22 Facts About Clive Betts

Clive Betts was born on 13 January 1950 in Sheffield.

Clive Betts was state educated at the Longley School in Sheffield, King Edward VII School, Sheffield, before studying at Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he received a BA in Economics and Politics.

Clive Betts joined the Labour Party in 1969 and joined the Trades Union Congress in 1971 as an economist.

Clive Betts stood unsuccessfully as the Labour Party candidate in Sheffield's Burngreave ward in the 1975 city council election.

Clive Betts was elected in the Firth Park ward in the 1976 city council election and re-elected in 1980,1984 and 1988.

Clive Betts became deputy leader of Sheffield City Council under David Blunkett in 1986.

Clive Betts succeeded Blunkett as leader in 1987 following the latter's election as MP for Sheffield Brightside.

Clive Betts supported Owen Smith in the 2016 Labour leadership election.

Clive Betts was one of 125 Labour MPs that defied the party whip to support a ceasefire in Gaza.

Clive Betts serves as Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Football; the Netherlands; Somaliland; Local Authority Pension Funds; and Pension Clawback, and is Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Serbia; Electric Vehicles; and Hydrogen.

In November 2024, Clive Betts voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults Bill, which proposes to legalise assisted suicide.

In 2003, Clive Betts was suspended from the House of Commons for seven days for irregularities involving the employment and visa of Jose Gasparo, a Brazilian student with previous experience as a male escort.

Clive Betts was found guilty of breaching the MPs' code of conduct, with the Standards and Privileges Committee stating that he had acted "extremely foolishly" and had risked damaging public confidence in the integrity of Parliament.

Particular concerns involved his failure to disclose Gasparo's background to parliamentary authorities and the fact that Clive Betts had knowingly photocopied an altered document on Gasparo's behalf.

Clive Betts gave an "unreserved apology" in a personal statement to MPs when the report was published.

Also in 2003, Clive Betts was subject to criticism for his accommodation expenses after he had previously campaigned for an increase in MPs' entitlements on the ground of "hardship".

Clive Betts denied wrongdoing, arguing the Yorkshire property had been "two dilapidated listed buildings" and that when he became a whip he had to declare his main residence as his London flat.

Clive Betts responded that if MPs had a "puritanical" attitude about food then people would ignore what they said.

Clive Betts faced further criticism in 2010 after it was reported that he was one of eight MPs who were renting out a "second home" in London while claiming for the cost of renting a '"third home" in the city at taxpayers' expense.

Clive Betts plays cricket, supports Sheffield Wednesday FC and, in the past, has played squash and football and used to be a regular Sheffield Marathon runner.

In March 2021, Clive Betts became a trustee of the green space charity Fields in Trust.

Clive Betts was listed in articles in The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian which criticised the practice of MPs employing family members, on the lines that it promotes nepotism.