Bob Laxton MP (Derby North)

Bob Laxton was born in and has lived and worked in Derby all of his life.

He was educated at Allestree Woodlands Secondary School followed by a period at the then Derby College of Art &Technology.

Employed by Post Office Telecommunications, now BT plc for many years as a Telecommunications Engineer, he was an active Trade Unionist being secretary of a large Derby based branch of the POEU now the CWU for many years and up to the time of his being elected to Parliament. In addition he held a number of senior negotiating positions within the CWU, representing members across the Midlands, Wales and the South West.

Bob first became a Derby City Councillor in 1979 and remained so until May 1997. He was secretary to the controlling Labour Group on the City Council from 1979 to 1986 and was Council Leader from 1986 to 1988 and again from 1994 to 1997.

He was Chair of the City Council's Personnel Committee for many years as well as a long-standing member of the Housing Committee and over the years has served upon most of the Council's many committees as well as being Chair of the Derby City Partnership.

He was involved in the East Midlands Development Company on behalf of Derbyshire local authorities and represented Derby City on the Southern Derbyshire Business Link and in addition was past Chair of the East Midlands Local Government Association.

Bob fought the Derby North parliamentary seat in 1992, failing to win it by a few thousand votes. However in May 1997 he fought the seat again, this time winning comfortably with a majority of over 10,000 votes.

Following the 1997 Election Bob was appointed as a member of the House of Commons Trade & Industry Select Committee and subsequently as a Vice President of the Local Government Association, which represents all local authorities in England and Wales. During the last parliament he was also elected as Vice Chair of the Trade Union Group of Labour MPs as well as Vice Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party Trade & Industry Back Bench Committee.

Apart from Bob's many visits overseas as part of his Trade & Industry Select Committee work he has spent time in Albania with the OSCE, over seeing a General Election and in the West Bank of Israel visiting the Gaza refugee camps and meeting with the Palestinian administration.

Bob continues to retain an interest in the telecommunications field with his involvement with those Labour MPs who have a similar interest and his work with the UK Teleworking Platform, a cross party organisation which seeks to promote the role of teleworking across the UK and Europe.

In June 2001 Bob was re-elected as the MP for Derby North with a majority of almost 7,000 despite a low turnout of only 58.3%.

He is the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.