Alan John Simpson (born 20 September 1948 in Bootle, Liverpool) is the Labour member of Parliament for the constituency of Nottingham South, one of three in Nottingham, England.
Simpson came to Nottingham as a student, studying economics at Trent
Polytechnic (now Nottingham Trent University). After graduating in
1972 he became a community worker, and later a research officer for
the city's Racial Equality Council.
He joined the Labour party in 1973, his initial taste of elected office coming in 1985 when he became a county councillor, a post he held until 1993. He first stood for the seat of Nottingham South in 1987, losing to the Conservative incumbent Martin Brandon-Bravo , who had taken the seat in the Tory landslide of 1983. He won the seat at the 1992 election and has held it since.
Simpson is on the left wing of the Labour party, a member (and currently treasurer) of the Socialist Campaign Group and on the board of the Tribune. His stances on many issues are opposed to those of the leadership of his party -- for instance, he is a supporter of unilateral nuclear disarmament and opposes globalisation, genetically modified foods, and the euro. In the mid-1990s, he led the campaign to retain Clause IV, and more recently launched the "Labour Against the War" group, opposed to the invasion and occupation of Iraq. He is one of the most rebellious MPs in the current UK Parliament -- only three have voted against their party line more often.
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Last updated: 05-09-2005 20:25:27
