Nicholas Richard Ainger (born 24 October 1949) is a Welsh politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, previously

Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire ( ; ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and otherwise by the sea. Haverfordwest is the largest town and ...

, from 1992 to 2010. A member of the Labour Party, he served in government under

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He was Leader ...

from 1997 to 2007.

Early life

Ainger was born in

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...

in 1949, and was educated at the Netherthorpe Grammar School in

Staveley, Derbyshire Staveley is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England, along the banks of the River Rother, South Yorkshire, River Rother (5 miles) northeast of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Chesterfield, (5 miles) west of Clowne, ...

, and after leaving education in 1967 moved to

Milford Haven Milford Haven ( ) is a town and community (Wales), community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, an estuary forming a natural harbour that has been used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was ...

and became a dock worker at the Marine and Port Services of

Pembroke Dock Pembroke Dock () is a town and a community in Pembrokeshire, South West Wales, northwest of Pembroke on the banks of the River Cleddau. Originally Paterchurch, a small fishing village, Pembroke Dock town expanded rapidly following the constr ...

. He was a senior shop steward in the

Transport and General Workers' Union The Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU or T&G) was one of the largest general union, general trade unions in the United Kingdom and Ireland—where it was known as the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union (ATGWU)—with 900 ...

for 14 years whilst at the docks, and became elected to the former

Dyfed Dyfed () is a preserved county in southwestern Wales, covering the modern counties Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. It is mostly rural area with a coastline on the Irish Sea and the Bristol Channel. Between 1974 and 1996, Dyfed w ...

County Council, on which he served from 1981 until his election to Parliament in 1992.

Parliamentary career

Ainger was first elected for the seat of Pembrokeshire at the 1992 general election with a slender majority of 755. He re-elected in 1997 for the re-drawn seat of Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire with a majority of 9,621. From 1997 to 2001, Ainger served as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the

Wales Office The Wales Office (), known as the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales () between 2017 and 2024, is a department of His Majesty's Government. It replaced the former Welsh Office, which had extensive responsibility for governing Wales p ...

, previously the

Welsh Office The Welsh Office () was a department in the Government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Wales. It was established in April 1965 to execute government policy in Wales, and was headed by the Secretary of State for Wales, a post wh ...

, under Welsh Secretaries Ron Davies,

Alun Michael Alun Edward Michael (born 22 August 1943) is a Welsh Labour and Co-operative retired politician. He served as Secretary of State for Wales from 1998 to 1999 and then as the first First Secretary of Wales (later known as First Minister) and L ...

and Paul Murphy. He was promoted to a

Commons The commons is the cultural and natural resources accessible to all members of a society, including natural materials such as air, water, and a habitable Earth. These resources are held in common even when owned privately or publicly. Commons ...

Whip A whip is a blunt weapon or implement used in a striking motion to create sound or pain. Whips can be used for flagellation against humans or animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain, or be used as an audible cue thro ...

and

Lord Commissioner of the Treasury In the United Kingdom there are at least six Lords (or Ladies) Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, serving as a commission for the ancient office of Treasurer of the Exchequer. The board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second ...

in 2001. In 2005, he was appointed

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (), often referred to simply as the Welsh Office Minister, is a junior ministerial post (of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State rank) in the Government of the United Kingdom, supporting the ...

, a position he held until

departed office in 2007. Ainger spent the remainder of his tenure in Parliament as a backbencher, serving on the

Treasury Select Committee The House of Commons Treasury Committee (often referred to as the Treasury Select Committee) is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The committee is responsible for examining and scrutinizing the ...

from November 2007 to May 2010. He campaigned on fuel poverty and better regulation of the banking industry. At the 2010 general election, Ainger was defeated by the

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 ...

candidate

Simon Hart Simon Anthony Hart, Baron Hart of Tenby (born 15 August 1963) is a British Conservative politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire from 2010 to 2024. He served as the Chief Whip of the H ...

External links

Nick Ainger
''official website'' *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ainger, Nick UK MPs 1992–1997 UK MPs 1997–2001 UK MPs 2001–2005 UK MPs 2005–2010 Welsh Labour MPs Politicians from Sheffield 1949 births Living people Members of Dyfed County Council Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Pembrokeshire constituencies Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Carmarthenshire constituencies