Geoffrey Robinson
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey Robinson is a British
Labour Party
politician
who has been the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Coventry North West
since 1976
. He was Paymaster General from May 1997 to January 1999, resigning after it was revealed that he had lent his government colleague Peter Mandelson
£373,000 to buy a house. From 1996 to 2008 he was the owner of the New Statesman
, a centre-left weekly political magazine.
, England and educated at Emanuel School
, Clare College, Cambridge
, and Yale University
. On completing his formal education he became a Labour Party Researcher, before joining a newly created entity
splendidly entitled "The Industrial Reorganisation Corporation", at a time when the British government was enthusiastically promoting a merger between the Leyland Motor Corporation and BMC
. The merger duly took place amid high hopes that a solution to the BMC problem was in sight.
led to a swift demise for "The Industrial Reorganisation Corporation", and in 1970 Robinson joined British Leyland, the company in the creation of which he had been instrumental. His initial job title was "Staff executive, facilities planning", but after four months he was promoted to the position of Financial Controller. It was an unusual appointment in a conservative industry, both on account of his relative youth and because he had no accountancy qualification. (His formal tertiary education had concentrated on Russian, German and, possibly of more direct relevance, Economics.)
Geoffrey Robinson was from 1972 Chairman of Innocenti
in Italy, appointed following acquisition of the business by British Leyland, Robinson having played a leading role in acquisition negotiations following the death of Ferdinando Innocenti. Despite having been installed by the company's new overseas owners, Robinson quickly made his mark, as the rejection rate for UK originating components for the company's Mini
-based car soared following his appointment.
From late in 1973 to 1975 he was Chairman of Jaguar Cars in succession to Lofty England
, also at that time under British Leyland ownership. He resigned because he could not agree with the Ryder plan to integrate the many different makes under BLMC.
Following the Triumph Motorcycles workers locking out their new owners, NVT
, from their Meriden
plant in 1973, Robinson was instrumental in setting up the subsequent Meriden Triumph workers' co-operative with a substantial Wilson
Labour government loan from the then- minister for trade, Tony Benn
. He served as an executive director in what was the last volume manufacturer of motorcycles in the United Kingdom. He occupied a similar non-executive role in the subsequent Triumph Motorcycles (Meriden) Ltd that the co-operative became when he helped negotiate away its debt with the new Conservative
Thatcher
government in 1981, although he left before the firm eventually closed in 1983.
In 1986 he founded technology company TransTec, which became a £200m international conglomerate focussing on aerospace customers. In 1996 he acquired the centre-left New Statesman
magazine for £375,000. In April 2008 he sold 50% of the business to Mike Danson
, and the remainder a year later.
, a safe Labour Party
seat, since a by-election
on 4 March 1976 caused by the death of former MP Maurice Edelman
. His Conservative opponent in the 1987 election was the novelist Jim Powell
. During the 1980s, with Labour in opposition, he held frontbench positions, speaking for the party on trade and industry, and science. He was Paymaster General in Tony Blair
's government from May 1997 to December 1998, resigning after it was revealed that in 1996 he had lent his government colleague Peter Mandelson
£373,000 to buy a house.
Although a committed Labour and Gordon Brown
supporter, Robinson has often been considered a 'champagne socialist
'. His previous life as a businessman has made him one of the wealthiest Members of Parliament, with a personal fortune of around £30 million. He is a lover of fine wine and dining. He owns holiday homes in Tuscany
(used by Tony Blair
for his summer holiday once) and the South of France and owns a penthouse flat in London
's Park Lane
. He owns a house designed by Edwin Lutyens
- Orchards at Munstead (Godalming
, Surrey
, 1898–99) has been described as 'among the finest Surrey
Houses'. Lutyens' Marshcourt (Stockbridge
, Hampshire
, 1901–1904) was bought and restored by Robinson, but sold again in 1999 following the scandal which saw him resign as Paymaster General.
dedicated a whole episode of The Mark Thomas Comedy Product
to Geoffrey Robinson and revealed such stories as his arrest for being drunk while in charge of a vehicle, his dogs mauling his neighbours and shooting his son in the foot. When asked about the latter, Geoffrey Robinson replied, "Oh, that old chestnut."
The program looked deeply into Geoffrey Robinson's mortgages and failing businesses.
Football Club, being a member of the board of directors from 1996. In 1997, when Robinson was made Paymaster General, he was forced to stand down from the board, since members of the government were not permitted to hold directorships. Brenda Price, a former colleague from his Triumph Motorcycle board days at Meriden
sat on the Coventry City FC board with him too. In response to this the football club named him as honorary president but he eventually re-took his seat on the board of directors in 2002. On 21 September 2005, Robinson was named as acting chairman of Coventry City after chairman Mike McGinnity
was asked to step down by his doctor for an indefinite period due to ongoing health problems. Robinson was given the job permanently on 3 November after McGinnity was forced to resign due to his health problems. On 10 October 2007, he announced that he would step down as Chairman as "there are not enough hours in the day". He still remains a Director of the club.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who has been the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Coventry North West
Coventry North West (UK Parliament constituency)
Coventry North West is a borough constituency in the city of Coventry which is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
since 1976
Coventry North West by-election, 1976
The Coventry North West by-election, in Coventry, on 4 March 1976 was held after the death of Labour Member of Parliament Maurice Edelman. A safe Labour seat, it was won by Geoffrey Robinson, who would go on to retain the seat in 1979.-Party performance:...
