Jamie Charles Cann (28 June 1946 – 15 October 2001) was a British Labour Party politician who was the Leader of Ipswich Borough Council from 1979 to 1991, before being elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ipswich at the 1992 general election, a seat he held until his death in 2001.

Jamie Cann
Member of Parliament
for Ipswich
In office
9 April 1992 – 15 October 2001
Preceded byMichael Irvine
Succeeded byChris Mole
Personal details
Born(1946-06-28)28 June 1946
Barton-upon-Humber, England
Died15 October 2001(2001-10-15) (aged 55)
Cambridge, England
Political partyLabour
Spouse
Rosemary Lovitt
(m. 1970)
Children2

Early and family life

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He was educated at Barton-upon-Humber Grammar School and Kesteven College of Education. He then became a primary school teacher, serving as deputy headmaster of Handford Hall Primary School in Ipswich from 1981 to 1992.[1]

Political career

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Cann voted against equalising the age of consent for same-sex relations.[2] In 1998, he was fined £1,000, and disqualified from driving for eighteen months for drink driving.[3]

Renowned as an MP with acerbic wit,[citation needed] he spent most of his time campaigning in the constituency.[1] As leader of Ipswich Borough Council, he was noted as a reformer and helped make Ipswich a model local authority.[4]

He died of liver disease, in October 2001, just four months after being re-elected at the 2001 general election, and following a spell in hospital in Cambridge. The subsequent by-election for Ipswich was held on 22 November and was retained for the Labour Party by the new candidate Chris Mole.[5] A retirement home on the Ravenswood development in Ipswich was named in Cann's honour following his death.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b Dalyell, Tam (16 October 2001). "Obituaries: Jamie Cann". The Independent. Retrieved 11 January 2010.[dead link]
  2. ^ Glover, Julian (15 October 2001). "MP Cann dies aged 55". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  3. ^ "Labour MP fined for drink-driving". BBC News online. 7 September 1998. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  4. ^ White, Michael (16 October 2001). "Death of Labour MP brings first byelection". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  5. ^ "Labour victory in Ipswich by-election". BBC News online. 23 November 2001. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  6. ^ "Full Council 17th December 2002 Written statement by Jane Hore, Portfolio Holder for External Relations". Ipswich Council. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Ipswich
19922001
Succeeded by