Profile and Career History

Born
Hampstead, 24th April, 1949

 

 

Family:
Married: 1972. Wife, Ruth. Three children.
Education:

St. Joseph's, Wembley, Middlesex. Our Lady Immaculate Primary School, Tolworth, Surrey.
Salesian School, Chertsey, Surrey.
Kingston College of Further Education.
Kingston College of Advanced Technology
.

Career before entering Parliament:

 

Trade Unions:

Previous Employment: Committee Clerk with Surrey County Council, 1965-75. Nalgo Trade Union Official, 1975-92.

Local Government Officer with Surrey County Council NALGO official
Councillor: Royal Borough Kingston-Upon-Thames, 1971-78.

A member of the Transport and General Workers Union since 1975. Has a close association with GPMU, the media/print and paper union. Between 1965 and 1975 was a member of NALGO (now Unison)

Political career:

Member TGWU Cllr, Kingston-upon-Thames Council 1971-78

Candidate for Parliament:
- Contested Surbiton, Feb and Oct 1974
- Contested Croydon Central 1983
- Contested London South and Surrey East 1984 in European Election
- Contested Peterborough 1987

- MP for Thurrock 1992-present

Work at Westminster

- Member of Foreign Affairs Select Committee, 1997-date
- Chairperson All-Party Poland Group
- Chairperson All-Party Gibraltar Group, 1999-2000
- Member of Transport Select Committee, 1992-97

- Associate Member, British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body

Completed a secondment with the Royal Marines as part of the Parliamentary Armed Forces scheme. This included military exercises in the Jordan Desert in 1997 and Norway/Arctic Circle in 1998.

Recreation and hobbies:
Researching World War I, studying The Ipres Salient.
Collecting political, parliamentary, Labour and Socialist ephemera/memorabilia.
Sketching.
Exploring Ireland, Poland and other parts of Central Europe.
Non-league soccer (honorary patron, Tilbury FC).
   

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