Syd Rapson

Sydney Norman John Rapson (born 17 April 1942, Isle of Wight) is a British former politician. He moved with his family to the Paulsgrove area of Portsmouth as a young child, where he attended Paulsgrove Modern (now King Richard School). After leaving school he worked in the aeronautical industry for nearly forty years, and became a long serving councillor,[1] serving as Lord Mayor of Portsmouth in 1990.[2] He was elected as the Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Portsmouth North at the 1997 general election until he retired in 2005. He was succeeded by Sarah McCarthy-Fry.

Sydney stood for union improvement. He had stronger trade union credentials than many of the 1997 intake, having spent many years as an Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union activist and convener, which also gave him the strong interest in defence, the hallmark of his parliamentary career. He joined the Commons Defence Select Committee after the 2001 election. He sat for four years on the Accommodation and Works Committee.

Sydney led the team that headed the development of Portsmouth City's Gunwharf Quays, a large leisure and retail center located near the famous Portsmouth docks and the district of Portsea. The 'Quays' saw huge success, becoming the tourist capital of the city. With its success came the further development of the surrounding area of Portsea, attracting private property developers who went on to build high end towers throughout the district. The Quays and its area now a thriving hub of the city, Sydney and his team pushed for further development and a final landmark to represent the city. In 2005, after three years of development, the Spinnaker Tower was opened to the public. The Spinnaker Tower is the tallest building in Portsmouth and is styled in that of a ships sail; highlighting the link of the city to its Naval heritage. The tower is still active as one of Portsmouth's main attractions and only sight decks. The landmark was made Portsmouth Council's logo in 2006 and was seen there after as a visual embodiment of the city.

In 2018, Sydney was awarded the key of the city for his contributions and accomplishments in regards to representation and contributions for the city. This award was last given in 2008 and is only held by 32 others over a century of Portsmouth's history.

Sydney retired and still lives in Portchester and Portsmouth to this day, with his wife Phyllis Rapson. Sydney has two children and four grand children.