Bob Wareing
Encyclopedia
Robert Nelson Wareing, commonly known as Bob Wareing (born 20 August 1930), is a British
independent politician who was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Liverpool West Derby from 1983 to 2010. Until November 2007 he was a Labour
MP, but resigned the party whip following his deselection as the party's candidate in his constituency.
and went to Ranworth Square Council School (now Ranworth Square Primary School) in Norris Green
, then Alsop High School
on Queens Drive in Liverpool. He gained an external BSc
degree in Economics from the University of London
in 1956 and a teacher's certificate from Bolton College of Education (now part of the University of Bolton
) the following year. He was a local government officer for Liverpool Corporation from 1946 to 1948 and from 1950 to 1956. He was a lecturer at Brooklyn Technical College in Great Barr
from 1957 to 1959, at Wigan and District Mining and Technical College from 1959 to 1963, at Liverpool College of Commerce on Tithebarn Street from 1963 to 1965, at Liverpool City Institute of Further Education from 1964 to 1972, and at the Central Liverpool College of Further Education from 1972 to 1983 as Deputy Head of Adult Education.
, having previously stood (unsuccessfully) in Liverpool Edge Hill
at the by-election in March 1979
and at the 1979 general election
. He also contested Berwick upon Tweed
in 1970.
In 1995, Wareing, who was Chairman of the All-Party British-Yugoslav Parliamentary Group, was criticised by his party for holding talks with the Bosnian Serb leaders Radovan Karadzic
and General Ratko Mladić
. In July 1997, the House of Commons Select Committee on Standards and Privileges reprimanded and suspended Wareing from the Commons for a week over the non-declaration of the interests of his consultancy firm. Known in some quarters as "Serbian Bob" or the "member for Belgrade" as a result of his pro-Serb views, he was one of the few Labour MPs to vote against the NATO intervention over Kosovo
in 1999.
Wareing was a member of the Socialist Campaign Group
, and an affiliate of the Labour Representation Committee, frequently rebelling against the government. On 31 October 2006, Wareing was one of 12 Labour MPs to back Plaid Cymru
and the Scottish National Party
's call for an inquiry into the Iraq War. In August 2007 Wareing failed to gain sufficient support from grassroots Labour Party and trade union members to avoid facing a challenge in his reselection as the Labour candidate for the next general election. On 16 September 2007, Wareing was defeated in a selection contest by former MP Stephen Twigg
. He denounced his deselection as the work of a "New Labour Mafia", announcing his intention to seek re-election as an independent, and resigned the Labour whip. However, on 4 March 2010, Wareing announced he would not be standing at the 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...
independent 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 Liverpool West Derby from 1983 to 2010. Until November 2007 he was a Labour
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...
MP, but resigned the party whip following his deselection as the party's candidate in his constituency.
Early life
Wareing was born in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and went to Ranworth Square Council School (now Ranworth Square Primary School) in Norris Green
Norris Green
Norris Green is a large housing estate and council ward in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. At the 2001 Census it had a population of 17,784.-History:...
, then Alsop High School
Alsop High School
Alsop High School is a community secondary school in Walton, Liverpool, L4 6SH, England. It holds specialist certification in both Technology and Applied Learning .It also has a Lifestyles gym close by where the school can use it's resources....
on Queens Drive in Liverpool. He gained an external BSc
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in Economics from the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
in 1956 and a teacher's certificate from Bolton College of Education (now part of 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...
) the following year. He was a local government officer for Liverpool Corporation from 1946 to 1948 and from 1950 to 1956. He was a lecturer at Brooklyn Technical College in Great Barr
Great Barr
Great Barr is a large and loosely-defined area which straddles the boundaries of Birmingham, West Bromwich and Walsall , West Midlands, England...
from 1957 to 1959, at Wigan and District Mining and Technical College from 1959 to 1963, at Liverpool College of Commerce on Tithebarn Street from 1963 to 1965, at Liverpool City Institute of Further Education from 1964 to 1972, and at the Central Liverpool College of Further Education from 1972 to 1983 as Deputy Head of Adult Education.
Parliamentary career
Wareing was first elected to the House of Commons at the 1983 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
, having previously stood (unsuccessfully) in Liverpool Edge Hill
Liverpool Edge Hill (UK Parliament constituency)
Liverpool Edge Hill was a borough constituency within the city and metropolitan borough of Liverpool, in the English county of Merseyside, centred around Edge Hill...
at the by-election in March 1979
Liverpool Edge Hill by-election, 1979
The Liverpool Edge Hill by-election of 1979 was a parliamentary by-election held in England on 29 March 1979 to elect a new Member of Parliament for the House of Commons constituency of Liverpool Edge Hill....
and at the 1979 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
. He also contested Berwick upon Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed (UK Parliament constituency)
Berwick-upon-Tweed is a 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.-Boundaries:...
in 1970.
In 1995, Wareing, who was Chairman of the All-Party British-Yugoslav Parliamentary Group, was criticised by his party for holding talks with the Bosnian Serb leaders Radovan Karadzic
Radovan Karadžic
Radovan Karadžić is a former Bosnian Serb politician. He is detained in the United Nations Detention Unit of Scheveningen, accused of war crimes committed against Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats during the Siege of Sarajevo, as well as ordering the Srebrenica massacre.Educated as a...
and General Ratko Mladić
Ratko Mladić
Ratko Mladić is an accused war criminal and a former Bosnian Serb military leader. On May 31, 2011, Mladić was extradited to The Hague, where he was processed at the detention center that holds suspects for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia...
. In July 1997, the House of Commons Select Committee on Standards and Privileges reprimanded and suspended Wareing from the Commons for a week over the non-declaration of the interests of his consultancy firm. Known in some quarters as "Serbian Bob" or the "member for Belgrade" as a result of his pro-Serb views, he was one of the few Labour MPs to vote against the NATO intervention over Kosovo
Kosovo War
The term Kosovo War or Kosovo conflict was two sequential, and at times parallel, armed conflicts in Kosovo province, then part of FR Yugoslav Republic of Serbia; from early 1998 to 1999, there was an armed conflict initiated by the ethnic Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" , who sought independence...
in 1999.
Wareing was a member of the Socialist Campaign Group
Socialist Campaign Group
The Socialist Campaign Group is a left-wing democratic socialist grouping of Labour Party Members of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. It was formed in December 1982 as an alternative Parliamentary left-wing group to the Tribune Group...
, and an affiliate of the Labour Representation Committee, frequently rebelling against the government. On 31 October 2006, Wareing was one of 12 Labour MPs to back Plaid Cymru
Plaid Cymru
' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
and the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
's call for an inquiry into the Iraq War. In August 2007 Wareing failed to gain sufficient support from grassroots Labour Party and trade union members to avoid facing a challenge in his reselection as the Labour candidate for the next general election. On 16 September 2007, Wareing was defeated in a selection contest by former MP Stephen Twigg
Stephen Twigg
Stephen Twigg is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Labour Co-operative Member of Parliament for Liverpool West Derby since 2010. He previously served as the Member of Parliament for Enfield Southgate from 1997 to 2005, when he lost his seat. He came to national prominence in 1997...
. He denounced his deselection as the work of a "New Labour Mafia", announcing his intention to seek re-election as an independent, and resigned the Labour whip. However, on 4 March 2010, Wareing announced he would not be standing at the general election.
Personal life
He married Betty Coward (born July 1929) on 16 August 1962. She died in March 1989 in LambethLambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
.
External links
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Robert Wareing MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Robert Wareing MP
- The Public Whip - Robert Wareing MP voting record
- BBC News - Robert Wareing profile 30 March, 2006