| Robert Blackman MP | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Harrow East |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 6 May 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | Tony McNulty |
| Majority | 3,403 (7.1%) |
| Member of the London Assembly for Brent and Harrow |
|
| In office 10 June 2004 – 1 May 2008 |
|
| Preceded by | Toby Harris |
| Succeeded by | Navin Shah |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 April 1956 |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Nicola Blackman |
| Alma mater | University of Liverpool |
Robert John Blackman (born 26 April 1956), better known as Bob Blackman, is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Harrow East since 2010. He is also a former member of the London Assembly.
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Blackman was Head Boy at Preston Manor High School, where he now serves as a school governor; and was president of University of Liverpool Students Union.
He joined the sales team of Unisys on graduation. He joined BT's training school in Milton Keynes as a tutor, and then for ten years until his election to Parliament was a Regulatory Compliance Manager for BT.
Blackman is married to former councillor Nicola Blackman, and the couple live in Wembley.
A season ticket holder for Tottenham Hotspur, he was also a keen amateur cricketer. A reader of thrillers, crime and mysteries, he has an extensive collection of rock music. Blackman is a keen Bridge and chess player, and enjoys all food especially curry.
He was a council member in the London Borough of Brent from 1986 to 2010, representing Preston Ward.[2] Cllr Blackman was the leader of the Conservative group on the council from 1990 to 2010, having been council leader between 1991 and 1996. He became Council Leader after a number of Labour councillors defected to the Conservative Group. He stood as a parliamentary candidate for Brent South at the 1992 election, for Bedford at the 1997 election, and for Brent North at the 2005 election.
He was elected as a member of the London Assembly at the 2004 assembly elections, taking the constituency seat of Brent and Harrow, beating Toby Harris who had beaten him for the seat at the 2000 elections. He was elected Conservative Group Whip on the London Assembly.
In the 2008 elections, Blackman lost his seat back to the Labour candidate, Navin Shah.
From June 2006 to May 2010, he was also been Deputy Leader of Brent Council, the Conservatives having formed a coalition with the Liberal Democrats.
In the General Election of May 2010 Blackman took the Harrow East constituency from Labour's Tony McNulty, a former immigration minister.
In 2010 he was appointed as a member to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee.[3]
In October 2011, Bob Blackman called for benefits to be stripped from Occupy protesters outside St Paul's. While defending the right to protest peacefully he said: "The growing encampment outside St Paul's Cathedral - it has residents that clearly are not available for work nor should they be eligible for state benefits."