Robin Corbett, Baron Corbett of Castle Vale

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.

References

• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Robin Corbett