From 1982 to 1984, he chaired that Council's Social Services Committee, and then, from 1984 to 1986, he chaired the Education Committee.
Pickles was first elected to Bradford Council in 1979, representing the Worth Valley ward. Pickles also moved against right-wingers in Bradford, expelling the Young Conservative, Yorkshire Chairman of the Monday Club who had stood for the Bradford Wyke Ward on an anti-immigrant platform from the Bradford area constituencies. His period as National Young Conservative Chairman saw growing factionalism with challenges from a southern-based right wing to Pickles' moderate leadership. During his time in the Young Conservatives he became a member of the Joint Committee Against Racism from 1982 to 1987 and later became its Chairman. Pickles soon became the chairman of the local Young Conservatives association. It was not the best way of fighting Brezhnev, but it made me feel better". Young Conservatives Īfter the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia, he joined the local Keighley Branch of the Young Conservatives in 1968, later commenting "I joined because of the invasion of Czechoslovakia. He was born into a Labour-supporting family – his great grandfather was one of the founders of the Independent Labour Party, and Pickles described himself as "massively inclined" towards communism as a boy. Born in Keighley, West Riding of Yorkshire, he attended Greenhead Grammar School (now University Academy Keighley) and then studied at Leeds Polytechnic. 5 Secretary of State for Communities and Local GovernmentĮric Jack Pickles was born on 20 April 1952, the son of Jack and Constance Pickles.Theresa May ( Transport, Local Government and the Regions) Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Governmentĭavid Davis (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister)Ĭaroline Spelman (Local Government Affairs and Communities) The Baroness Warsi (Faith and Communities) Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government