. He was Paymaster General from May 1997 to January 1999, resigning after it was revealed that he had lent his government colleague Peter Mandelson
Peter Mandelson
Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson, PC is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004, served in a number of Cabinet positions under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and was a European Commissioner...
£373,000 to buy a house. From 1996 to 2008 he was the owner of the New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
, a centre-left weekly political magazine.
Background
Robinson was born in SheffieldSheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, England and educated at Emanuel School
Emanuel School
Emanuel School is a co-educational independent school in Battersea, south-west London. The school was founded by Lady Dacre and Elizabeth I in 1594. Today it has some 710 pupils, aged between ten and eighteen.-History:...
, Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1326, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. Clare is famous for its chapel choir and for its gardens on "the Backs"...
, and Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. On completing his formal education he became a Labour Party Researcher, before joining a newly created entity
Quango
Quango or qango is an acronym used notably in the United Kingdom, Ireland and elsewhere to label an organisation to which government has devolved power...
splendidly entitled "The Industrial Reorganisation Corporation", at a time when the British government was enthusiastically promoting a merger between the Leyland Motor Corporation and BMC
British Motor Corporation
The British Motor Corporation, or commonly known as BMC was a vehicle manufacturer from United Kingdom, formed by the merger of the Austin Motor Company and the Nuffield Organisation in 1952...
. The merger duly took place amid high hopes that a solution to the BMC problem was in sight.
Business career
A change of governmentUnited Kingdom general election, 1970
The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their...
led to a swift demise for "The Industrial Reorganisation Corporation", and in 1970 Robinson joined British Leyland, the company in the creation of which he had been instrumental. His initial job title was "Staff executive, facilities planning", but after four months he was promoted to the position of Financial Controller. It was an unusual appointment in a conservative industry, both on account of his relative youth and because he had no accountancy qualification. (His formal tertiary education had concentrated on Russian, German and, possibly of more direct relevance, Economics.)
Geoffrey Robinson was from 1972 Chairman of Innocenti
Innocenti
Innocenti was an Italian machinery works originally established by Ferdinando Innocenti in 1920.After World War II, the company was famous for many years for Lambretta scooters models such as LI125, LI150, TV175, TV200, SX125, SX150, SX200, GP125, GP150 and GP200.From 1961 to 1976 Innocenti built...
in Italy, appointed following acquisition of the business by British Leyland, Robinson having played a leading role in acquisition negotiations following the death of Ferdinando Innocenti. Despite having been installed by the company's new overseas owners, Robinson quickly made his mark, as the rejection rate for UK originating components for the company's Mini
Mini
The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
-based car soared following his appointment.
From late in 1973 to 1975 he was Chairman of Jaguar Cars in succession to Lofty England
Lofty England
Frank Raymond Wilton "Lofty" England was an engineer and motor company manager from England. He rose to fame as the manager of the Jaguar Cars sports car racing team in the 1950s, during which time Jaguar cars won the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans race on five occasions...
, also at that time under British Leyland ownership. He resigned because he could not agree with the Ryder plan to integrate the many different makes under BLMC.
Following the Triumph Motorcycles workers locking out their new owners, NVT
Norton Villiers Triumph
Norton Villiers Triumph was a British motorcycle manufacturer, formed by the British Government to continue the UK motorcycling industry, but the company eventually failed.-Formation:...
, from their Meriden
Meriden, West Midlands
-External links:*****...
plant in 1973, Robinson was instrumental in setting up the subsequent Meriden Triumph workers' co-operative with a substantial Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
Labour government loan from the then- minister for trade, Tony Benn
Tony Benn
Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC is a British Labour Party politician and a former MP and Cabinet Minister.His successful campaign to renounce his hereditary peerage was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963...
. He served as an executive director in what was the last volume manufacturer of motorcycles in the United Kingdom. He occupied a similar non-executive role in the subsequent Triumph Motorcycles (Meriden) Ltd that the co-operative became when he helped negotiate away its debt with the new Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
government in 1981, although he left before the firm eventually closed in 1983.
In 1986 he founded technology company TransTec, which became a £200m international conglomerate focussing on aerospace customers. In 1996 he acquired the centre-left New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
magazine for £375,000. In April 2008 he sold 50% of the business to Mike Danson
Mike Danson
Mike Danson is a UK-based businessman. He founded Datamonitor, an online information company in 1987. He led it from his front room, through its listing on the London Stock Exchange to its sale to Informa for £502m in 2007....
, and the remainder a year later.
