Steve Bassam

Steve Bassam, Baron Bassam of Brighton, 2012

John Steven "Steve" Bassam, Baron Bassam of Brighton (born June 11, 1953 ) is a British politician ( Labor Party and Co-operative Party ).

biography

Bassam graduated from the University of Sussex and the University of Kent and graduated with a Masters in Social Work. He then worked as a social worker for the London Borough of Camden . He later took on other local government roles and from 1988-1997 headed the Environmental Medicine and Consumer Affairs departments of the Association of Metropolitan Authorities and later the Local Government Association.

During his early years in Brighton , Bassam was a squatter and founded the Squatters Union, which advocated the right to occupy vacant apartments and houses and an improvement in the living conditions of squatters.

Bassam became increasingly involved in local politics, becoming a councilor in Brighton in 1983, council chairman from 1986 to 1997 and chairman of the council of Brighton and Hove from 1996 to 1999 . He joined the general election in 1987 for the constituency of Brighton Kemptown against the candidate of the Conservative Party , Andrew Bowden on, but was not elected.

In 1997 Bassam was raised to life peer status as Baron Bassam of Brighton, of Brighton in the County of East Sussex and has been a member of the House of Lords ever since . He is the government whip and spokesman for the Cabinet Office and Home Office . Between October 5, 2008 and May 13, 2010 he was Captain of the Honorable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms .

Bassam and his partner Jill Whittaker have two daughters and one son (another died in childhood).

Web links

• John Steven Bassam, Baron Bassam of Brighton on thepeerage.com