Chris Pond

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Christopher Richard Pond, known as Chris Pond (born 25 September 1952) is a former Labour MP for Gravesham in Kent, from 1997 to 2005.[1] He was Parliamentary Under-Secretary at Department for Work and Pensions from June 2003 to May 2005. He left Parliament on 11 April 2005.[2] He joined PR firm Kreab Gavin Anderson in January 2013 as head of UK public affairs.[3]

Early life

Pond went to the Minchenden School[4] (became comprehensive in 1967, and was merged into the Broomfield School in 1984) in Southgate, London. At the University of Sussex, he gained a BA in Economics in 1974.[5]

From 1974-5, he was a research assistant in Economics at Birkbeck College.[6] From 1975-9, he was a research officer at the Low Pay Unit (now called the Low Pay Commission[7]).[8] He lectured in Economics at the Civil Service College (now called the National School of Government) from 1979-80.[9] From 1981-2, he was a visiting lecturer in Economics at the University of Kent.[10] At the University of Surrey, he was a visiting professor from 1984-6. He was a consultant for the Open University from 1987-8, and 1991-2.[11]

Parliamentary career

At the 1987 general election, Pond unsuccessfully contested the Welwyn Hatfield constituency.[12]

He won the Gravesham seat at the 1997 general election, beating the sitting Conservative Party MP, Jacques Arnold. He was re-elected at the 2001 general election, and served as a member of the Social Security Select Committee, Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Treasury and then minister in the Department for Work and Pensions.

Pond introduced a Private Members Bill, the Employment of Children Bill in 1998, which subsequently led to greater protection for children at work. He campaigned with the Marchioness Action Group for a Public Inquiry into the sinking of the Marchioness, for greater safety measures and for the introduction of lifeboats on the Thames. At the May 2005 general election, he lost his seat in Parliament to the Conservative Party candidate, Adam Holloway.[13]

In February 2005, Pond was arrested by the police after an alleged incident of criminal damage. He had removed a sign illegally threatening to clamp his heavily pregnant wife’s car and placed it on the door of a neighbour who he believed had been responsible, leaving traces of glue. After the decision whether to prosecute him was referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions and to the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, Pond received a police caution.[14][15][16]

Current activities

After leaving parliament in 2005, Pond was appointed as Chief Executive of The National Council for One Parent Families[17], until 2007.[3] Betweek 2007 and 2011, he was Director of Financial Capability at the Financial Services Authority.[18] [3] In 2005 he was also appointed Chair of Capacitybuilders, a Cabinet Office sponsored funding agency for charities and social enterprises, a post he held until 2009.[19][3] He is a Trustee of the End Child Poverty Campaign and of the National Family and Parenting Institute. He is also an independent director of Cape Claims Services, an asbestos compensation scheme. Between June 2009 and July 2013 he was an independent member of the board sub-committee for ethics and responsibilities for HM Revenue and Customs. In 2008 he was appointed as a Trustee to the Family and Childcare Trust. [3] He is the chair of The Money Charity, The Equity Release Council and the Working Group on Serious Personal Debt at the Centre for Social Justice.[3]

Views

Affiliations

Publications, Contact, Resources and Notes

Publications

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Notes and References

  1. ↑ Ask Aristotle: Chris Pond The Guardian website http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,,-4214,00.html accessed 2009-03-10
  2. ↑ They Work For You, Chris Pond, former MP, accessed 28 November 2008.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Chris Pond Linkedin, accessed 22 October 2014
  4. ↑ As one door closes… Alison Benjamin 12 October 2005 The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2005/oct/12/voluntarysector.socialexclusion accessed 2009-03-10
  5. ↑ As one door closes… Alison Benjamin 12 October 2005 The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2005/oct/12/voluntarysector.socialexclusion accessed 2009-03-10
  6. ↑ Candidate: Chris Pond http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2001/candidates/candidates/2/28006.stm BBC News: Vote 2001 accessed 2009-03-10
  7. ↑ Low Pay Commission
  8. ↑ As one door closes… Alison Benjamin 12 October 2005 The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2005/oct/12/voluntarysector.socialexclusion accessed 2009-03-10
  9. ↑ As one door closes… Alison Benjamin 12 October 2005 The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2005/oct/12/voluntarysector.socialexclusion accessed 2009-03-10
  10. ↑ Candidate: Chris Pond http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2001/candidates/candidates/2/28006.stm BBC News: Vote 2001 accessed 2009-03-10
  11. ↑ Candidate: Chris Pond http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2001/candidates/candidates/2/28006.stm BBC News: Vote 2001 accessed 2009-03-10
  12. ↑ UK General Election results June 1987 http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/ge87/i21.htm Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources accessed 2009-03-10
  13. ↑ {Election 2005: Labour restrict their Kent losses http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/england/4519375.stm 6 May 2005 BBC News accessed 2009-03-10
  14. ↑ Minister arrested for attack on young mother Ian Gallagher, The Mail on Sunday 20 March 2005 accessdate=2007-11-03
  15. ↑ |Parking row MP escapes court action |author=Joanna Bale |publisher=The Times 21 March 2005 accessdate=2007-11-03
  16. ↑ Minister comes unstuck over 'glue gate' |date=20 March 2005 The Observer Mark Townsend and Gaby Hinsliff accessdate=2007-11-05
  17. ↑ As one door closes… Alison Benjamin 12 October 2005 The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2005/oct/12/voluntarysector.socialexclusion accessed 2009-03-10
  18. ↑ Former Labour minister given key FSA role Tony Bonsignore 3 October 2007 http://www.citywire.co.uk/adviser/-/news/other/content.aspx?ID=287730 CityWire accessed 2009-03-10
  19. ↑ Biography: Chris Pond 3 October 2007 http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/About/Who/Management/Retail/pond.shtml Financial Services Authority accessed 2009-03-10
  20. ↑ Financial Services Authority, "Chris Pond appointed as Director of Financial Capability for the FSA," 03 October 2007, accessed 28 November 2008.
  21. ↑ Cape PLC, Cape PLC Scheme of Arrangement, 09 June 2006, accessed 28 November 2008.
  22. ↑ Financial Services Authority, "Chris Pond appointed as Director of Financial Capability for the FSA," 03 October 2007, accessed 28 November 2008.
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