Nicholas Douglas Palmer (born 5 February 1950) is a British politician, translator and computer scientist. He was the Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP) for Broxtowe in Nottinghamshire from 1997 until he lost the seat at the 2010 general election to Conservative Anna Soubry, by 390 votes.
Described by Andrew Roth as "quietly effective", he was Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Minister of State, Margaret Beckett, in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs until April 2005. He then became PPS to the Minister of State, Malcolm Wicks, first in the Department of Trade and Industry, and later in the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform until Wicks stood down in October 2008.
Early life
Palmer's father was a translator/editor and his mother was a language teacher. He is the cousin of Anthony Palmer, a former Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff.
Palmer attended International Schools in Copenhagen and Vienna. He was awarded an MSc at Copenhagen University and a PhD in Mathematics from Birkbeck College, University of London. He also studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he researched artificial intelligence and language translation.
Professional life
Palmer speaks six languages, and has worked as a professional translator of Danish and German for the European Commission and other clients.
He was born with a cleft palate and was the first such person to enter Parliament.
As a computer scientist, he developed the COMPACT clinical trials package for the Medical Research Council. Joining the Swiss pharmaceutical firm Ciba-Geigy, he became head of Novartis Internet Service when Ciba-Geigy merged with Sandoz to form Novartis.
Board and computer wargames
Palmer has written three books about board wargames (The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming (1977), The Best of Board Wargaming (1980), and Beyond the Arcade: Adventures and Wargames on Your Computer (1984)). He designed and developed a computer game about the Battle of Britain, named Their Finest Hour. Palmer still attends international conventions, winning the Diplomacy championship at the World Boardgaming Championships in 2007, as well as giving a seminar in 2008 comparing the traits needed to succeed in wargaming to the traits needed to succeed in politics.
He co-founded and edited Flagship magazine in 1983, which focused on play-by-mail games. A keen card player, he has represented the House of Commons at bridge.
Parliamentary career
Palmer joined the Labour Party on his twenty-first birthday and was selected as the Labour candidate for the ultra-safe Conservative seat of Chelsea in the 1983 general election. Prior to contesting Broxtowe, he edited and published a magazine to represent the views of ordinary Labour party members – Grass Roots.
Legislation and Committee Work
While an MP, he served on a number of Select committees including the European Scrutiny Committee, the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, and the Treasury Committee. and also served as a member of the Justice Committee.
He suggested TV Licence exemption for over-75s which was then adopted by the government, along with similar measures like free bus passes for the elderly.
In January 1998, Palmer introduced a bill under the Ten Minute Rule, amending the Firearms act 1968 and raising the age for possession of air weapons, especially to prevent malicious use against pets.
In April 2000, he introduced a private member's bill to presume consent for organ donation, a measure still being considered which could increase transplants by 25%.
In January 2002, he introduced a 10-minute rule bill advocating Identity Cards which was adopted by the Government. He subsequently brokered a deal to get the government's version through the Lords.
He campaigned for five years for bells to be fitted to all new bicycles in response to a petition from his constituents. A bill was passed making them compulsory from 1 May 2004.
He introduced a bill about fine print, requiring a minimum size of print in documents, especially those relating to advertising and contracts.
In December 2005, he introduced another 10-minute rule bill intended to ensure speed camera warning signs displayed the limit they enforced.
In May 2008, he introduced an amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 requiring that "strictly neutral information" be provided in cases of foetal abnormality. This was based on his parents' experience of the expert advice from pioneering surgeon Archibald McIndoe who successfully reconstructed his cleft palate.