Laurence Robertson
Encyclopedia
Laurence Anthony Robertson (born 29 March 1958, Bolton
, Lancashire
) is a British
Conservative Party
politician. He has been the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Tewkesbury
in Gloucestershire
since 1997. In May 2005, he was appointed Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland
, a controversial choice given his opposition to the Good Friday Agreement.
. His mother was an office worker in Manchester. He was educated at St James's C.E. Secondary School
(then a secondary modern school
) on Lucas Road; Farnworth Grammar School on Manchester Road in Farnworth
and Bolton Institute of Higher Education
(now the University of Bolton
), gaining a diploma in Management Services. He working life has including him work as a charity fund-raising (where he claims to have raised over £1 million), public relations consultant, company director, factory owner from 1987-8, industrial management consultant from 1983-9, and work study engineer from 1977-83.
s, of which he has completed 6, including the 1994 New York Marathon.
Between 1988-1991, he has been Chairman of Governors of a primary school, a Visitor for Victim Support
Scheme, and the Area Chairman for the Campaign for Law and Order.
in the 1987 General Election and Ashfield
in 1992
.
Following his 1997 Election to the House of Commons, he courted controversy in 2001 by offering support for John Townend
over his controversial remarks about race; he later apologised for any offence caused by offering this support. In 2005, he advanced a Private Member's Bill
to outlaw abortion altogether, making it an imprisonable offence except where the mother's life was at risk or where conception was due to rape.
Following widespread flooding
in Tewkesbury
throughout the 2000 decade, Robertson spoke out against building on flood plains.
In September 2001, he was appointed an Opposition Whip. In June 2003, was made Shadow Minister for Trade & Industry. In November 2003, he was appointed a Shadow Minister for Economic Affairs. Since May 2005, he has served as the Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland
.
Politically, he is interested in the following areas: Law and Order
, Education, European Policy, the Constitution, Small Business
es, the Economy
and Rural Issues. He is also a member of the right-wing pressure group The Freedom Association
, and EU pressure group Better Off Out
.
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
) is a British
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...
Conservative Party
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...
politician. He 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 Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Tewkesbury is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
since 1997. In May 2005, he was appointed Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, a controversial choice given his opposition to the Good Friday Agreement.
Early life
His father was a miner, mailman, delivery man then a milkmanMilkman
A milkman is a person, traditionally male, who delivers milk in milk bottles or cartons. Milk deliveries frequently occur in the morning and it is not uncommon for milkmen to deliver products other than milk such as eggs, cream, cheese, butter, yogurt or soft drinks...
. His mother was an office worker in Manchester. He was educated at St James's C.E. Secondary School
St James's Church of England School and Sports College
St James's Church of England School is a Voluntary Aided Church of England secondary school located on Lucas Road,Farnworth in Greater Manchester, England.-History:...
(then a secondary modern school
Secondary modern school
A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed in most of the United Kingdom from 1944 until the early 1970s, under the Tripartite System, and was designed for the majority of pupils - those who do not achieve scores in the top 25% of the eleven plus examination...
) on Lucas Road; Farnworth Grammar School on Manchester Road in Farnworth
Farnworth
Farnworth is within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton in Greater Manchester, England. It is located southeast of Bolton, 6 miles south-west of Bury , and northwest of Manchester....
and Bolton Institute of Higher Education
University of Bolton
The University of Bolton is a university in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. It has around 14,000 students across all sites and courses, with 700 academic and professional staff. Around 70% of its students come from Bolton and the North West region...
(now the University of Bolton
University of Bolton
The University of Bolton is a university in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. It has around 14,000 students across all sites and courses, with 700 academic and professional staff. Around 70% of its students come from Bolton and the North West region...
), gaining a diploma in Management Services. He working life has including him work as a charity fund-raising (where he claims to have raised over £1 million), public relations consultant, company director, factory owner from 1987-8, industrial management consultant from 1983-9, and work study engineer from 1977-83.
Personal life
He married Susan Lees in May 1989 in Bolton. They have two step daughters, including Jemma. He has been actively involved in sports, especially golf, bowling,horses and marathonMarathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
s, of which he has completed 6, including the 1994 New York Marathon.
