Tom Middlehurst

Thomas Middlehurst (born 25 June 1936) is a British retired politician who served as Leader of Flintshire County Council from 1996 to 1999 and Assembly Secretary for Education and Training in the National Assembly for Wales from 1999 to 2000.

Thomas Middlehurst was born in Ormskirk, Lancashire, England on 25 June 1936.

He was educated at Ormskirk Grammar School, Wigan Technical College and Liverpool Polytechnic.

He was an engineering apprentice from 1952 to 1957 and worked as an engineer at the National Coal Board from 1957 to 1963, before working as an engineer and manager in the private sector until 1971.

He was an engineering apprentice from 1952 to 1957 and worked as an underground engineer at the National Coal Board from 1957 to 1963.

In the 1960s, he was the secretary of the local branch of the Labour Party in Skelmersdale.

In 1963, Middlehurst was elected as a Labour councillor for Skelmersdale Urban District Council, stepping down in 1968.

In the 1963 local elections, he stood for election to the Old Skelmersdale ward in Skelmersdale Urban District Council to fill the vacancy left by the death of Labour councillor Tom Pye.

He was elected for a term of 12 months, the remainder of Pye's term, with 830 votes.

He stood for re-election in the 1964 local elections, where he won a second 12 month term, and the 1965 local elections.

In 1966, he was elected chair of the council's parks committee.

In 1968, Skelmersdale Urban District Council was abolished and replaced by Skelmersdale and Holland Urban District Council; Middlehurst was one of six Labour councillors who did not stand for election to the new council.

In 1971, he moved to Wales and became a local government officer for Flintshire County Council and its successor Clwyd County Council, remaining in this job until 1993.

He then worked in the private sector as an engineer and manager of work studies until 1971.

He was also a fitter and lived in Sherrat Street, Skelmersdale.

Middlehurst is a member of the Labour Party.

In 1971 Middlehurst moved to Wales, settling in Ewloe, Flintshire.

In Wales, he was elected to Alyn and Deeside District Council in 1986 and Clwyd County Council in 1993 before becoming the first leader of the re-established Flintshire County Council in 1996, where he implemented council tax increases and cut local services to balance the budget.

He also fought to prevent the closure of Theatr Clwyd and persuaded Terry Hands to become its director.

In the 1987 local elections, he was elected as one of two councillors for Ewloe in Alyn and Deeside District Council alongside Conservative councillor P. Bernie.

Middlehurst was re-elected alongside Bernie in the 1991 local elections and also served as the chair of the council's housing committee.

He worked as a local government officer for Flintshire County Council and its successor Clwyd County Council until 1993.

He was also elected unopposed as the councillor for Sealand in Clwyd County Council at the 1993 local elections, where he went on to chair the personnel committee.

In 1994 the government reorganised local government in Wales, with Clwyd County Council and Alyn and Deeside District Council set to be abolished and replaced by a re-established Flintshire County Council from 1996.

At the 1995 local elections, Middlehurst was elected alongside Labour colleague Alison Halford as one of two incoming councillors for Ewloe in Flintshire County Council.

On 31 May 1995, the incoming members of the council elected him as Leader of the Council.

He formally took office as the first leader of the reconstituted council on its re-establishment in 1996, becoming leader of a Labour majority administration.

Middlehurst became Leader of Flintshire County Council on a background of government spending cuts for the county of Flintshire.

This meant the council had to raise an extra £3 million in 1996 to provide services at the same standard as provided by its predecessors.

To avoid cuts to education and social services, Middlehurst announced a 25% rise in council tax and the creation of a new advisory service for benefits and welfare rights in March.

From 1997 to 1999, he also chaired the Welsh Local Government Association.

A member of the Labour Party, he was Assembly Member (AM) for Alyn and Deeside from 1999 to 2003.

Middlehurst was born in Ormskirk, Lancashire, England.

He was educated at Ormskirk Grammar School, Wigan Technical College and Liverpool Polytechnic, and in his early life lived in Skelmersdale.

In the first election to the National Assembly for Wales in 1999, Middlehurst was elected as AM for Alyn and Deeside.

He was appointed to the cabinet of First Secretary Alun Michael as Assembly Secretary for Education and Training.

In this role, he implemented free entry for children to galleries and museums, reformed the post-16 system of education and training and trialled a welfare scheme for benefit claimaints in Newport, Torfaen and Monmouthsire.

He also intervened in the Wales Millennium Centre project to keep government spending under control.

He remained in his post under Michael's successor Rhodri Morgan until October 2000, when he resigned in protest of Labour's coalition agreement with the Liberal Democrats.

He retired at the 2003 assembly election after becoming disillusioned with the politics of the National Assembly.