John Gilbert, Baron Gilbert

Who was John Gilbert, Baron Gilbert?

John William Gilbert, Baron Gilbert PC was a British Labour politician.

Gilbert's father was a civil servant. Baron Gilbert was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood, St John's College, Oxford where he studied philosophy, politics and economics and New York University where he gained a PhD in international economics. He then worked as a chartered accountant in Canada.

He contested the Parliamentary seat of Ludlow in 1966 and a by-election in Dudley in 1968 before being elected for Dudley in 1970 and Dudley East in 1974, which he represented until 1997, when it became part of the new Dudley North constituency and Gilbert retired from the House of Commons.

In the Labour governments of Harold Wilson and James Callaghan he was Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Minister for Transport, and Minister of State for Defence. As Minister for Transport he approved the London M25 orbital motorway project and introduced the Bill to make the wearing of seat belts compulsory. He also served on the House of Commons Defence Committee and the Trade and Industry Committee.