Between 1988-1991, he has been Chairman of Governors of a primary school, a Visitor for Victim Support
Victim Support
Victim Support is a charity in England and Wales which aims to help victims and witnesses of crime by raising awareness of their needs and by delivering dedicated services to them. It was established in 1974. It is a national charity with branches in every community and each criminal court in...
Scheme, and the Area Chairman for the Campaign for Law and Order.
Political Life
He was a candidate in MakerfieldMakerfield
Makerfield is an area in North West England. It is now split between the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, and the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens in Merseyside, both within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire....
in the 1987 General Election and Ashfield
Ashfield
Ashfield is a local government district in western Nottinghamshire, England. According to the 2001 UK census, it has a population of 111,387. The district is mostly urban, with a tradition of coal mining. There are three towns in the district; the largest being Sutton-in-Ashfield...
in 1992
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
.
Following his 1997 Election to the House of Commons, he courted controversy in 2001 by offering support for John Townend
John Townend
John Ernest Townend is a United Kingdom politician. Educated at Hymers College in Hull, he served in the Royal Air Force as a Pilot Officer from 1957–59 and then worked as an accountant. He was managing director of House of Townend wine merchants in Hull, and was active in local government...
over his controversial remarks about race; he later apologised for any offence caused by offering this support. In 2005, he advanced a Private Member's Bill
Private Member's Bill
A member of parliament’s legislative motion, called a private member's bill or a member's bill in some parliaments, is a proposed law introduced by a member of a legislature. In most countries with a parliamentary system, most bills are proposed by the government, not by individual members of the...
to outlaw abortion altogether, making it an imprisonable offence except where the mother's life was at risk or where conception was due to rape.
Following widespread flooding
2007 United Kingdom floods
The 2007 United Kingdom floods were a series of destructive floods that occurred in various areas across the country during the summer of 2007. The most severe floods occurred across Northern Ireland on 12 June; East Yorkshire and The Midlands on 15 June; Yorkshire, The Midlands, Gloucestershire,...
in Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury is a town in Gloucestershire, England. It stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, and also minor tributaries the Swilgate and Carrant Brook...
throughout the 2000 decade, Robertson spoke out against building on flood plains.
In September 2001, he was appointed an Opposition Whip. In June 2003, was made Shadow Minister for Trade & Industry. In November 2003, he was appointed a Shadow Minister for Economic Affairs. Since May 2005, he has served as the Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
Politically, he is interested in the following areas: Law and Order
Law and order (politics)
In politics, law and order refers to demands for a strict criminal justice system, especially in relation to violent and property crime, through harsher criminal penalties...
, Education, European Policy, the Constitution, Small Business
Small business
A small business is a business that is privately owned and operated, with a small number of employees and relatively low volume of sales. Small businesses are normally privately owned corporations, partnerships, or sole proprietorships...
es, the Economy
Economy of the United Kingdom
The economy of the United Kingdom is the sixth-largest national economy in the world measured by nominal GDP and seventh-largest measured by purchasing power parity , and the third-largest in Europe measured by nominal GDP and second-largest measured by PPP...
and Rural Issues. He is also a member of the right-wing pressure group The Freedom Association
The Freedom Association
The Freedom Association is a pressure group in the United Kingdom that describes itself as non-partisan, centre-right and libertarian, which has links to the Conservative Party. TFA was founded in 1975 as the National Association for Freedom and gained public prominence through its anti-trade...
, and EU pressure group Better Off Out
Better Off Out
Better Off Out is the name of a non-party campaign run by The Freedom Association to call for the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union...
.
External links
- His website
- Laurence Robertson MP biography at the site of the Conservative Party
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Laurence Robertson MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Laurence Robertson MP
- Tewkesbury Conservatives
- The Public Whip - Laurence Robertson MP voting record
- BBC News - Laurence Robertson profile 10 February, 2005
- Ordered out of the Commons in March 2005
- Naming an irish bomber in October 2004