Name Robin Baron | ||
Robin Granville Hodgson, Baron Hodgson of Astley Abbotts CBE (born 25 April 1942, Leamington Spa) is a British Conservative Party politician.
In both 1974 general elections, Hodgson unsuccessfully contested the strong Labour seat of Walsall North against the incumbent, John Stonehouse. But in the 1976 by-election caused by the imprisoned Stonehouse's resignation, Hodgson managed to overturn the large Labour majority to become the Member of Parliament.
However, in the 1979 general election, he could not hold the seat against the Labour candidate David Winnick, despite achieving an 11% swing.
In 1981 he was selected as candidate for the safe Conservative seat of Stratford-upon-Avon, but resigned his candidature in 1982 for undisclosed personal reasons, and never returned to the Commons.
He was awarded a CBE in the 1992 New Year's Honours.
He served as Chairman of the National Union of Conservative Associations from 1996–98, and as Chairman of the National Conservative Convention from 1998-2000.
He was created a life peer, as Baron Hodgson of Astley Abbotts, of Nash in the County of Shropshire on 7 June 2000. With a scheduled publication date for 2012, Hodgson was appointed by David Cameron's Government to perform a wholesale review of the Charities Act.
In 1982 Hodgson married Fiona Ferelith Allom, who was created Baroness Hodgson of Abinger in 2013.