Bruce George

Bruce Thomas George (1 June 1942 – 24 February 2020) was a British Labour Party politician, who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Walsall South from February 1974 until 2010.

Early life George was born in Mountain Ash, Mid-Glamorgan, to Phyllis George and her husband Edgar George, a policeman. He was an assistant lecturer in social studies at the Glamorgan Polytechnic from 1964 to 1966. He lectured in politics at the Manchester Polytechnic from 1968 until he became a senior politics lecturer at the Birmingham Polytechnic in 1970. He left this post when he was elected to Parliament in 1974. He was also a tutor with the Open University from 1970 until 1973.

Parliamentary career

George contested Southport at the 1970 general election but was defeated by the sitting Conservative MP, Ian Percival, coming third in the poll. He was elected to the House of Commons for Walsall South at the February 1974 general election.

George served as a member of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee from 1979 until 2005, serving as chairman of the committee from 1998 to 2005.

On 18 February 2010, George announced that he would stand down at the 2010 general election. He was succeeded in his constituency by Valerie Vaz.

After the House of Commons In May 2011, George was awarded the Medal of Honour by the president of Georgia for his considerable contribution to the democratisation of that country.

Publications The State of the Alliance Co-Authored by Bruce George, 1987, Avalon Publishing, Jane's NATO Handbook Edited by Bruce George, 1990, Jane's Information Group Jane's NATO Handbook Edited by Bruce George, 1991, Jane's Information Group The British Labour Party and Defence by Bruce George, 1992, Greenwood Press Worth Saving: The Story of the Staffordshire Regiment's Fight for Survival by Bruce George and Nick Ryan, 1996, Dalesman Publishing Company Ltd