Jim Dowd (politician)
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Jim Dowd MP |
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Member of Parliament for Lewisham West and Penge Lewisham West (1992–2010) |
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Assumed office 9 April 1992 |
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| Preceded by | John Maples |
| Majority | 12,714 (26.4%) |
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| Born |
5 March 1951 Bad Eilsen, Lower Saxony, West Germany |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse(s) | Janet Anderson |
James Patrick Dowd (born 5 March 1951) is a British Labour Party politician, who has been a member of parliament (MP) since 1992, first for Lewisham West and since 2010 for Lewisham West and Penge. He is standing down at the 2017 general election.
Jim Dowd grew up in Lewisham, London, with an Irish father and German mother. He was educated at the Dalmain Infant and Junior Schools in Forest Hill; the Sedgehill Comprehensive School, Catford, and the London Nautical School, Lambeth. He began his career in telephone engineering as an apprentice in 1967 with the General Post Office (GPO). Following his apprenticeship, he became a manager in 1972 at a Heron petrol station for a year before joining Plessey as a telecommunications engineer in 1973, where he remained until his election to the House of Commons.
Dowd was elected as a councillor in the London Borough of Lewisham in 1974, becoming deputy leader in 1984 for two years. He was twice deputy mayor in 1987 and 1990, and was the Mayor of Lewisham in 1992. He stepped down from the council in 1994.
Dowd first stood for parliament at the 1983 general election for the seat of Beckenham, finishing in third place behind the long-standing Conservative MP Philip Goodhart by 17,330 votes. At the 1987 general election he contested the marginal seat of Lewisham West, but was defeated by John Maples by 3,772 votes.
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