Robert Evans (London politician)

Robert John Emlyn Evans (born 23 October 1956 in Ashford, then in Middlesex, now in Surrey) was a Member of the European Parliament for the Labour and Co-operative Parties, representing London from 1994–2009. He was originally elected to the European Parliament for London North West in 1994, having previously stood unsuccessfully in 1989. In November 2012 he was Labour candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner in Surrey. On 2 May 2013 he was elected Surrey County Councillor for Stanwell and Stanwell Moor. . He was re-elected to this seat in May 2017 with an 11% increase in his vote on what was otherwise a disappointing night for Labour. .

As a Surrey County Councillor, he has campaigned vigorously in defence of public services, particularly the retention of his local fire station, ironically named Staines Fire Station, despite being opposite Ashford Hospital and in Stanwell! and in favour of a 'better not bigger' Heathrow Airport. At the full County Council meeting in May 2014 Evans proposed and achieved a vote to achieve Fairtrade status for Surrey - the first county in the south of England to achieve this. The change was opposed by the Conservative Leader of many years' standing. Despite being a lone Labour councillor, Evans has achieved success in getting Surrey to oppose a return to grammar schools and to acknowledge and congratulate Sadiq Khan on being elected London's Mayor in 2016.

Robert Evans was educated at Ashford County Grammar School before gaining a BEd and MA from the Institute of Education, University of London. He then became a teacher and, at the time of his election to the European Parliament, he was head of a Junior School in Hounslow. He was awarded the highest grade by Cambridge University in his CELTA exam in 2013. He also studied elementary Bengali at SOAS, London.

He sat with the Socialist Group and sat on the European Parliament's Committee on Transport and Tourism. His main achievement was to create a new Europe-wide law to outlaw discrimination against disabled passengers when travelling by air. He was a substitute for the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, Chair of the Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia and was also closely involved with Romania and Moldova. From 1999–2004 he was Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs. From 2004 to 2007 he was Chairman of the European Parliamentary Labour Party.

Evans was an election observer for the European Parliament, and was Chair of the mission to observe the Pakistan elections in 2008 and EU Chief Observer to Cambodia in 2003.

Evans announced in November 2008 that he would not be seeking re-election to the European Parliament in 2009. He has since been an independent consultant and freelance advisor to various MPs, MEPs, to CAMS College in Hayes, and with his special expertise in Bangladesh to the charities BRAC, London Tigers,. and the Brussels based, NGO Shipbreaking. Additionally he is a part-time lecturer at Royal Holloway College, London University.

Evans stood unsuccessfully for Parliament as the Labour Party's candidate in East Berkshire in 1987 and Uxbridge in 1992, and later in the 2003 Brent East by-election.

He was awarded an honorary doctorate by Brunel University in 1998.

Robert Evans is a Vice President of the League Against Cruel Sports, a trustee of BRAC-UK, and of the Brussels-based South Asian charity, NGO Shipbreaking Platform. He is a Life Member of Ashford Cricket Club, Cambridge University Cricket Club, and a long-standing member of Ashford Middlesex Hockey Club, MCC and Middlesex County Cricket Club.

Robert Evans speaks French and some Spanish and German. He is learning Bengali, albeit slowly.