John Robertson was elected to Parliament as Labour MP for Glasgow Anniesland, as it was then called – where he was born and grew up – in a by-election in 2000 following the death of former First Minister Donald Dewar, who he had been election agent for. He is currently Parliamentary Private Secretary to Yvette Cooper Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and a member of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee.

John has a wide range of political interests and chairs All Party Groups on communications, nuclear energy, music, Nigeria and Angola.

He has been active on welfare reform issues, bringing forward a Private Members’ Bill on Employment Retention in a number of parliamentary sessions to help people stay in work when they become disabled.

His amendment to the Welfare Reform Bill in 2009 increased the mobility support available for blind people, ending a longstanding discrimination against them.

John’s other political interests include shipbuilding, unemployment, the Internet, ticket touting, poverty and pensioners. Before entering Parliament John was a manager in BT, who he worked for for over 31 years.