Bob Ainsworth

The Right Honourable Bob Ainsworth MP
Member of Parliament for Coventry North East
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 April 1992
Preceded by	John Hughes
Majority	14,222 (38.24%)
Personal details
Born	(1952-06-19) 19 June 1952 Coventry
Nationality	British
Political party	Labour

Robert William Ainsworth (born 19 June 1952) is the British Member of Parliament for Coventry North East. He is a member of the Labour Party. He is a Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence.

Early life

Ainsworth was born in Coventry and attended the local Foxford Comprehensive School. He first became active in politics as a trade unionist at the Jaguar Cars plant in Coventry, where he worked from 1971, and served in many capacities within the Manufacturing, Science and Finance Union there, including four years as the Branch President. During 1982 and 1983, he was a candidate member of the International Marxist Group, but he was never a full member of that organisation. In 1984, he was elected to the Coventry City Council, and was its deputy leader from 1989–1992.

Parliamentary career

Ainsworth became Labour candidate for Coventry North East in 1992 after the sitting MP, John Hughes, was de-selected by the Constituency Labour Party. Ainsworth was successfully elected with a 11,676 majority, and stepped down from the city council the following year. At the 1997 general election his majority soared to 22,569; falling back to 15,751 at the 2001 election, and 14,222 at the 2005 election.

Ainsworth has been an ever present member of the Labour governments under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. From 1997–2001 he served as a whip, and in the reshuffle following Peter Mandelson's second resignation in January 2001 he was promoted to Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the former Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions.

After the 2001 general election Ainsworth was moved sideways to the Home Office (as Parliamentary Under-Secretary where he remained until 2003 when he became the Deputy Chief Whip (also known as the Treasurer of the Household). On 29 June 2007, he moved to become the Minister of State for the Armed Forces, replacing Adam Ingram.

Ainsworth was appointed to the Privy Council in February 2005.

External links

• Armed Forces Minister Bob Ainsworth Legion magazine interview
• Coventry North East Constituency Labour Party Local Labour Party site
• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Bob Ainsworth
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Bob Ainsworth MP
• Public Whip - Voting Record: Bob Ainsworth