Constituency : Islington North 1969-81 ( Labour ), 1981-3 ( SDP ), 1983 ( Independent Labour )
In Islington, a mass defection of right wing councillors led to the first SDP-controlled council but it also saddled the party with an MP they didn't really want. Michael made it clear he was joining Shirley Wiliams's party rather than that of Roy Jenkins. sponsor of Steel's abortion act.
Michael was born in County Clare, Ireland and came to London possibly aged 15 looking for work. He found it on the railways. He eventually moved into politics. He became a councillor in 1968 and engineered his selection by one vote for a by-election in 1969 by mobilising Irish workers for the local construction company Murphy's for whom he was a works manager. His Tory opponent attacked him for being silent as a councillor. Auberon Waugh wrote of him, "He seems to have a certain amount of difficulty in thinking at all, and must be almost unique among his race in appearing tongue-tied". He himself said he'd been propelled into the role by the "Irish mafia" without having much say in the matter. He was disliked by the left wingers in his constituency party from the start particularly due to his Catholic stance on abortion. At one point he was physically assaulted in his local office. He also upset the local councillors by interfering in their business. HE was unskilled in debate but had the attention of the House when he drew on his experiences as a navvy. He was ambivalent about the E.E.C. In 1977 he threatened to resign the Labour whip if Callaghan didn't do something about the militants in his local party. In March 1979, he was deployed to try and persuade the Independent Republican Frank Maguire to vote for the government in the crucial no confidencer debate
The Liberals were concerned about Michael's defection; the mild-mannered Alan Beith questioned whether the Alliance needed "machine men whose machines have broken down". His position was further undermined by boundary changes. Islington lost one of its three seats and John Grant the SDP MP for the abolished Islington Central challenged him for the seat. Michael had done little to cultivate the middle class local party and they plumped for Grant instead.
Michael left the SDP in a huff. He tried to rejoin Labour but was rebuffed.He decided to contest the sat as an Independent. Labour candidate. Labour had to take him to court over a leaflet presenting himself as the Labour candidate. He came fourth as a certain Jeremy Corbyn took the seat back for Labour.
Michael found employment with Murphy's for a time, then retired to Ireland.
He died in 1999 aged 66.
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