Jack Cunningham
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The Right Honourable John Anderson "Jack" Cunningham, DL (born August 4, 1939) is a British Labour politician and was member of Parliament for Copeland until 2005.
His father was Andrew Cunningham, leader of Durham County Council in the 1970s, who was disgraced in the 1974 Poulson scandal.
He joined the Shadow Cabinet in 1992, and became Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food after the 1997 general election. He was responsible for the unpopular ban on beef-on-the-bone, and lasted only a year. He was moved in 1998 to Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and given the role of cabinet enforcer - which was effectively selling the Government and its policies to the public and the media. He resigned in 1999, and became an influential backbencher. He stood down from parliament at the 2005 general election.
On 13 May 2005 it was announced that he would be created a life peer.
Preceded by: Douglas Hogg | Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1997–1998 | Followed by: Nick Brown |
Preceded by: David Clark | Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1998–1999 | Followed by: Mo Mowlam |