Kelvin Hopkins

Kelvin Peter Hopkins (born August 22, 1941) is a British politician and the Labour Member of Parliament for Luton North.

Kelvin Hopkins was born in Leicester, Leicestershire the son of a professor and was educated at the Queen Elizabeth Boys' Grammar School, Barnet and the University of Nottingham where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics, economics and mathematics with statistics. With the exception of two years as a lecturer at the St Albans College from 1971 he has worked entirely within the trade union movement. He joined the Trades Union Congress as an economist in 1969, and rejoined the TUC following his stint in education in 1973. He was appointed as a policy and research officer with NALGO in 1977, leaving its successor UNISON in 1994.

He now lives in Luton and served as a councillor on Luton Borough Council for four years from 1972. He unsuccessfully contested Luton North at the 1983 General Election finishing in second place some 11,981 votes behind the sitting Conservative MP John Russell Carlisle. He was elected to the House of Commons at the 1997 General Election for Luton North with a majority of 9,626 and has remained the MP there since. He made his maiden speech on November 28, 1997.[1]

In parliament he served as a member of the broadcasting select committee for two years from 1999, and has been a member of the public administration select committee since 2002. He has also served as an adviser to the Minister of Sport Richard Caborn on yachting since 2002. He is a member of many all-party groups and is the chairman of the group on further education and lifelong learning; he serves as the vice chairman on the groups on jazz appreciation; historic vehicles; Norway; constitution and citizenship; transport infrastructure and trans-European networks; he also serves as the treasurer to the group on building societies and financial mutuals.

He has been married to Patricia Mabel Langley since 1965 and they have a son and a daughter. He is on the left-wing of the party, being a member of the Socialist Campaign Group. A French speaker, he is a keen photographer, saxophonist, and enjoys sailing on the Norfolk Broads. He is an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society and is a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association.

Preceded by John Russell Carlisle	Member of Parliament for Luton North 1997 – present	Incumbent

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