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.
In 1999 he co-founded the Queer Youth Network. In the same year, he represented the United Kingdom at the 10th commemorative meeting of the UNCRC in Geneva, as a member of the youth-led children's rights organisation Article 12.
He writes a regular column in London's QX magazine , and has been a contributor to the Pink Paper and OutNorthWest. 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".
In June 2009 he attempted to perform a citizen's arrest on Salford MP Hazel Blears at a constituency party meeting in Swinton.
He was selected to contest the Salford and Eccles seat at the 2010 general election, beating presumptive nominee 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. 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). Despite the distribution of votes, David's campaign generated notable media interest.
Comedian Mark Steel co-hosted a fundraising gig at the Dancehouse Theatre in support of Henry's election campaign. 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". 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.
In 2022 he was announced as a Green Party candidate for the Salford and Eccles constituency at the 2024 general election.
References
- "David Henry (Hazel Must Go!)". Manchester Evening News. 28 April 2010. Archived from the original on 23 December 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
- "History of the Gay Youth Movement". Queer Youth Network. March 2009. Archived from the original on 24 September 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2008.
- "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.
- "outnorthwest93". Issuu. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
- "Blears faces wrath of party activists". The Independent. 19 June 2009.
- "Anti-Hazel Blears campaigners choose candidate". BBC News. 5 February 2010.
- "Expenses anger prompts anti-Blears campaign". Channel 4 News. 4 February 2010. Archived from the original on 9 February 2010. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
- "Salford Youth Council Champ To Stand Against Hazel". Salford Star. 5 February 2010.
- "Gay rights activist to challenge Hazel Blears". PinkNews.co.uk. 10 February 2010.
- "Candidate chosen to fight for Hazel Blears' Salford seat". Manchester Evening News. 5 February 2010.
- Election Results 2010 – Salford and Eccles, BBC News, 7 May 2010
- "Red Pepper meets a radical candidate: "everything a career politician is not"". Red Pepper. 5 April 2010.
- "BBC interview David Henry on Salford Precinct". SalfordOnline. 3 March 2010. Archived from the original on 10 February 2011.
- Mark Steel in Manchester for: Laugh ! I nearly Voted ! 26th April 2010, retrieved 12 April 2023
- Salford International Film Festival 2010, archived from the original on 1 April 2012
- "Independent Filmmakers Network : Shooting People". shootingpeople.org. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- "» Preview: Exposures Film Festival - MULE". Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- "The two Davids bidding for Green political success in Salford". Salford Now. 5 December 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2023.