Michael Hugh Meacher (born 4 November 1939) is a British Labour politician who has been a Member of Parliament (MP) since 1970, initially for Oldham West and for Oldham West and Royton beginning in 1997.On 22 February 2007 he declared that he would be standing for the Labour Leadership, challenging Gordon Brown and John McDonnell. On 14 May, however, after talks with John McDonnell, he announced he would stand aside in order to back McDonnell as the "candidate of the left".