John Beaman
| States of Alderney Member John Beaman | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
In office 1 January 2009 – 31 December 2013 | |
| States Member for Tourism, Agriculture, Open Areas, The Environment, Wildlife and Burhou | |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
5 October 1951 Castleford, Yorkshire, UK |
| Spouse(s) | Anne Beaman |
John Richard Beaman (born 5 October 1951) is one of the ten current States of Alderney Members[1] and became the Chairman of the influential Policy and Finance Committee in January 2011. Prior to this, he was the Island’s Representative for Tourism.[2] As well as his chairmanship of Policy and Finance, he is also a member of the committees on Employment Legislation, and General Services, and he is also the representative for Agriculture, Open areas, Environment, Wildlife, and the island of Burhou.
Early life
Born in Castleford, Beaman was educated at The King's School, Pontefract. He attended the University of Bradford, before moving to Madeley in Staffordshire to train as a maths teacher. From 1976 until 1985 he worked as a teacher, first in schools and later with children in care. From 1985 until 2005 he worked for Staffordshire and then for Stoke-on-Trent in the Looked-after-children (LAC) department.
Political career
Beaman was elected as a member of the States of Alderney in December 2008 after a controversial election in which he gained the same number of votes (294) as Don Oakden, who was not elected. This was the first tie in the island’s electoral history, and was resolved by the returning officer picking Beaman’s name from a ballot box, which led to his selection as the fifth member.[3] Beaman was announced as States Representative for Tourism on 18 February 2009. In his acceptance interview he declared an awareness of the island’s shortcomings as a tourist destination and pledged to work with local groups to improve the island’s standing. He also drew attention for his refusal to vote for an increase in pay for States Members[4] and for being the only States Member to vote against the setting-up of a housing association.[5]
On January 12, 2011, Beaman was elected as the chairman of the island's Policy and Finance (P&F) committee, the States' main decision-making body. He polled five votes, narrowly beating fellow states member Ian Tugby. In his post-election speech, Beaman said that he intended to involve all states members in the island's decision-making process, announcing "Each member has got something to offer and I want to include everybody".[6]
Personal life
In 1976 John married Anne, a schoolteacher, and they have a son named Robert. They both work in their spare time at the Alderney Lighthouse as tour guides.[7] He is a keen fan of rugby league supporting Castleford Tigers, and was head coach of Derby City RLFC from 2000 until 2001. He has also written a guide book, Eight Walks on Alderney, which has been translated into French.
Notes and references
- ↑ BBC News- ‘Alderney’s new members sworn In’
- ↑ BBC News- ‘Unanimous Vote for Tourism Chief’
- ↑ The Alderney Journal- ‘Allen tops Poll on Dramatic Election Night’
- ↑ ‘Pay issue splits candidates for Alderney States’
- ↑ ‘New committee heads in Alderney’s States’
- ↑ ‘Alderney Yes To Royal Wedding Holiday’
- ↑ The Alderney Journal- ‘Alderney Lighthouse’