Robin Corbett, Baron Corbett of Castle Vale
Encyclopedia
Robin Corbett, Lord Corbett of Castle Vale (born 22 December 1933) is a British
Labour Party
politician.
Born in Fremantle
, Australia he attended Holly Lodge Grammar School in Smethwick
but did not attend university. He was called up for two years' national service
into the Royal Air Force
in 1951. After completing his national service
he became a journalist
, first for the Birmingham Evening Mail and then for the Daily Mirror. In 1968 he became deputy editor of Farmer's Weekly, then worked for IPC Magazines in 1970, where he stayed until his election to parliament in 1974.
He was elected Labour
Member of Parliament
(MP) for Hemel Hempstead
at the October 1974 general election
, but he lost the seat at the general election in 1979
. He then returned to IPC Magazines, working as a communications consultant until he returned to parliament in the 1983 general election
, representing Birmingham Erdington. He held this seat until his retirement from the House of Commons at the 2001 general election
. Siôn Simon
replaced him as Labour Member of Parliament for Birmingham Erdington.
Whilst in the House of Commons, he was opposition spokesman on Home Affairs (1979-1992), then for national heritage, broadcasting and press until 1995. He was a Labour Party Whip
from 1984 until 1987. He was Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee
from 1999 to 2001.
He was raised to the peerage as Lord Corbett of Castle Vale, of Erdington in the County of West Midlands
, in 2001. He lists his political interests as Home Office
, police, civil liberties
, the motor industry, manufacturing, disability, children's rights, alternative energy, environment, agriculture, animal welfare, and press and broadcasting. He is currently Chair of the All Party Penal Affairs Group, a parliamentary organisation clerked by the Prison Reform Trust
, and a patron of the Forum on Prisoner Education
and UNLOCK, The National Association of Ex-Offenders
. He is chairman of the all-party British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom and chairman of Friends of Cyprus. Lord Corbett receives no remuneration from any post he holds.
He married Val Hudson in 1970, with whom he has one daughter, Polly Hudson, columnist on the Daily Mirror. He also has a daughter and a son from a previous marriage.
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.
Born in Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
, Australia he attended Holly Lodge Grammar School in Smethwick
Smethwick
Smethwick is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands of England. It is situated on the edge of the city of Birmingham, within the historic boundaries of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire....
but did not attend university. He was called up for two years' national service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
into the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
in 1951. After completing his national service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
he became a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, first for the Birmingham Evening Mail and then for the Daily Mirror. In 1968 he became deputy editor of Farmer's Weekly, then worked for IPC Magazines in 1970, where he stayed until his election to parliament in 1974.
He was elected 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...
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 Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead (UK Parliament constituency)
Hemel Hempstead 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 :...
at the October 1974 general election
United Kingdom general election, October 1974
The United Kingdom general election of October 1974 took place on 10 October 1974 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. It was the second general election of that year and resulted in the Labour Party led by Harold Wilson, winning by a tiny majority of 3 seats.The election of...
, but he lost the seat at the general election in 1979
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 then returned to IPC Magazines, working as a communications consultant until he returned to parliament in the 1983 general election
United 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...
, representing Birmingham Erdington. He held this seat until his retirement from the House of Commons at the 2001 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
. Siôn Simon
Siôn Simon
Siôn Llewelyn Simon is a British Labour politician, who served as the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Erdington from 2001 to 2010. Simon was the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Creative Industries...
replaced him as Labour Member of Parliament for Birmingham Erdington.
Whilst in the House of Commons, he was opposition spokesman on Home Affairs (1979-1992), then for national heritage, broadcasting and press until 1995. He was a Labour Party Whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
from 1984 until 1987. He was Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee
Home Affairs Select Committee
The Home Affairs Select Committee is a Committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Remit:The Home Affairs Committee is one of the House of Commons Select Committees related to government departments: its terms of reference are to examine "the expenditure,...
from 1999 to 2001.
He was raised to the peerage as Lord Corbett of Castle Vale, of Erdington in the County of West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, in 2001. He lists his political interests as Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
, police, civil liberties
Civil liberties
Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...
, the motor industry, manufacturing, disability, children's rights, alternative energy, environment, agriculture, animal welfare, and press and broadcasting. He is currently Chair of the All Party Penal Affairs Group, a parliamentary organisation clerked by the Prison Reform Trust
Prison Reform Trust
The Prison Reform Trust was founded in 1981 in London, England by a small group of prison reform campaigners who were unhappy with the direction in which the Howard League for Penal Reform was heading, concentrating more on community punishments than on traditional prison reform issues...
, and a patron of the Forum on Prisoner Education
Forum on Prisoner Education
The Forum on Prisoner Education was a UK registered charity founded in 2000 to campaign to improve prison education in England & Wales. Its founding members included Professor David Wilson , and a manager of education at HMP Wandsworth in London....
and UNLOCK, The National Association of Ex-Offenders
UNLOCK, The National Association of Ex-Offenders
UNLOCK, The National Association of Reformed Offenders is an independent United Kingdom-based charity, established in 2000 to campaign for the equality of reformed offenders....
. He is chairman of the all-party British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom and chairman of Friends of Cyprus. Lord Corbett receives no remuneration from any post he holds.
He married Val Hudson in 1970, with whom he has one daughter, Polly Hudson, columnist on the Daily Mirror. He also has a daughter and a son from a previous marriage.