Harry Barnes (Labour politician)


Harold Barnes is an English politician who was the Labour Party Member of Parliament for North East Derbyshire from 1987 to 2005.

Life and career

Born in Easington, County Durham, Barnes was educated at Ruskin College in Oxford and the University of Hull. He was elected to Parliament in the 1987 election. Barnes stood down at the May 2005 general election, and was succeeded by Natascha Engel.

Political Positions

Barnes was considered to be on the left of the party, and as a member of the Socialist Campaign Group he voted against Tony Blair's leadership on a number of issues. However, unlike other members of the SCG he was not an advocate of the Troops out movement. When the group split over NATO intervention in Kosovo in 1999, he supported intervention, which was the position of the government.
Before entering parliament, Barnes was a member of the Independent Labour Party's successor organisation, Independent Labour Publications. As an MP, he joined a supporters group, Friends of the ILP.