About Rob

Early Life

Rob was born in Bournville, Birmingham on 14 January 1966. He attended Bournville Junior and Infants Schools before going to King’s Norton Boys’ School. At age 18 he went to University College of North Wales, Bangor to read Chemistry. He graduated in 1987 with a B.Sc. (Hons).

Employment History

After graduating, Rob worked for a short time at Cadbury in Bournville before joining the Inland Revenue. In 1989 he left to join Price Waterhouse accountants as a personal tax advisor. In 1995 he moved to Arthur Andersen then in 1999 he co-founded Platts Flello Limited, tax and financial advisors. In late 2003 he left to work as the CEO of Malachi Community Trust until December 2004.

Political Activity

Rob was elected as a local Labour Councillor for the Longbridge ward of Birmingham City Council in 2002 stepping down in 2004. He is a former chairman of the Birmingham Northfield Constituency Labour Party. He served as a governor at the Newman College in Bartley Green, and was Chair of Governors for both Colmers Farm infants and junior schools. He was also a governor at The Meadows primary school. He became a regional organiser for the Labour Party in 2004 until his election to Westminster.

Parliamentary career

Rob was elected to the House of Commons at the 2005 general election for Stoke-on-Trent South following the retirement of George Stevenson. Rob held the seat with a majority of 8,681 and made his maiden speech on May 19, 2005. Following the 2010 General Election he retained the seat with a reduced majority.

In parliament he has been a member of the Science and Technology Select Committee, and was the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Lord Chancellor, Charles Falconer, Baron Falconer of Thoroton since 2006 after which he became Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Hazel Blears. In 2009 he became Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Defence, Bob Ainsworth.

Rob was appointed as a shadow junior minister for Justice in October 2010.