Robin Corbett, Baron Corbett of Castle Vale

Corbett was born in Fremantle, Western Australia, to Marguerite Adele (née Mainwaring) and Thomas William Corbett. His parents had recently immigrated to Australia from England. His father, a foundry worker and mechanical engineer, was a militant unionist, and his involvement in certain demonstrations resulted in he and his family being deported back to England in 1935. They resettled in West Bromwich, and Corbett attended Holly Lodge Grammar School in Smethwick, leaving at the age of sixteen. He was called up for two years' national service into the Royal Air Force in 1951. After completing his national service he became a journalist, first for the Birmingham Evening Mail and then for the Daily Mirror. In 1968 he became deputy editor of Farmer's Weekly, then worked for IPC Magazines in 1970, where he stayed until his election to parliament in 1974.[1]

Corbett first stood for Parliament at Hemel Hempstead in 1966, and then in a 1967 by-election at West Derbyshire, but was unsuccessful at both attempts.

He was elected Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Hemel Hempstead at the October 1974 general election, but he lost the seat at the general election in 1979. He then returned to IPC Magazines, working as a communications consultant until he returned to parliament in the 1983 general election, representing Birmingham Erdington. He held this seat until his retirement from the House of Commons at the 2001 general election. Siôn Simon replaced him as Labour Member of Parliament for Birmingham Erdington.

Whilst in the House of Commons, he was opposition spokesman on Home Affairs (1979–1992), then for national heritage, broadcasting and press until 1995. He was a Labour Party Whip from 1984 until 1987. He was Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee from 1999 to 2001.

He was created a life peer as Baron Corbett of Castle Vale, of Erdington in the County of West Midlands, on 5 July 2001.[2] His political interests included Home Office, police, civil liberties, the motor industry, manufacturing, disability, children's rights, alternative energy, environment, agriculture, animal welfare, and press and broadcasting. He was Chair of the All Party Penal Affairs Group, a parliamentary organisation clerked by the Prison Reform Trust, and a patron of the Forum on Prisoner Education and UNLOCK, The National Association of Ex-Offenders. He was chairman of the all-party British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom and chairman of Friends of Cyprus.

He was a Vice-President of the Debating Group.[3]

He married Val Hudson in 1970, with whom he had one daughter, Polly Hudson, a columnist for the Daily Mirror. He also had a daughter and a son from a previous marriage.

Corbett died of lung cancer at his home in Hemel Hempstead on 19 February 2012, aged 78.[4]

Following Lord Corbett's death in February 2012 and his lifelong interest in prisoners 'learning through doing', his family established a lasting memorial to his exceptional work in penal reform. The Robin Corbett Award for Prisoner Rehabilitation[5] was launched in 2013 with the Prison Reform Trust as prisoner rehabilitation legacy.

This annual award is for outstanding rehabilitative work with prisoners done by a small charity or community group working in partnership with prison staff.[6] The award champions work that fosters personal responsibility and encourages people in prison, and ex-offenders, to help themselves and others.

Nominations are invited from prison governors and directors across the UK and winners of the main £3,000 prize to date include KeepOut[7] (2013) and PrisonWorks[8] (2014). Also highly commended, and winners of the £1,000 runner-up prizes to date, were Theatre Nemo[9] (2013) and The Forgiveness Project[10] (2014).

• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Robin Corbett