15 Facts About David Clelland

David Gordon Clelland was born on 27 June 1943 and is a British Labour Party politician.

David Clelland served as Member of Parliament for Tyne Bridge from the 1985 by-election until the 2010 general election.

David Clelland was elected as a councillor in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead in 1972 and became its leader in 1984.

David Clelland was selected to contest the 1985 Tyne Bridge by-election, one of the then-safest Labour seats in the country, which had become vacant following the death of the MP Harry Cowans.

David Clelland retained the seat at the by-election on 5 December 1985 with a majority of 6,575.

In Parliament, David Clelland served on the Home Affairs Select Committee from 1986 until he joined the Energy Select Committee for a year in 1989.

David Clelland became an opposition whip in 1995 under the leadership of Tony Blair and was made an Assistant Government Whip in office following the 1997 general election.

David Clelland was promoted to become a Lord Commissioner to the Treasury, a 'full' whip, in January 2001.

David Clelland ceased being a whip following the 2001 general election, and became a member of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Select Committee, until 2005.

David Clelland attracted controversy in 2008 for reply to a letter from a disgruntled constituent.

The constituent, Gary Scott, wrote to David Clelland accusing him of following the views of the Labour Party and not those of his constituents.

David Clelland responded by saying: "Given your rude and offensive manner I accept your offer not to vote for me again - if indeed you ever have - I do not want your vote so you can stick it where it best pleases you".

David Clelland married Maureen Potts on 31 March 1965 in Gateshead, with whom he had two children and four grandchildren.

In 1998 they separated after David Clelland had an affair with his secretary, Brenda Graham, whom he later married in 2005.

David Clelland recorded the Alex Glasgow song "The Socialist ABC" on the CD From Tees to Tyne, saying "I've been singing this song as a party piece for years, but I was surprised and delighted when the people from The Northumbria Anthology asked me to record it".