Early life

He attended Bootle Grammar School for Boys (now called Bootle High School) and studied economics at Trent Polytechnic (now Nottingham Trent University). He was President of the Student Union from 1969-70. After graduating in 1972, he became a community worker, being Assistant General Secretary of the Nottingham Council of Voluntary Service from 1970-4, and worked on an anti-vandalism project from 1974-8. He later became a research officer for the city's Racial Equality Council from 1979-92.

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, who was a member (and latterly treasurer) of the Socialist Campaign Group of MPs and 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 has been asked to pay back £500 that he has been accused of over-claiming in cleaning bills by the auditor of MPs' expenses Sir 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.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]