John Forrester | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 June 1924 |
| Died | 24 November 2007 (aged 83) Stoke-on-Trent |
| Education | Stoke-on-Trent City School of Commerce, Alsager Teacher Training College |
| Occupation(s) | Teacher, Member of Parliament, City councillor |
John Stuart Forrester (17 June 1924 – 24 November 2007) was a British Labour Party politician.
Early life and education
Forrester was born in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, and was educated at Eastwood School and the City School of Commerce in Stoke-on-Trent, and Alsager teacher training college in Cheshire.[1]
Early career
He spent three and a half years in the Royal Navy and taught English to the Polish Resettlement Corps before becoming a teacher in the city.[2] Partly as a consequence of his experience in the armed services, Forrester remained a "steadfast Atlanticist all his political life".[3]
Political career
Having been secretary of the local Constituency Labour Party from 1961, Forrester was Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent North from 1966 to 1987, when was deselected as Labour candidate and replaced by Joan Walley.[1]
In 1970, he was appointed as parliamentary private secretary to David Ennals, the then Minister of State at the Department of Health and Social Security.[2]
Forrester was a Stoke-on-Trent City councillor for East Valley, a ward that includes parts of Smallthorne, Sneyd Green, Milton and Baddeley Green, from 1973 to 2000 and served as chairman of the authority's licensing committee.
He was made Stoke-on-Trent's 50th honorary Freeman in 1992. He also served as a Magistrate in the city.[2]
After Forrester's death, the Secretary of his local Labour Party Branch spoke of his "sense of duty, his commitment, his approachability, his warmth, and his humour".[3]
References
- 1 2 The Times Guide to the House of Commons, Times Newspapers Ltd, 1966, 1983 & 1997;
- 1 2 3 Bruce, Catherine (24 November 2007) Politicians Mourn 'Gentleman' John, The Sentinel newspaper;
- 1 2 Hughes, Richard (4 December 2007) Word From The Web, The Sentinel newspaper;