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==Israel-Palestine conflict==
==Israel-Palestine conflict==
On 25 January 2013 he was reprimanded by his party, the Liberal Democrats, for criticising [[Israel]]'s treatment of [[Palestinians]] by seemingly comparing it to [[The Holocaust]]<ref>http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tobyyoung/100200145/lid-dem-mp-david-wards-grotesque-caricature-of-israel-and-the-jews-is-all-too-common-on-the-liberal-left/</ref> on his website on the day he signed a memorial book in the [[British House of Commons]] marking [[Holocaust Memorial Day (UK)|Holocaust Memorial Day]].<ref name="Condemn">{{cite news | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21194991 | title=Lib Dems condemn MP's criticism of Israel ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day | work=[[BBC News]] | date=25 January 2013 | accessdate=25 January 2013}}</ref> His comments, which criticised "the Jews" for "inflicting atrocities on the Palestinians",<ref>{{cite web|last=Ward|first=David|title=Bradford MP condemns Israel for treatment of Palestinians on the day he signs the Holocaust Memorial Day Book of Commitment|url=http://davidward.org.uk/en/article/2013/654457/bradford-mp-condemns-israel-for-treatment-of-palestinians-on-the-day-he-signs-the-holocaust-memorial-day-book-of-commitment|accessdate=26 January 2013}}</ref> were described by critics{{who|date=January 2013}} as "racist" and "[[antisemitism|antisemitic]]".<ref>{{cite news|last=Quinn|first=Ben|title=Lib Dem MP David Ward defends remarks about Israel|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/jan/25/lib-dem-david-ward-israel|accessdate=26 January 2013|newspaper=The Guardian|date=25 January 2013}}</ref> While defending his comments, Ward suggested that Jews had not learned from their persecution in the [[Second World War]] and were now persecuting others, saying "it appears that the suffering by the Jews has not transformed their views on how others should be treated.". In response, a Liberal Democrat spokesman was quoted<ref name="Condemn"/> as saying: "This is a matter we take extremely seriously. The Liberal Democrats deeply regret and condemn the statement issued by David Ward and his use of language which is unacceptable." [[Karen Pollock]], chief executive of the [[Holocaust Educational Trust]], also attacked Ward but avoided commenting on the Palestine issue, saying: "I am deeply saddened that at this sombre time, when we remember those who were murdered by the Nazis, Mr Ward has deliberately abused the memory of the Holocaust causing deep pain and offence – these comments are sickening and unacceptable and have no place in British politics".<ref>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2268344/Lib-Dem-MP-David-Ward-kicked-party-suggesting-Jews-learned-lessons-Holocaust.html#ixzz2J4rNEeDM</ref>
On 25 January 2013 he signed a memorial book in the [[British House of Commons]] marking [[Holocaust Memorial Day (UK)|Holocaust Memorial Day]]<ref name="Condemn">{{cite news | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21194991 | title=Lib Dems condemn MP's criticism of Israel ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day | work=[[BBC News]] | date=25 January 2013 | accessdate=25 January 2013}}</ref> and also published a blog on his website, criticising "the Jews" for "inflicting atrocities on the Palestinians",<ref>{{cite web|last=Ward|first=David|title=Bradford MP condemns Israel for treatment of Palestinians on the day he signs the Holocaust Memorial Day Book of Commitment|url=http://davidward.org.uk/en/article/2013/654457/bradford-mp-condemns-israel-for-treatment-of-palestinians-on-the-day-he-signs-the-holocaust-memorial-day-book-of-commitment|accessdate=26 January 2013}}</ref> comparing [[Israel]]'s treatment of [[Palestinians]] to [[The Holocaust]].<ref>http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tobyyoung/100200145/lid-dem-mp-david-wards-grotesque-caricature-of-israel-and-the-jews-is-all-too-common-on-the-liberal-left/</ref> His comments were described as "racist" and "[[antisemitism|antisemitic]]"<ref>{{cite news|last=Quinn|first=Ben|title=Lib Dem MP David Ward defends remarks about Israel|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/jan/25/lib-dem-david-ward-israel|accessdate=26 January 2013|newspaper=The Guardian|date=25 January 2013}}</ref> and he was reprimanded by his party, the Liberal Democrats.<ref name="Condemn"/>
On 25 January 2013 Ward had suggested that Jews had not learned from their [[Holocaust|persecution in the Second World War]] and were now persecuting others, saying "it appears that the suffering by the Jews has not transformed their views on how others should be treated". In response, a Liberal Democrat spokesman was quoted<ref name="Condemn"/> as saying: "This is a matter we take extremely seriously. The Liberal Democrats deeply regret and condemn the statement issued by David Ward and his use of language which is unacceptable." [[Karen Pollock]], chief executive of the [[Holocaust Educational Trust]], also attacked Ward but avoided commenting on the Palestine issue, saying: "I am deeply saddened that at this sombre time, when we remember those who were murdered by the Nazis, Mr Ward has deliberately abused the memory of the Holocaust causing deep pain and offence – these comments are sickening and unacceptable and have no place in British politics".<ref>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2268344/Lib-Dem-MP-David-Ward-kicked-party-suggesting-Jews-learned-lessons-Holocaust.html#ixzz2J4rNEeDM</ref>

