Sir George Howarth was elected as the Labour MP for Knowsley North in a 1986 by-election, being reelected for Knowsley in 2019 with a stunning majority of 39,942.
The constituency of Knowsley is found in Merseyside surrounding the city of Liverpool to the west. It includes the communities of Huyton, Kirby, Knowsley, and Roby. This area is widely regarded as being one of the most deprived in the county. This seat has been represented by Labour ever since the Second World and once constituted the constituency represented by the former Labour Prime Minister, Harold Wilson. In the 2017 General Election, by percentage majority, this was the safest seat for any party in the UK. In 2019, a massive four out of five voters here backed Labour.
Howarth was formerly a junior Minister in the last Labour Government. He was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office between 1997 and 1999, and Under Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office between 1999 and 2001. He was knighted in 2019.
In June 2023, Sir George announced that he would be stepping down from Westminster at the next election.
Born on Merseyside in 1949, Howarth was educated at Huyton Secondary School, Kirkby College of Further Education, Liverpool Polytechnic and the University of Salford. He previously worked as an engineer and as a teacher.
In 1980 he joined Cooperative Development Services (CDS) and was appointed Chief Executive of the Wales Cooperative Centre in 1982, holding that position until entering the House of Commons in 1986.
Howarth was elected as a councillor to the Huyton District Council in 1971 and served in its successor, Knowsley Borough Council, until 1986. He became the council’s deputy leader.
Howarth supported Owen Smith in his 2016 challenge to then Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn. He backed Jess Phillips in the 2020 Labour leadership election.
Sir George Howarth is Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Pancreatic Cancer; Cyber Security; Dairy; Diabetes; Digital Identity; Eating Disorders; Fire Safety and Rescue; International Freedom of Religion or Belief; and the Liverpool City Region.
Howarth is married, and employs his wife as Office Manager.
Email: george.howarth.mp@parliament.uk
Personal Website: http://www.georgehowarth.org.uk
Twitter: twitter.com/georgehowarthmp
