30 Facts About Laurence Robertson

Laurence Anthony Robertson was born on 29 March 1958 and is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Tewkesbury from 1997 to 2024.

Laurence Robertson was born on 29 March 1958 in Bolton, Lancashire.

Laurence Robertson's father was a miner, a postman, a delivery man then a milkman.

Laurence Robertson the studied at Bolton Institute of Higher Education, gaining a diploma in Management Services.

From 1988 to 1991, Laurence Robertson was Chairman of Governors of a primary school, a visitor for Victim Support Scheme, and the area chairman for the Campaign for Law and Order.

Laurence Robertson was an unsuccessful candidate when he stood for Bolton Council in the Derby ward in 1983 and in the Burnden ward in 1986.

In May 2001, Laurence Robertson ignored James Cran's advice not to publicly express support for John Townend.

Laurence Robertson was forced to apologise after being given an ultimatum to either apologise, retract his remarks, and promise not to repeat them or to be stripped of the Conservative party whip.

Laurence Robertson was reported to have told colleagues that he received a lot of support, and was told by the chairman of his Tewkesbury constituency that he should not have backed down.

In November 2003, Laurence Robertson was appointed a Shadow Minister for Economic Affairs and from May 2005, he served as the Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland.

Laurence Robertson was not given a ministerial position in the 2010 Parliament, but served as chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee until July 2017 when Andrew Murrison succeeded Robertson as chair.

Between 2004 and 2005, Laurence Robertson led a successful campaign to save Alderman Knight, a local special needs school for children additional learning difficulties, complex needs and Autistic Spectrum Disorders from closure.

An issue that Laurence Robertson raised to Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in February 2020 following heavy flooding in his constituency.

Laurence Robertson is Vice Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Flood Prevention, and continues to lobby the government on the issue of flooding.

In October 2020, Laurence Robertson spoke out against the IPSA proposed pay rise for Members of Parliament in a statement on his website.

Laurence Robertson began a job at the Betting and Gaming Council in October 2020 as the parliamentary advisor on sport and safer gambling.

Laurence Robertson lost his Tewkesbury seat at the 2024 general election to the Liberal Democrat candidate, Cameron Thomas.

In Parliament, Laurence Robertson was Chairman of the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee between 2010 and 2017.

Laurence Robertson was Chairman of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly between 2012 and 2016.

In 2017, Laurence Robertson received a Metropolitan Police shield for his work championing IRA bomb victims.

Laurence Robertson continues to lead calls for compensation to be given to victims of IRA attacks that used Libyan explosives.

Laurence Robertson created the All-party parliamentary group on the Union in September 2019 which seeks "To promote the economic, social, cultural and constitutional benefits of the union of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; To foster good relations between the four countries of the UK and their devolved administrations; and for connected purposes".

Laurence Robertson is a member of the pressure group The Freedom Association.

In mid-November 2018, following publication of the draft UK Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, Laurence Robertson submitted to the Chairman of the 1922 Committee of the Conservative Party a letter confirming he had no confidence in the Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister Theresa May Laurence Robertson became the first of a long list to confirm his letter, after the government announced details of its draft Withdrawal Agreement with the EU.

Laurence Robertson is a member of multiple All-party parliamentary groups for African nations, including: Chairman of the APPG for Ethiopia and Djibouti, Vice Chairman of the APPG for Angola and Vice Chairman of the APPG for Nigeria.

In October 2020, Laurence Robertson was appointed as the Prime Minister's Trade Envoy to Angola and Zambia.

Laurence Robertson is one of 29 trade envoys covering 67 markets who are appointed by the Prime Minister to promote trade and encourage investment within the UK.

Outside of Parliament, Laurence Robertson is chairman of the Westminster Africa Business Group, who bring together both business and political activities across Africa to encourage trade relationships.

In May 1989, Laurence Robertson married Susan Lees at All Saints Church in Farnworth.

On 7 February 2015, Laurence Robertson married Annie Adams, in St Mary Undercroft by the Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons.