| John Robertson MP | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Glasgow North West Glasgow Anniesland (2000-2005) |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 23 November 2000 |
|
| Preceded by | Donald Dewar |
| Majority | 13,611 (38.3%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 April 1952 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
John Webster Robertson[1] (born 17 April 1952) is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow North West since 2000. Until 2010, he was Parliamentary Private Secretary to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Yvette Cooper.[2]
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John Robertson left school and started work for the GPO (P.O. then British Telecom then BT) on 14 July 1969 as a TTA (Trainee Technician Apprentice) and three years later became a Technician 2A when his initial apprenticeship ended. Robertson then trained for a further two years and became a Technical Officer.[3]
In December 1991, he was promoted to management where he stayed until he was given Voluntary Release in September 2000.[4]
He joined the Labour Party in 1984 and was first elected to parliament in 2000, at a by-election on 23 November following the death of Donald Dewar, the First Minister of Scotland. He was re-elected at the 2001 election, and after constituency boundaries were redrawn for the 2005 election, he was returned for the larger constituency of Glasgow North West.[5]
In November 2008, Robertson was one of 18 MPs who signed a Commons motion backing a Team GB football team at the 2012 Olympics, saying football "should not be any different from other competing sports and our young talent should be allowed to show their skills on the world stage". The football governing bodies of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are all opposed to a Great Britain team, fearing it would stop them competing as individual nations in future tournaments.
John Robertson MP has rebelled against the Government on three occasions, notably on the main vote prior to the Iraq War.[6] The other occasions were on the declassification of cannabis from a class B to class C drug, something which he has subsequently spoke out on.[7] The only other occasion was over the increase of the number of MSPs at the Scottish Parliament during the Scotland Parliament Bill.[8]
He is currently Chair All Party Parliamentary Nuclear Energy Group and Chair of the all-party parliamentary group on Communications (apComms)[9] and a member of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee and the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Nuclear Energy Group, Chair of All Party Parliamentary Music Groups, Chair All Party Parliamentary Group on Nigeria and Angola.[10]
He is a supporter of homeopathy, having signed an early day motion in support of its continued funding on the National Health Service sponsored by Conservative MP David Tredinnick.[11]
John Robertson managed to change the law for blind people when he managed to get the Government to accept the amendment he tabled to the Welfare Reform Bill.[12] It changed the rules from 1992 which restricted the higher rate of mobility allowance to people who were physically unable to walk, which meant that a blind person who could walk was denied this extra support for getting around. Under the old rules, discrimination occurred against people with a sensual disability, in favour of a physical disability, when it should really have been looking at mobility.
He was brought up in the small town of East Kilbride, with sister Mary Thomson - known as Marilyn. He remains very close with this side of the family and so frequently returns to East Kilbride to visit his sister, promising to buy Marilyn's grandchildren all their own car as they reached seventeen. He was married to wife Eleanor in 1973 and they have three daughters; Wendy, Jennifer and Laura.[13] He is also very close to his great nieces and nephews; Rowan Dickson, Stuart Thomson, Tessa Thomson & Jed Cramer.
John Robertson was asked to pay back £2975 for excessive expenses claims. This includes some £1750 in petty cash.[14] According to current records, he has not paid anything back. He also claimed £350 for a sat nav from Currys.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Donald Dewar |
Member of Parliament for Glasgow Anniesland 2000–2005 |
Constituency abolished |
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for Glasgow North West 2005–present |
Incumbent |