David Bookbinder

David Bookbinder (1940/41 – 24 December 2023) was a British Labour Party politician. He was elected to Derbyshire County Council in 1973 and became council leader in 1981. Bookbinder's administration saw the banning of school corporal punishment and the implementation of cheaper school meals. He was frequently opposed to the policies of Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher, in particular over a government request that Derbyshire end its twinning agreement with Shanxi province, China, following the June 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Thatcher called him, at the time, her "least favourite local government leader". Bookbinder stood down from his position as leader in April 1992 after his wife developed breast cancer and from the council in July 1993. In retirement he was chair of an investment company.

Early life Bookbinder was born in Manchester in 1940 or 1941. He joined the Labour Party at the age of 15. During the 1975 United Kingdom European Communities membership referendum campaign Bookbinder spoke against membership of the European Communities, concerned that value-added tax would be imposed on food in the UK.

Bookbinder became leader of the council in 1981 and also sat on its policy committee and the investment panel. Bookbinder played a key role in attracting Toyota Manufacturing UK to establish their first UK factory at Burnaston, Derbyshire. The decision was taken in 1989 and the first car was produced in 1992. The local Conservative MP Edwina Currie said "Toyota would not have arrived in Derbyshire and in my constituency without David Bookbinder". After retiring from the council Bookbinder was chairman of Derbyshire First Investments, a company that invested in businesses in the county.

Bookbinder was a supporter of Manchester City FC. He underwent heart bypass surgery in 2000 and later suffered from bladder cancer for which he had chemotherapy but also used Chinese traditional medicine. Bookbinder died on Christmas Eve 2023.