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Allan Rogers
Allan Ralph Rogers (24 October 1932 – 28 November 2023) was a British Labour Party politician. He was Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for South East Wales from 1979 to 1984, and Member of Parliament (MP) for Rhondda in Wales from 1983 until he stepped down at the 2001 general election.[1][2][3][4] BackgroundRogers was born in Gelligaer in 1932, the youngest of twelve children.[5][6] He had a scholarship to Selwyn College, Cambridge, but was unable to take it up when his national service deferment papers were 'mislaid'. He performed his national service with the Royal Welch Fusiliers, and studied geology at Swansea University.[6] He subsequently worked as a geologist in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and Australia, before becoming a teacher.[7] After a successful career as a geologist, he found himself as an educator, first at secondary level and then in adult education.[5] Later, alongside fellow WEA tutor organiser, Neil Kinnock, he introduced adult education classes for the workers at Switchgear. He also introduced art classes in mental health facilities. During his time as an MP, he also taught at the University of Glamorgan.[6] PoliticsRogers was elected to the Gelligaer District Council in 1965, and then to the Glamorgan County Council in 1970, which was replaced in part by the Mid Glamorgan County Council in 1974.[6] In 1979, he was elected to the European Parliament.[6] He was one of the Vice Presidents of the European Parliament from July 1979 to January 1982. Parliamentary careerRogers was elected the Member of Parliament for Rhondda in 1983.[6] During his time as an MP, he served on the Welsh Affairs Committee, Public Accounts Committee and the European Scrutiny Committee. He was also opposition defence spokesman, foreign affairs spokesman, and a member of the Commons Intelligence and Security Committee.[7] During the 1997 Welsh devolution referendum, he strongly sided with the "No" campaign.[6] The Guardian reported that in the 1997 election he was being offered a peerage, in a similar fashion to fellow Welsh Labour MP Ray Powell, in return for a younger candidate taking his seat, as it is one of Labour's safest, an offer which he allegedly rejected.[8][9] Personal life and deathIn 1955, Rogers married Ceridwen James; they had four children and were married until her death in 2022.[5] After retiring from Parliament, he continued to work for the British Geological Survey, the Geological Society, and became Chair of the Earth Science Education Forum.[6] His family was incredibly important to him. He died on 28 November 2023, at the age of 91.[10] His successor as MP for Rhondda, Sir Chris Bryant, called him "a magnificent advocate for the people of the Rhondda through some of its darkest times".[7] References
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