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Kelvin Hopkins MP for Luton North (1997 - present)
Kelvin Peter Hopkins - born 22 August 1941 in Leicester, son of the late Professor Harold Hopkins FRS and the late Joan Avery Frost (nee)
Married on 21 August 1965 to Patricia Mabel Hopkins (nee Langley), retired infant schoolteacher
Children:
Daniel Robert Hopkins dob 29/9/1969 and Rachel Louise Hopkins dob 30/3/1972
Education:
Foulds County Primary School, High Barnet
Queen Elizabeth Boys Grammar School, High Barnet
University of Nottingham - BA(Hons) Politics, Economics and
Mathematics with Statistics
(President Nottingham University Labour Club)
Employment:
TUC Economic Department (July 1969-December 1970 and
April 1973 - January 1977)
St Albans College of Further Education (January 1971 - April 1973)
Lecturer in Economics, Politics and Statistics
NALGO (now UNISON) (February 1977 - December 1994)
Policy & Research Officer responsible at various times for a range of
policies including economic policy, European Union, transport,
housing & construction, local government finance (Poll Tax),
regional policy, new technology (IT) employment,
Wales TUC etc
Also various periods of employment in industry including Hawker Siddeley Aviation (Hatfield 1964-1966),
Hilger & Watts (London 1962-63)
The Labour Party:
Joined the Labour Party in 1958 and have campaigned on the doorstep for Labour every year since then.
Lived in Luton since November 1969.
Former member Barnet CLP, Nottingham South CLP, Nottingham
West CLP, Luton West CLP and Luton East CLP
Former Chair of Luton West Constituency Labour Party (5 years)
Former Chair of Luton South CLP (7 years)
Former Chair Bedfordshire County Labour Party (11 years)
Former Vice-Chair of Central Region Labour Party
Former member of Labour Party national policy committees for
Housing and Transport (1970s/1980s)
Council Membership:
Luton County Borough Councillor 1972-1974
(Chair Public Safety Committee)
Luton Borough Council 1973-1976
Parliamentary Elections:
Labour Parliamentary Candidate for North Luton 1983
(second to John Carlisle MP Conservative)
Elected as MP for Luton North 1 May 1997
(17.4% swing to Labour, sixth largest Labour swing in the
country)
Re-elected in 2001 with a 2.5% swing to Labour (National
swing 2% to the Conservatives)
Re-elected in 2005 with a majority of 6,487
Re-elected in 2010 with a majority of 7,520 and almost 50% of the vote (National
swing 5% to the Conservatives)
Trade Union Activity:
GMB member 1977 to present. Former Branch Chair for 5 years.
Formerly member of ASTMS and The Musicians Union
Delegate Luton Trades Union Council (1974 to present)
Joint Co-ordinator of UNISON Group of Labour MPs (1999 - present).
Committee member - T.U. Group of Labour MPs.
Delegate to the Public Services International (PSI) Congress, Helsinki 1992
Other Political Interests:
Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs
(regular contributor to
Socialist Campaign Group News with around 100 articles to date)
Campaign for Labour Party Democracy - Parliamentary Liaison
officer for CLPD (2006-)
Socialist Education Association (Vice President 2007-)
The Co-operative Party
The Fabian Society
War on Want
Republic (The campaign for an Elected Head of State)
Former member and Chair of Full Employment Forum (subsequently
merged with Catalyst)
Former member of National Committee of Catalyst
(Former Member of Campaign Against Racial Discrimination
CARD -1960s) and Anti Apartheid
Member of CND and former national chair of TU CND
Member of Labour Euro Safeguards Campaign
Labour for a Euro Referendum and Labour Against the Euro
Parliamentary Interests:
Joint Co-ordinator UNISON Group of MPs
Co-Chair All Party Parliamentary Group for Further Education and
Lifelong Learning
Co-Chair All Party Parliamentary Group for Family Courts.
Secretary - All Party Parliamentary Group on Conflict Issues.
Member of the All Party Parliamentary Groups for Sweden, Norway,
Finland, Denmark, France and Italy
Member of the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group
Member of the All Party Parliamentary Historic Vehicles Group
Other local political activity and offices:
1985-9 - Chair of Governors - Luton College of Higher Education
(later University of Luton and now the University of Bedfordshire)
Hon Fellow University of Luton (now Bedfordshire)
Governor of Luton Sixth Form College (1981-84 and 1993-present.
Current Vice Chair)
Founder member of Luton Campaign for Racial Harmony
1975 Common Market Referendum - Bedfordshire Agent for the No
Vote
Personal Interests:
Classical music and Jazz
Wine
Collecting Victorian glassware
historic
vehicles
Former semi-professional jazz musician - tenor saxophone and clarinet
Led local band (see left Kelvin middle on tenor sax)1958-63
Member Nottingham Big Band 1966-69
Member of the British Humanist Association
Member of The Woodland Trust
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