Peter Snape, Baron Snape

Peter Charles Snape, Baron Snape (12 February 1942 – 13 August 2026) was a British Labour Party politician. He served as Member of Parliament (MP) for West Bromwich East from February 1974 until he stood down in the 2001 election. Snape was the chairman of his hometown football club, Stockport County, as well as being a major shareholder in the club at the time of his chairmanship. He became vice-chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Speedway Racing in July 2015.

Career A railwayman by profession, Snape once lived at Greenwood Gardens, Bredbury, in the Borough of Stockport and was the Bredbury and Romiley Urban District councillor representing the Bredbury South ward. He was elected as Labour Member of Parliament for West Bromwich East in 1974, after which he moved to live in Buglawton in Congleton, Cheshire. He retained links with the Bredbury area, serving on multiple occasions as a director of the Stockport County Football Club. He held a number of government posts.

Snape was the member who formally proposed Michael Martin to be the new speaker in 2000. He stood down in the 2001 election and was created a life peer as Baron Snape, of Wednesbury in the County of West Midlands on 9 June 2004.

Orange juice incident During the 1992 general election campaign, Conservative MP Edwina Currie poured a glass of orange juice over Snape shortly after an edition of the Midlands-based debate show Central Weekend had finished airing. Speaking about the incident later, Currie said, "I just looked at my orange juice, and looked at this man from which this stream of abuse was emanating, and thought 'I know how to shut you up.

The House of Lords Sub-committee on Lords' Interests was asked to report on the matter. Although the sub-committee found that Snape "expressed a clear willingness to breach the Code of Conduct", the Privileges Committee considered the matter and took further evidence, concluding that he did not "express clear willingness to [act] in return for financial inducement".

They found no reason to doubt Snape's "assertion that his intention to consult the Registrar before taking any steps was genuine", stating that this was pre-empted by the journalists "telephon[ing] him within 24 hours to reveal the sting".

Death Snape died of cancer on 13 August 2026, aged 84.

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