Talk:Daniel Zeichner/2010 version

Daniel Zeichner, born November 9, 1956, is a Labour Party politician and Parliamentary candidatefor the Cambridge Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom.



Background
Zeichner was born in 1956, and educated at the independent Trinity School of John Whitgift,Croydon and Kings College,Cambridge. He currently lives in Victoria Road, Cambridge.

Zeichner formerly worked in IT forCambridgeshire County Council, Phillips and Perkins Engines. Since 2002 he has worked as a national political officer for the Trade Union UNISON, where he promotes the interests of low-paid women working in public services.

Political activity
Zeichner worked from 1992 to 1997 as a press officer for John Garrett, MP for Norwich South, and as a researcher for Clive Needle, MEP for Norfolk, from 1994 to 1999. He has served as a councillor in South Norfolk between 1995 and 2003 and was the Labour candidate for the Mid Norfolk constituency in 1997,2001 and 2005.

Zeichner was chairman of the Labour party in the East of England, and represented the region on the Labour Party National Policy Forum since it was established. In that capacity, he led the debate to promote more spending oncouncil housing

He has been a member of SERA - Labour's Environmental Group and the party's National Policy Forum. Previously he ran an Anti-Apartheid group and chaired a school governing body for seven years.

Zeichner has called for the re-introduction of the dog licence.

Cambridge Parliamentary Campaign
In 2006 Zeichner was nominated as Labour parliamentary candidate for Cambridge. Charged with winning back the seat lost by Anne Campbell in 2005, Zeichner set to work on a variety of issues –from the protection of local allotments, continuing his campaign for affordable council housing, and urging then Minister James Purnell to ensure the Olympic flame visited Cambridge in 2012.

Of late, Zeichner has condemned plans for moving Marshall Airport, supported local postal workers in their strike, and offered to work with the local Lib Dem council in the city bidding for unitary status.

Cambridge Union debate
Zeichner made a Nazi salute in a debate at the Cambridge Union to illustrate his view of the allies of theConservative Party in the European Parliament within the European Conservatives and Reformistsgoup in March 2010. He seemed to confuse the Polish governingLaw and Justice party with the Latvian For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK party, referring to the "Polish Law and Order Freedom Party." He described the Tories' European allies as "fascists", and when challenged by his opponent Nick HerbertMP on whether he had implied that the Conservatives were by association Nazis, he replied "absolutely". Outraged by the implications made by Zeichner about both the Poles and the Conservatives, he heavily criticised him, saying "shame on you."