Political career
Robinson has been a Member of Parliament for Coventry North WestCoventry North West (UK Parliament constituency)
Coventry North West is a borough constituency in the city of Coventry which is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
, a safe Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
seat, since a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
on 4 March 1976 caused by the death of former MP Maurice Edelman
Maurice Edelman
Maurice Edelman was a British Labour Party politician and novelist who represented Coventry constituencies in the House of Commons for over 30 years.- Early life :...
. His Conservative opponent in the 1987 election was the novelist Jim Powell
Jim Powell (British novelist)
Jim Powell is a British novelist, and is a direct descendant of the 19th-century novelist Thomas Love Peacock.-Education:...
. During the 1980s, with Labour in opposition, he held frontbench positions, speaking for the party on trade and industry, and science. He was Paymaster General in Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
's government from May 1997 to December 1998, resigning after it was revealed that in 1996 he had lent his government colleague Peter Mandelson
Peter Mandelson
Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson, PC is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004, served in a number of Cabinet positions under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and was a European Commissioner...
£373,000 to buy a house.
Although a committed Labour and Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
supporter, Robinson has often been considered a 'champagne socialist
Champagne socialist
Champagne socialist is a pejorative political term originating in the United Kingdom. The phrase is used to describe self identified socialists whose comfortable upper middle class lifestyles are perceived to be incompatible with their professed political convictions...
'. His previous life as a businessman has made him one of the wealthiest Members of Parliament, with a personal fortune of around £30 million. He is a lover of fine wine and dining. He owns holiday homes in Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
(used by Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
for his summer holiday once) and the South of France and owns a penthouse flat in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Park Lane
Park Lane (road)
Park Lane is a major road in the City of Westminster, in Central London.-History:Originally a country lane running north-south along what is now the eastern boundary of Hyde Park, it became a fashionable residential address from the eighteenth century onwards, offering both views across Hyde Park...
. He owns a house designed by Edwin Lutyens
Edwin Lutyens
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, OM, KCIE, PRA, FRIBA was a British architect who is known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era...
- Orchards at Munstead (Godalming
Godalming
Godalming is a town and civil parish in the Waverley district of the county of Surrey, England, south of Guildford. It is built on the banks of the River Wey and is a prosperous part of the London commuter belt. Godalming shares a three-way twinning arrangement with the towns of Joigny in France...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, 1898–99) has been described as 'among the finest Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
Houses'. Lutyens' Marshcourt (Stockbridge
Stockbridge, Hampshire
Stockbridge is a small town and civil parish in Hampshire, England. It has an acreage of and a population of little under 600 people according to the 2001 census in Hampshire, England. It lies on the River Test, in the Test Valley district and renowned for trout fishing. The A30 road goes through...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, 1901–1904) was bought and restored by Robinson, but sold again in 1999 following the scandal which saw him resign as Paymaster General.
Mark Thomas Comedy Product
Political satirist Mark ThomasMark Thomas
Mark Clifford Thomas is a left-wing English comedian, presenter, political activist and reporter from south London. He first became known as a guest comic on the BBC Radio 1 comedy show The Mary Whitehouse Experience in the late 1980s. He is best known for political stunts on his show, The Mark...
dedicated a whole episode of The Mark Thomas Comedy Product
The Mark Thomas Comedy Product
The Mark Thomas Comedy Product was a television show fronted by the English comedian, presenter, political activist and reporter, Mark Thomas...
to Geoffrey Robinson and revealed such stories as his arrest for being drunk while in charge of a vehicle, his dogs mauling his neighbours and shooting his son in the foot. When asked about the latter, Geoffrey Robinson replied, "Oh, that old chestnut."
The program looked deeply into Geoffrey Robinson's mortgages and failing businesses.
Coventry City FC
Robinson has had a long association with Coventry CityCoventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
Football Club, being a member of the board of directors from 1996. In 1997, when Robinson was made Paymaster General, he was forced to stand down from the board, since members of the government were not permitted to hold directorships. Brenda Price, a former colleague from his Triumph Motorcycle board days at Meriden
Meriden, West Midlands
-External links:*****...
sat on the Coventry City FC board with him too. In response to this the football club named him as honorary president but he eventually re-took his seat on the board of directors in 2002. On 21 September 2005, Robinson was named as acting chairman of Coventry City after chairman Mike McGinnity
Mike McGinnity
Mike McGinnity is a former chairman of Coventry City Football Club. He now has the position of life president at the club following resigning as chairman in 2006 due to ongoing health problems and over. He was Assistant Chairman and claimed to have no knowledge of some of the dealings of his...
was asked to step down by his doctor for an indefinite period due to ongoing health problems. Robinson was given the job permanently on 3 November after McGinnity was forced to resign due to his health problems. On 10 October 2007, he announced that he would step down as Chairman as "there are not enough hours in the day". He still remains a Director of the club.
External links
- Coventry North West Constituency Labour Party Local Labour Party site
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Geoffrey Robinson MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Geoffrey Robinson MP
- BBC News - Geoffrey Robinson
- The Public Whip - Geoffrey Robinson MP voting record
- BBC News Can I have a borehole in my garden?