell in the county of the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It forms part of the area immediately west of Birmingham known as the Black Country and encompasses the fou ...

. They had two daughters, Samantha and Lisa, who survived him. He died in August 2016 aged 77 and was cremated at

Bushbury Bushbury is a suburban village and ward in the City of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands, England. It lies two miles north-east of Wolverhampton city centre, divided between the Bushbury North and Bushbury South and Low Hill wards. Bushbury ...

Crematorium, Wolverhampton.

References

External links

Guardian Unlimited Politics – Ask Aristotle: Ken Purchase MP

TheyWorkForYou.com – Ken Purchase MP
*
BBC Politics

Ken Purchase
official site

News items

Dog owners in May 2002
{{DEFAULTSORT:Purchase, Ken 1939 births 2016 deaths Labour Co-operative MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1992–1997 UK MPs 1997–2001 UK MPs 2001–2005 UK MPs 2005–2010 Politicians from Wolverhampton Alumni of the University of Wolverhampton Councillors in Wolverhampton