Robert Laxton
Encyclopedia
Robert Laxton is a British
Labour Party
politician, who was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Derby North from 1997
until standing down at the 2010 general election.
School (became the Woodlands Community School
) on Blenheim Drive in Allestree
. He also attended the Derby College of Art and Technology on Kedleston Road (became the University of Derby
). He was a telecommunications engioneer for the GPO from 1961 (became British Telecom, then BT plc
). Whilst in this employment, he was a union representative and branch official for the Post Office Engineering Union
, which became the National Communications Union
in 1985, and finally the Communication Workers Union
in 1995.
Prior to becoming an MP he was Leader of Derby City Council from 1986–88 and again from 1994-97 having become a councillor in 1979.
to Alan Johnson
, an old friend from his days as a union official who was successively Higher Education Minister and then Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
but in 2005 he stood down from this role to become a British representative on the Council of Europe
.
He is Chair of the Waterways All-Party Parliamentary Group
.
On 19 October 2009, Laxton announced his intention to stand down at the next general election.
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, who was 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 Derby North from 1997
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
until standing down at the 2010 general election.
Early life
He went to the Woodlands Secondary ModernSecondary 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...
School (became the Woodlands Community School
Woodlands Community School
Woodlands Community School is a mixed comprehensive school on Blenheim Drive in Allestree, Derby in the East Midlands of England.-Admissions:...
) on Blenheim Drive in Allestree
Allestree
-Climate:Due to its location in southern Derbyshire, Allestree has a temperate climate with a small variation in daily and annual temperatures. The warmest month is July, with an average temperature range of 11.4 °C to 21.3 °C, and the coolest month is January, with a range of...
. He also attended the Derby College of Art and Technology on Kedleston Road (became the University of Derby
University of Derby
The University of Derby is a university in the city of Derby, England. The main site is on Kedleston Road, Allestree in the north-west of Derby close to the A38 opposite Markeaton Park...
). He was a telecommunications engioneer for the GPO from 1961 (became British Telecom, then BT plc
BT Group
BT Group plc is a global telecommunications services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is one of the largest telecommunications services companies in the world and has operations in more than 170 countries. Through its BT Global Services division it is a major supplier of...
). Whilst in this employment, he was a union representative and branch official for the Post Office Engineering Union
Post Office Engineering Union
The Post Office Engineering Union was a trade union in the United Kingdom. It represented engineering staff in the Post Office, mostly working in telecommunications....
, which became the National Communications Union
National Communications Union
The National Communications Union was a trade union in the United Kingdom.The union was founded in 1985 when the Post Office Engineering Union and the Postal and Telecommunications Group of the Civil and Public Services Association merged...
in 1985, and finally the Communication Workers Union
Communication Workers Union (UK)
The Communication Workers Union is the main trade union in the United Kingdom for people working for telephone, cable, DSL and postal delivery companies, with 215,000 members....
in 1995.
Prior to becoming an MP he was Leader of Derby City Council from 1986–88 and again from 1994-97 having become a councillor in 1979.
Parliamentary career
During the 2001 Parliament he served as Parliamentary Private SecretaryParliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to Alan Johnson
Alan Johnson
Alan Arthur Johnson is a British Labour Party politician who served as Home Secretary from June 2009 to May 2010. Before that, he filled a wide variety of cabinet positions in both the Blair and Brown governments, including Health Secretary and Education Secretary. Until 20 January 2011 he was...
, an old friend from his days as a union official who was successively Higher Education Minister and then Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is a post in the British Cabinet, responsible for the Department for Work and Pensions. It was created on 8 June 2001 by the merger of the Employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security.The Ministry...
but in 2005 he stood down from this role to become a British representative on the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
.
He is Chair of the Waterways All-Party Parliamentary Group
All-Party Parliamentary Group
An all-party parliamentary group is a grouping in the UK parliament that is composed of politicians from all political parties.-All-party parliamentary groups:...
.
On 19 October 2009, Laxton announced his intention to stand down at the next general election.
Personal life
He is divorced from his first wife, Patricia, whom he married in 1987. They have one son. He married Gail Lamb in October 2000.External links
- Official Website
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Bob Laxton MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Bob Laxton MP