Alan Simpson (British politician)

Alan John Simpson (born 20 September 1948) is a British former Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Nottingham South from 1992 to 2010.

Early life
Simpson attended Bootle Grammar School for Boys and studied economics at Trent Polytechnic, where he was President of the Student Union from 1969 to 1970. After graduating in 1972, he became a community worker, holding the post of Assistant General Secretary at the Nottingham Council of Voluntary Service from 1970 to 1974, and working on an anti-vandalism project from 1974 to 1978. He later became a research officer for the city's Racial Equality Council from 1979 to 1992.

He joined the Labour Party in 1973 and was elected a county councillor in 1985. He first contested his eventual seat in 1987.

Parliamentary career
Simpson is on the left-wing of the Labour Party. He was a member (and latterly treasurer) of the Socialist Campaign Group of MPs, as well as being on the board of the left-wing Tribune magazine. Simpson's opinions ran counter to those of the Labour frontbench: in the mid-1990s, he led the campaign to retain the original wording of Clause IV, and later established the "Labour Against the War" group, which opposes the Afghan war and occupation of Iraq.

On 31 October 2006, Simpson was among the 12 Labour MPs to back Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party's call for an inquiry into the Iraq War.

On 18 February 2007, Simpson announced his intention to stand down at the next general election. In a letter to his constituency party members, he felt his effectiveness would be greater outside parliament campaigning for radical environmental policy changes, rather than remaining on the back benches. Another factor behind his decision was the birth in 2006 of a baby daughter with his third wife.

Expenses controversy
Simpson was asked to pay back £500 that he was accused of over-claiming in cleaning bills by the auditor of MPs' expenses, Thomas Legg. Legg has been openly challenged by Simpson who refuses to return the money. Simpson threatened to take Legg to court over this matter.

Personal life
Simpson married Pascale Quiviger, a French-Canadian author and painter, in July 2005 at Newstead Abbey, the ancestral home of Lord Byron. They have a daughter born in January 2006. He has two sons and a daughter from a previous marriage.