Derek Hatton

Derek Hatton (born 17 January 1948 in Liverpool, Lancashire) is a former politician, later a broadcaster, property developer, businessman and after-dinner speaker. He gained national prominence as Deputy Leader of Liverpool City Council in the 1980s and was a member of the Trotskyist Militant group.

Hatton attended the Liverpool Institute for Boys from 1959 to 1964. His subsequent academic success was limited, but he enjoyed sports and appeared on stage as Gratiano in a school production of The Merchant of Venice with future theatre producer Bill Kenwright.

After becoming a firefighter, Hatton joined the Labour Party and Militant, a Trotskyist organisation then following an entryist strategy within the Labour Party. As Deputy Leader of Liverpool City Council from 1983, Hatton was the most vocal and prominent member of the council's leadership. The Leader of the Council was John Hamilton, a quietly-spoken and much admired local politician.

Hatton joined the rate-capping rebellion in 1985 as the council refused to make a rate increase. In June, the council changed tactics and set an illegal "deficit budget" which committed it to spending £30 million in excess of its income, claiming that the excess represented grant "stolen" by central government. Once adopted by the Liverpool District Labour Party and 49 councillors, this policy catapulted Hatton and the city council into massive media attention and conflict with the then-Conservative government.

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