Bruce George

Who is Bruce George?

Bruce Thomas George is a British Labour Party politician, who served as the Member of Parliament for Walsall South from February 1974 until April 2010.

George was born in Wales in 1942 and was educated at the Mountain Ash Grammar School and the University of Wales, Swansea, where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in political theory and government. He finished his education at the University of Warwick where he earned a Master's degree in comparative politics. He was an assistant lecturer in social studies at the Glamorgan Polytechnic from 1964 to 1966. He lectured in politics at the Manchester Polytechnic from 1968 until he became a senior politics lecturer at the Birmingham Polytechnic in 1970. He left this post when he was elected to Parliament in 1974. He was also a tutor with the Open University from 1970 until 1973.

George contested Southport at the 1970 general election but was defeated by the sitting Conservative MP, Ian Percival, coming third in the poll. He was elected to the House of Commons for Walsall South at the February 1974 general election when he defeated the Conservative candidate by 1,580 votes.

George served as a member of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee from 1979 until 2005, serving as Chairman of the Committee from 1997 to 2005. He became a member of the Privy Council in 2001.