 thomas pendry, baron pendry (born 10 june 1934), pc is a labour politician and member of the house of lords. he was previously the labour member of parliament for stalybridge and hyde from 1970 to 2001. in 2000, prior to his retirement as an mp he was made a member of the privy council on the recommendation of tony blair. after the 2001 election he was elevated to the peerage on 4 july as baron pendry, of stalybridge in the county of greater manchester under the life peerages act 1958. name="parliament.the-stationery-office.com"/> president of the football foundation ltd and sports advisor to tameside district council sports trust.http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.com/pa/ld/ldreg/reg19.htm ==early life== in an article in cheshire life in june 2004, pendry reveals that he was born in relatively comfortable circumstances in broadstairs, kent, attending school at st augustine's abbey. he worked as a trade union officer nupe and engineer before being elected to parliament in 1970. he served as an opposition whip between 1971 and 1974. ==callaghan government== in callaghan's administration between 1976 and 1979 pendry served as a junior lord commissioner of the treasury (assistant government whip) and subsequently as parliamentary under-secretary of state for northern ireland. ==opposition== in 1979 he returned to the backbenches until he was appointed to the post of shadow minister for sport and tourism by rt. hon. john smith, mp, a position he held until 1997. when the labour government came to power in 1997, pendry was the only member of the shadow team not to be appointed to a government post. =
1934_births Labour_Party_(UK)_MPs Labour_Party_(UK)_life_peers Living_people Members_of_the_Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom_for_English_constituencies Members_of_the_Privy_Council_of_the_United_Kingdom People_from_Broadstairs People_from_Stalybridge UK_MPs_1970a74 UK_MPs_1974 UK_MPs_1974a79 UK_MPs_1979a83 UK_MPs_1983a87 UK_MPs_1987a92 UK_MPs_1992a97 UK_MPs_1997a2001