Rod Kenyon contested Houghton le Spring and Washington in the 1983 and 1987 General Elections. In 1985 he contested the Tyne Bridge

Tyne Bridge

The Tyne Bridge is a through arch bridge over the River Tyne in North East England, linking Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead. It was designed by the engineering firm Mott, Hay and Anderson, who later designed the Forth Road Bridge, and was built by Dorman Long and Co. of Middlesbrough. At the time...

 by election for the SDP-Liberal Alliance

SDP-Liberal Alliance

The SDP–Liberal Alliance was an electoral pact formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Liberal Party in the United Kingdom which was in existence from 1981 to 1988, when the bulk of the two parties merged to form the Social and Liberal Democrats, later referred to as simply the Liberal...

 finishing second to David Clelland

David Clelland

David Gordon Clelland is a British Labour Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Tyne Bridge from 1985 until 2010.-Early life:...

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Currently Director of the British Gas Engineering Academy and Secretary of the Apprenticeship Ambassadors Network

Apprenticeship Ambassadors Network

The Apprenticeship Ambassadors Network is an employer-led body in England. Its remit is to encourage more employers to become involved in apprenticeships in England....

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He is Deputy Chairman of Thames Valley University

Thames Valley University

The University of West London is a public university based in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in Ealing and Brentford, London, and Reading, Berkshire....

 and Vice Chairman of Energy and Utility Skills

Energy and Utility Skills

Energy & Utility Skills is one of twenty five Sector Skills Councils licensed by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. It is an employer led body covering the sectors of gas, power, waste management and water industries...

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Chairman of London Region Board Learning and Skills Council

Learning and Skills Council

The Learning and Skills Council was a non-departmental public body jointly sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Children, Schools and Families in England...

. Member of the board of UCEA. He is a Trustee of the National Gas Museum Trust

The National Gas Museum Trust

The National Gas Museum Trust is a United Kingdom charitable trust , established in 1997 to take over the responsibility for the UK's two former gas museums.-Formations and objectives:...

 and Dyslexia Action

Dyslexia Action

Dyslexia Action is a non profit organisation based in the UK, providing support to those affected by dyslexia and literacy difficulties, across all sectors and training providers...

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He was created an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) In June 2005.

Sources

• http://www.britishgasacademy.co.uk
• http://www.euskills.co.uk
• http://www.employersforapprentices.gov.uk
• http://www.gasmuseum.co.uk/about.htm
• http://www.tvu.ac.uk
• http://www.ucea.ac.uk
• http://www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk