David Watts, Baron Watts

David Leonard Watts, Baron Watts (born 26 August 1951) is a British Labour Party politician who was Member of Parliament (MP) for St Helens North from 1997 to 2015, and Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party between 2012 and 2015. He was nominated for a life peerage in the 2015 Dissolution Honours.[1]


The Lord Watts
Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party
In office
15 March 2012  9 February 2015
LeaderEd Miliband
Preceded byTony Lloyd
Succeeded byJohn Cryer
Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
In office
10 May 2005  11 May 2010
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Gordon Brown
ChancellorGordon Brown
Alistair Darling
Preceded byJohn Heppell
Succeeded byAngela Watkinson
Member of Parliament
for St Helens North
In office
1 May 1997  30 March 2015
Preceded byJohn Evans
Succeeded byConor McGinn
Personal details
Born (1951-08-26) 26 August 1951
St Helens, England
Political partyLabour
Spouse(s)Avril Davies

Early life

Watts was educated at Malvern Primary School and Huyton Hey Secondary Modern School, Huyton. He was leader of St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council for four years. He was a union official at Huntley & Palmers' biscuit factory in Huyton.

Parliamentary career

Watts was a Government Whip and Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury from 2008 to 2010. On 15 March 2012, he was elected to succeed Tony Lloyd as the Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party, a role he performed until he stood down to be replaced by John Cryer on 9 February 2015.[2] He stood down at the 2015 General Election.[3] Watts is associated with the Labour Friends of Israel.[4]

On 23 October 2015, he was created Baron Watts, of Ravenhead in the County of Merseyside, for life.[5] By virtue of that life peerage, he became a member of the House of Lords. He entered the House of Lords on 3 December 2015 continuing to sit under the Labour whip.

Personal life

He married Avril Davies in 1972. They have two sons.

References

  1. "Dissolution Peerages 2015". Gov.uk. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  2. "John Cryer Is The New Chair Of The PLP". LabourList. 9 February 2015.
  3. "Dave Watts To Stand Down As St Helens North MP". St Helens Star. 3 January 2015.
  4. "2014 11 – Parliamentary Notes". Labour Affairs Magazine. November 2014.
  5. "No. 61394". The London Gazette. 29 October 2015. p. 21238.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
John Evans
Member of Parliament for St Helens North
19972015
Succeeded by
Conor McGinn
Party political offices
Preceded by
Tony Lloyd
Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party
2012–2015
Succeeded by
John Cryer
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by
The Lord Hain
Gentlemen
Baron Watts
Followed by
The Lord Stunell
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