Michael Cashman

Elected in 1999, Michael Cashman is a prominent MEP representing the interests of West Midlands.

Inside the Parliament, Michael Cashman is a member of the European Parliament's Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice & Home Affairs Committee and is the 1st Vice Chair on the Petitions Committee. He is also a substitute member of the Regional Development Committee and the Sub Committee on Human Rights.

Michael is also the President of the Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights, a cross-party grouping of MEPs fighting in favour of equal rights for LGBT individuals in Europe and throughout the world.

He is also an elected Member of the Labour Party National Executive Committee since 1998.

Michael was born in the East End of London in 1950. His birth was premature by three weeks, primarliy due to his mother attempting to defend her husband in a street fight outside Stepney East station. His father was a dock worker and his mother a proud office cleaner so Michael's father registered his son at birth to become a dock worker when he left school. Fate decided otherwise.

After failing his eleven plus school exam Michael attended a catholic secondary modern school, Cardinal Griffin, and it was here that he was discovered in an end of term school show. Within weeks at the age of 12 he was performing in Lionel Barts musical OLIVER which was running in one of London's west end theatres. After some months he played Oliver and had the dubious distinction of performing for Richard Nixon, who later became President of the United States of America.

His education continued at his secondary modern school but by then career decisions had to be made and he was sent to a stage school in Surbiton, Surrey,which seemed a million miles away from his inner city home.At stage school Michael had his cockney accent 'knocked out' of him ,and he learnt to sing and dance whilst acting in shows, films and television to pay for his school fees.

One of four sons he was the only one to become an actor and subsequently the only one to go into politics - a passion he has inherited from his father who was an active trade unionist.

Michael had a distinguished career as an actor and singer spanning thirty seven years. He also worked as a director at New Victoria Theatre, Newcastle under Lyme, and was made Associate Artist at Birmingham Rep. During his career he worked with luminaries like Lionel Bart, J. B Priestley, Sir Alan Ayckbourn (who directed two plays which were written by Michael), Sir Ian McKellen, Elizabeth Taylor, June Brown, Sir Elton John and David Hockney.

He has been an active campaigner across a wide range of issues and is rightly proud of his important role in introducing pension rights for members of the union EQUITY as well as being instrumental in the unions modernisation programme when he was the Honorary Treasurer. During his time on BBC TV's EastEnders he formed the Stonewall Group and was its founding chair.

In July 2007 he was awarded an Honoury Doctorate from the University of Staffordshire in recognition of his campaigning work on equality and human rights issues.

Michael lives with his partner, Paul, and they have been together for nearly 25 years. They celebrated their Civil Partnership in 2006.