On 26 January 2013 Ward apologised, saying "I never for a moment intended to criticise or offend the Jewish people as a whole, either as a race or as a people of faith, and apologise sincerely for the unintended offence which my words caused." He added: "I recognise, of course, the deep sensitivities of these issues at all times, and particularly on occasions of commemoration such as this weekend."
But he said that his criticisms "of actions since 1948 in the Palestinian territories in the name of the state of Israel remain as strong as ever... I will continue to make criticisms of actions in Palestine in the strongest possible terms for as long as Israel continues to oppress the Palestinian people."<ref name="Apology">{{cite news | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21216801 | title=David Ward MP 'sorry' over Israel criticism | work=[[BBC News]] | date=26 January 2013 | accessdate=26 January 2013}}</ref>


==Campaigns==
==Campaigns==

Revision as of 19:51, 26 January 2013

David Ward
MP
Member of Parliament
for Bradford East
Assumed office
6 May 2010
Preceded byConstituency Created
Majority365 (0.9%)
Personal details
Bornthumb
(1953-06-24) 24 June 1953 (age 70)
Diedthumb
David Ward MP
Resting placethumb
David Ward MP
NationalityBritish
Political partyLiberal Democrats
SpousesJackie
Children2 sons
Parent
  • thumb
  • David Ward MP
OccupationMember of Parliament
Websitehttp://davidward.org.uk/

David Ward (born 24 June 1953) is a British Liberal Democrat politician, who was elected at the 2010 general election as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bradford East.[1] He became the MP for Bradford East after being a Ward Councillor for Idle and Thackley in Bradford for 26 years. He is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party who are now in coalition with the Conservatives.

Early life

Born in Lincoln,[2] he attended Boston Grammar School in Boston, Lincolnshire and then qualified as a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) in 1976.[3] He attended the University of Bradford Management Centre to complete a MBA and a MPhil by research.[3][4][5]

He then started working at Leeds Polytechnic (later to become Leeds Metropolitan University) from 1985 for the following 18 years as a Principal Lecturer in finance and strategic management and as a Business Development Manager in charge of External Income Generation.[6] Whilst at the University he travelled to Jamaica and Pakistan to develop links between the University and local colleges.[7] In 1996 he obtained a MSc from the University of Leicester.[3][8]

In July 2004 he was seconded from Leeds Metropolitan University to work at Bradford City Football Club on a full-time basis[6] to help the club to build its link within the local community and to engage with the predominantly Pakistani-Bangladeshi community that surrounds the club in Manningham.[9][10] It is now host to a positive lifestyle centre, which has run programmes for more than 11,000 school children in the past seven years. There is also the football club in the community scheme, which works with 130 of Bradford’s schools.[11] On 5 May 2012 the football museum was closed down[12] and work had begun to turn the museum into a free school to be run by the One in a Million charity[13] but a week before the start of the school term in September the funding was pulled for the school.[14][15][16] David Ward has called the move to pull the funding for the school as being "callous, cruel and quite stupid...and incredibly unfair on the parents and children and One in a Million."[17][18]

In 2006 he worked with others to organise the first ever community day for the Manningham area and his work at the club was acknowledged later that year when Leeds Metropolitan University won the Times Higher Education Supplement Award for "Outstanding contribution to the local community".[19]

The charity that David Ward set up focused mainly on anti-racist interventions and community cohesion events [19] and he continues to support organisations such as the Sports Campaign Against Racism (SCAR).[20] In 2009 he visited South Africa on a British Council 'Peace and Reconciliation' programme.[7]

He was elected as Bradford Metropolitan District Councillor on for the Idle and Thackley ward in 1984 and served for 26 years until elected to Parliament in 2010.[21][22][23][24] His specialist area was education and he was a Governor for 30 years at various Special, Primary and Secondary Schools [25][26][27][28] and was the Portfolio holder for Education for 4 years.[29] Whilst holding this post he also visited Kashmir with a Primary school and Secondary school headteacher to try to forge links with local schools.[30]

Parliamentary career

Ward was the Liberal Democrat candidate at the Bradford North by-election in 1990, and after his defeat he stood again in Bradford North at the general elections in 1992, 2001 and 2005.[31]

In 2005, he came second, 3,500 votes behind the sitting Labour Party MP Terry Rooney. Bradford North was abolished in boundary changes for the general election in May 2010, when he won the new Bradford East seat with a majority of 365 votes over Rooney, becoming Bradford's only Liberal Democrat MP.

