Michael Gallagher (British politician)

Michael Gallagher (born 1 July 1934 – 12 June 2015) is a British miner, politician and software development company executive. He was the only Member of the European Parliament to have been a member of the Social Democratic Party, when he left the Labour Party in 1984.

Gallagher was born in Seaham in the mining area of County Durham, and attended St Mary Magdalene Junior School and St Joseph's Secondary Modern School in the town. He himself became a miner on leaving school; he was employed in the Nottinghamshire coalfield.

He was a member of the National Union of Mineworkers and was a Branch Official of the Union from 1967 to 1970. Through the auspices of the Union he went on a day release course at the University of Nottingham from 1967 to 1969. He then obtained a Trade Union Congress scholarship to the University of Wales from 1970 to 1972 and to the University of Nottingham (Workers Educational Association section) from 1972 to 1974.

Active in the Labour Party, in 1970 Gallagher was elected to Mansfield Borough Council, and in 1973 to Nottinghamshire County Council. He fought Rushcliffe at the February 1974 general election. As a supporter of British membership of the European Communities, Gallagher became interested in membership of the European Parliament at the first direct elections; he was sponsored by the NUM and in the 1979 elections he was elected as Labour MEP for Nottingham with a very small majority.

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