Robert Atkins (politician)

Politician

Birthday February 5, 1946

Birth Sign Aquarius

Age 78 years old

#50648 Most Popular

1946

Sir Robert James Atkins (born 5 February 1946 in London) is a British Conservative politician.

Atkins was born on 5 February 1946 in London, England.

He was educated at Highgate School, then an all-boys private school in Highgate, London.

Atkins began his political career at a local level.

Atkins is married to Dulcie Mary Atkins (b.1946), who is a fellow Conservative councillor in Wyre, and who served as her husband's personal assistant during his tenure as an MEP.

1968

He served as a councillor for the London Borough of Haringey from 1968 to 1977.

1974

After unsuccessfully campaigning for the new seat of Luton West in February and October 1974, he was elected the Member of Parliament for Preston North from 1979 to 1983, and for South Ribble from 1983 to 1997.

1979

He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Preston North from 1979 to 1983, and then for South Ribble from 1983 to 1997.

1984

From 1984 to 1987 he was President of Conservative Trade Unionists.

1995

He was made a member of the Privy Council in 1995.

1997

Atkins was knighted in the 1997 Dissolution Honours List in recognition of his service as a Member of Parliament, as Minister of State for Northern Ireland and as Minister of State for the Environment.

He is a Freeman of the City of London.

1999

He served as Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the North West England region from 1999 to 2014.

He later became a Member of the European Parliament for the North West England region in 1999.

2001

He was Conservative Spokesman on Industry and External Trade from 2001 to 2004, and was Spokesman on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism from 1999 to 2001.) He is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Transport & Tourism Committee. He stood down at the 2014 European Elections.

2007

He was Deputy Leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament until November 2007 and was Chief Whip there from November 2008 to November 2009.

2015

Their daughter Victoria Atkins was elected at the 2015 general election as the Conservative MP for Louth and Horncastle.

In November 2023 she was made Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

2019

In 2019, he was elected as a councillor for the Garstang ward of the Borough of Wyre in Lancashire.