Gordon Birtwistle

http://www.libdems.org.uk/gordon_birtwistle

Gordon Birtwistle MP
MP for Burnley

Gordon was born in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire and has lived in Burnley since he was a child. Upon leaving school he undertook an apprenticeship and had a successful career in manufacturing, including starting his own company.

Gordon was elected Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Burnley in the 2010 elections. He has also been a councillor for 25 years, leader of the council and town mayor.

He is the first Lib Dem MP for the town. In the 2010 Election he achieved a 12% swing, overturning what was once a 17,062 Labour majority and breaking a 75 year Labour stronghold. His work has always been for the ordinary people of Burnley: the small guy against the system.

Gordon is married with two grown-up children, and in his spare time enjoys keeping fit, golf and gardening.

Record Of Delivery
Gordon’s main priority in Parliament has been representing Burnley and delivering jobs and growth for the town.

Gordon campaigned to get an ambulance service returned to Burnley hospital. He secured Government funding for a £9 million new emergency unit which includes ambulance bays and ensures an A&E consultant is back at Burnley hospital.
Gordon first became the town's champion after successfully fighting the closure of Burnley care homes. He campaigned with three retired residents from the homes, who became known as 'The Three Musketeers'. Gordon went on to raise a record £63,000 as mayor, for the mayor's charity, to purchase a prostate cancer scanner at the hospital and has launched another appeal to replace the scanner that has become outdated. He is aiming to raise £75,000 that will include the purchase of a hand held scanner.
Gordon helped deliver the funding to ensure that the Burnley Bridge industrial development got underway and the money was found to build the bridge connecting the M65 to the site-delivering 1500 new jobs for Burnley.
Gordon won the RGF funding to ensure the Todmorden curve was reopened which creates a much needed fast rail link to Manchester and a new station at Manchester road.
£9 million pound of investment was also secured to develop the Weavers Triangle site. On part of the site is now a University Technical College. This has secured extra private investment and created 150 jobs.
Gordon convinced the government of the value of capital investment in the former Michelin site in north Burnley to create an advanced aerospace park.
Apprenticeship numbers have doubled since he was elected- over 1100 were created in 2011/2012 and Gordon has boosted the number of apprenticeships by challenging local firms to create 100 apprenticeships in 100 days.
Parliamentary Experience
Since being elected Gordon has been prominent in Parliament. He was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury and also has the honour of being the 'oldest new MP'.

Most recently he was made the Government Ambassador for Apprenticeships. Gordon is also the Chair of the APPG on Apprenticeships and Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Committee on Business, Innovation and Skills. He is the Co-Founder of the Lib Dem Campaign for Manufacturing.

Gordon's main aim as an MP is to serve Burnley to the best of his ability by saving the children’s ward and bringing back emergency services to the hospital. He is also committed to manufacturing and the export industry and has an interest in improving rail and transport networks in the UK.