Biography.guide
Home › People › Politician › Bob Laxton
Portrait of Bob Laxton

Bob Laxton

b. 1944

British politician (born 1944)

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Bob Laxton

Born 1944. Bob Laxton is a British politician.

Robert Laxton (born 7 September 1944) is a British Labour Party politician who was the member of parliament (MP) for Derby North from 1997 until standing down at the 2010 general election.

Early life and education Laxton attended the Woodlands Secondary Modern School (became the Woodlands Community School) on Blenheim Drive in Allestree. He also attended the Derby College of Art and Technology.

Career Laxton was a telecommunications engineer for the General Post Office from 1961. Whilst in this employment, he was a union representative and branch official for the Post Office Engineering Union, which became the National Communications Union in 1985, and finally the Communication Workers Union in 1995.

Prior to becoming an MP, he was leader of Derby City Council from 1986 to 1988 and again from 1994 to 1997. He was first elected to the city council in 1979.

Parliamentary career During the 2001 Parliament he served as parliamentary private secretary to Alan Johnson, an old friend from his days as a union official who was Higher Education Minister and then Secretary of State for Work and Pensions before resigning from this role in 2005 to become a British representative on the Council of Europe.

He was chair of the Waterways All-Party Parliamentary Group.

On 19 October 2009, Laxton announced his intention to stand down at the next general election.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
University of Derby, Woodlands Community School
Positions held
Member of the 54th Parliament of the United Kingdom, Member of the 53rd Parliament of the United Kingdom, Member of the 52nd Parliament of the United Kingdom, Substitute member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
Also known as
Robert Laxton

People in Bob Laxton's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Bob Laxton's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Bob Laxton?

British politician (born 1944)

When was Bob Laxton born?

Bob Laxton was born on 7 September 1944 in Derby.

What is Bob Laxton's occupation?

Bob Laxton is a politician.

What nationality is Bob Laxton?

Bob Laxton is British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Bob Laxton

· Wikidata: Q4933126

· DBpedia: Bob Laxton

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Bob Laxton. https://biography.guide/bob-laxton/

MLA: "Bob Laxton." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/bob-laxton/.

Chicago: "Bob Laxton." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/bob-laxton/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:31 UTC