Graham Stringer

Manchester-born Graham Stringer was an analytical chemist in the plastics industry prior to being elected as a councillor for Manchester City Council. He served as leader of Manchester City Council from 1984 to 1996 and, following this, was chair of Manchester Airport between 1996 and 1997. Stringer successfully ran to be elected as MP for Manchester, Blackley in 1997, and was re-elected there in 2001 and 2005. He has held many posts including parliamentary secretary and whip, as well as maintaining a near constant presence on the Transport Select Committee. Stringer is also a trustee of the climate science-sceptic think tank Global Warming Policy Foundation, and, in 2014, he was one of two members of the Energy and Climate Change Committee to vote against the committee’s acceptance of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s conclusion that humans are the dominant cause of global warming. Graham, being one of only a few outspoken Labour Brexiters, has not held back on his criticism of the EU, claiming that the institution is “a conspiracy [the UK] would be better out of.” Stringer nominated fellow Greater Manchester MP Lisa Nandy for the Labour leadership.