Tom Watson

Tom Watson, Labour MP for West Bromwich East, was born in Sheffield on 8 January 1967. Most of his childhood was spent in Kidderminster and he now lives with his wife Siobhan in the Hateley Heath area of West Bromwich East.

Since his election to Parliament in June 2001 with over 55 per cent of the vote and a majority of 9,763, he has been appointed to the Home Affairs Select Committee and also sits on the Standing Committee for the Proceeds of Crime Bill.

Before becoming an MP Tom was the political officer at the AEEU engineering union, a position that he had held since 1997. He has also worked for the Save The Children Fund.

Tom joined the Labour Party when he was 15. He has held several positions within the Party at a national, regional and local level. These include membership of the Labour Party's West Midlands Executive since 1997; member of Labour's National Policy Forum also from 1997; Chairman Wyre Forest CLP 1998 -2000; Chair of National Organisation of Labour Students 1992-93. He was also deputy general election co-ordinator until 1997.

In 2000-1 he served on the Rover Taskforce, the Government appointed body that helped secure the future of the Longbridge car plant.

In September 2004 he became an unpaid assistant government whip.

With Mark Tami MP he is the co-author of of 'Votes For All', published by the Fabian Society in 2000, which urged the introduction of compulsory voting. He is also joint-editor of Liberal Demolition, a magazine for activists campaigning against the Liberal Democrats.

His political interests include: home affairs, industry and manufacturing, transport, culture and sport. He supports the first past the post electoral system, the trade union link with the Labour Party and is opposed to directly elected mayors.

Outside politics his hobbies and interests include: watching football, playing Playstation 2, reading and travel.