My Biography
Mike Hancock was born and educated in Portsmouth and has remained committed to the City all his life.
Local Government
Mike has had a long career as a prominent councillor including being leader of Hampshire County Council - at the time the largest local authority in the UK.
He was first elected (for Labour) to Portsmouth City Council, in 1971 for Nelson ward. Following local government reorganisation he was elected to the reformed City Council for Fratton ward in 1973 and Hampshire County Council. He has represented Fratton ward ever since.
In 1981 he became leader of the opposition (Labour) councillors on Hampshire County Council and in the summer of 1981 joined the SDP. He became Chair of the Planning Committee of Portsmouth City Council in 1991 under a joint arrangement with the Labour Party. This arrangement ended in 1992.
In 1993 he became leader of Hampshire County Council at the head of a joint administration of Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors that lasted until 1997. The administration saw investment in education including the doubling of nursery education and the saving of Calshot Activity Centre that would have been axed under the Tories, extra resources for social services and a boost for economic development in the county.
He became a bureau member of the Assembly of European Regions and of the Atlantic Arc. He forged links between Hampshire and regions of Bizkaia in the Basque Country, Hunedora in Romania, Nograd in Hungary and the Moscow Region.
Since 2002, he has been Executive member on the City Council responsible for Planning, Regeneration and Economic Development (PRED). (This is separate from the regulatory Planning or Development Control Committee) - from May 2002-April 2003 as part of the three-party "Rainbow" Coalition and since 2003 as part of the Lib Dem administration. His achievements as Executive Member include getting the Tricorn after ten years when Labour and the Conservatives said it could not be done, a planned refurbishment of the Southsea shopping area and a refurbishment of Arundel Street.
Parliamentary Career
After standing for the SDP in the 1983 General Election for Portsmouth South, he won the seat at a by-election in 1984. After two narrow loses by 205 and 242, in 1987 and 1992, he regained the seat in 1997. And he increased his majority in 2001. Despite a swing away from the Lib Dems to the Conservatives in the South in 2004, he comfortably held his seat in the 2004 General Election. Ever since 1983, Labour have come a poor third in Portsmouth South.
As an MP Mike has a reputation as an active campaigner for animal rights - supporting the banning of hunting with dogs and co-sponsoring a bill to ban the live export of animals. He is a member of the Defence Select Committee and has been working to safeguard Portsmouth's defence interests. And locally has been campaigning for a better NHS in Portsmouth, more police and a better deal for local schools.
