David Clelland
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David Gordon Clelland (born June 27, 1943) British politician. He is the Labour Member of Parliament for Tyne Bridge.
David Clelland was born in Gateshead and educated locally at the Kelvin Grove Boys' School and the Gateshead and Hebburn Technical College. From leaving education in 1959 he was 22 years an electrical fitter. He was elected as a councillor in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead in 1972 and became its leader in 1984. It was very much a case of being in the right place at the right time when he was selected to contest the 1985 Tyne Bridge by-election, one of the safest Labour seats in the country becoming vacant following the death of its MP Harry Cowans. Clelland won the seat at the by-election on December 5, 1985 with a majority of 6,575, and he has been the MP there since. The Conservative candidate at the by-election was the present MP for Beckenham Jacqui Lait.
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. He became a whip in opposition in 1995 under the leadership of Tony Blair and was made an Assistant Government Whip in office following the 1997 General Election and was promoted to become a Lord Commissioner to the Treasury, a 'full' whip in January 2001. However, he was sacked from the government following the 2001 General Election. He became a member of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Select Committee in 2002 until 2005, and in 2002 he became an advisor to the Minister of Sport Richard Caborn on greyhound racing. He has been a Member of the Transport Select Committee since the 2005 General Election.
He was married to Maureen Potts in 1964; they have two daughters and have divorced. He is a pipe smoker.
