David Henry (activist)

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David Joseph Henry is a writer, human rights activist and former parliamentary candidate from Manchester, England. He is a former pupil of Oakwood High School in Chorlton.[1]

In 1999 he co-founded the Queer Youth Network.[2] In the same year, he represented the United Kingdom at the 10th commemorative meeting of the UNCRC in Geneva,[3] as a member of the youth-led children's rights organisation Article 12.

He writes a regular column in London's QX magazine [example needed], and has been a contributor to the Pink Paper and OutNorthWest.[4] David has been outspoken in the media and petitioned the government on the issue of civil partnerships and has argued that they "create a two-tier system of inequality".[citation needed]

In June 2009 he attempted to perform a citizen's arrest on Salford MP Hazel Blears at a constituency party meeting in Swinton.[5]

He was selected to contest the Salford and Eccles seat at the 2010 general election,[6] beating presumptive nominee[7] Merseyside TUC leader Alec McFadden by a majority vote after responding to Martin Bell's call for a "community champion" during a public meeting in Eccles.[8][9][10] He stood for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) and received 730 votes (1.8% share of the total votes) and Hazel Blears received 16,655 (40.1% of the overall share of the vote).[11] Despite the distribution of votes, David's campaign generated notable media interest.[12][13]

Comedian Mark Steel co-hosted a fundraising gig at the Dancehouse Theatre in support of Henry's election campaign.[14] He was shadowed by a film crew and was the focus of the 30-minute documentary film The Candidate which premièred on Channel M. Described as an "intimate and amusing portrait".[15] It has since been shown at a number of film festivals and has received acclaim after being nominated for the Royal Television Society Awards, Exposures 2001 and the Salford International Film Festival.[16][17]

In 2022 he was announced as a Green Party candidate for the Salford and Eccles constituency at the 2024 general election.[18]

  1. ^ "David Henry (Hazel Must Go!)". Manchester Evening News. 28 April 2010. Archived from the original on 23 December 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  2. ^ "History of the Gay Youth Movement". Queer Youth Network. March 2009. Archived from the original on 24 September 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2008.
  3. ^ "Convention on the rights of the child: summary record of the 574th Meeting". United Nations. 5 November 1999. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  4. ^ "outnorthwest93". Issuu. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  5. ^ "Blears faces wrath of party activists". The Independent. 19 June 2009.
  6. ^ "Anti-Hazel Blears campaigners choose candidate". BBC News. 5 February 2010.
  7. ^ "Expenses anger prompts anti-Blears campaign". Channel 4 News. 4 February 2010. Archived from the original on 9 February 2010. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
  8. ^ "Salford Youth Council Champ To Stand Against Hazel". Salford Star. 5 February 2010.
  9. ^ "Gay rights activist to challenge Hazel Blears". PinkNews.co.uk. 10 February 2010.
  10. ^ "Candidate chosen to fight for Hazel Blears' Salford seat". Manchester Evening News. 5 February 2010.
  11. ^ Election Results 2010 – Salford and Eccles, BBC News, 7 May 2010
  12. ^ "Red Pepper meets a radical candidate: "everything a career politician is not"". Red Pepper. 5 April 2010.
  13. ^ "BBC interview David Henry on Salford Precinct". SalfordOnline. 3 March 2010. Archived from the original on 10 February 2011.
  14. ^ Mark Steel in Manchester for: Laugh ! I nearly Voted ! 26th April 2010, retrieved 12 April 2023
  15. ^ Salford International Film Festival 2010, archived from the original on 1 April 2012
  16. ^ "Independent Filmmakers Network : Shooting People". shootingpeople.org. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  17. ^ "» Preview: Exposures Film Festival - MULE". Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  18. ^ "The two Davids bidding for Green political success in Salford". Salford Now. 5 December 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2023.