Ward was a member of the influential Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee from June 2010 to June 2012 when he became a member of the Education Select Committee.[32]

Israel-Palestine conflict

On 25 January 2013 he signed a memorial book in the British House of Commons marking Holocaust Memorial Day[33] and also published a blog on his website, criticising "the Jews" for "inflicting atrocities on the Palestinians",[34] comparing Israel's treatment of Palestinians to The Holocaust.[35] His comments were described as "racist" and "antisemitic"[36] and he was reprimanded by his party, the Liberal Democrats.[33]

On 25 January 2013 Ward had suggested that Jews had not learned from their persecution in the Second World War and were now persecuting others, saying "it appears that the suffering by the Jews has not transformed their views on how others should be treated". In response, a Liberal Democrat spokesman was quoted[33] as saying: "This is a matter we take extremely seriously. The Liberal Democrats deeply regret and condemn the statement issued by David Ward and his use of language which is unacceptable." Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, also attacked Ward but avoided commenting on the Palestine issue, saying: "I am deeply saddened that at this sombre time, when we remember those who were murdered by the Nazis, Mr Ward has deliberately abused the memory of the Holocaust causing deep pain and offence – these comments are sickening and unacceptable and have no place in British politics".[37]

On 26 January 2013 Ward apologised, saying "I never for a moment intended to criticise or offend the Jewish people as a whole, either as a race or as a people of faith, and apologise sincerely for the unintended offence which my words caused." He added: "I recognise, of course, the deep sensitivities of these issues at all times, and particularly on occasions of commemoration such as this weekend." But he said that his criticisms "of actions since 1948 in the Palestinian territories in the name of the state of Israel remain as strong as ever... I will continue to make criticisms of actions in Palestine in the strongest possible terms for as long as Israel continues to oppress the Palestinian people."[38]

Campaigns

David Ward MP regularly carries out campaigns for the local people including the 'Save Our Cheque', 'Lower Car Insurance' into which he wrote an interim report which was presented to Parliament and the 'Give Us Our Share' campaign.

Personal life

Ward is married with two sons. He has lived in Bradford for over thirty years. He is a big supporter of Bradford City Football Club of which he worked at as a community officer for a number of years before his election.

References

  1. ^ "Election 2010: Bradford East". BBC News. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  2. ^ "David Ward MP speaking about community cohesion in Bradford". Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  3. ^ a b c "Business Innovation in Bradford - Panel Q&A with Key Bradford Business Leaders". Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  4. ^ "All About Careers - University of Bradford". Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  5. ^ "University of Bradford Guide".
  6. ^ a b "Pascal Universities for a Modern Renaissance".
  7. ^ a b "David Ward's Media Guide 2010" (PDF).
  8. ^ "Lib Dems - Who We Are".
  9. ^ "The Times Higher Awards 2006 - The Shortlisted Candidates (Page 5)".
  10. ^ "Universities' Third Mission".
  11. ^ "David Ward MP's Maiden Speech".
  12. ^ "bantamspast - a kind of ending".
  13. ^ "Working under Way On Free School".
  14. ^ "Free School Funding Pulled".
  15. ^ "Bradford free school loses funding one week before opening".
  16. ^ "Parents rage as Michael Gove pulls free school funding days before opening".
  17. ^ "Bradford free school One In A Million has funding cut".
  18. ^ "David Ward MP speaks about cruel decision to pull funding for free school in Bradford".
  19. ^ a b "Upbeat - Community Unity in Bradford".
  20. ^ Ward, D. (26 September 2012) "Having a meeting now w/ anti-racist campaigners about their work in #Bradford & how I can support them" Twitter.com
  21. ^ "Election Candidates and their views on our Odeon". Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  22. ^ "Former Civic Leader Dies - Telegraph & Argus".
  23. ^ "Bradford City Council Election 2004".
  24. ^ "www.parliament.uk - MP biographies". Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  25. ^ "Schools' joy over £500,000 reprieve". Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  26. ^ "Schools to pay back £466,000". Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  27. ^ "College drops plans to become academy".
  28. ^ "Clawback amnesty declared on school cash". Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  29. ^ "Lost exam papers blow to college". Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  30. ^ "David Ward MP speech on Maqbool Butt Shaheed Day 2012".
  31. ^ "UK Political Database - Bradford East". Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  32. ^ "www.parliament.uk - MP biographies". Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  33. ^ a b c "Lib Dems condemn MP's criticism of Israel ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day". BBC News. 25 January 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  34. ^ Ward, David. "Bradford MP condemns Israel for treatment of Palestinians on the day he signs the Holocaust Memorial Day Book of Commitment". Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  35. ^ http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tobyyoung/100200145/lid-dem-mp-david-wards-grotesque-caricature-of-israel-and-the-jews-is-all-too-common-on-the-liberal-left/
  36. ^ Quinn, Ben (25 January 2013). "Lib Dem MP David Ward defends remarks about Israel". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  37. ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2268344/Lib-Dem-MP-David-Ward-kicked-party-suggesting-Jews-learned-lessons-Holocaust.html#ixzz2J4rNEeDM
  38. ^ "David Ward MP 'sorry' over Israel criticism". BBC News. 26 January 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2013.

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
New constituency Member of Parliament for Bradford East
2010–present 		Incumbent

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