James Lamond

James Alexander Lamond (29 November 1928 – 20 November 2007) was a British Labour Member of Parliament who represented Oldham East from 1970 to 1983 and then Oldham Central and Royton from 1983 until he retired at the 1992 general election.

Biography

Lamond was born in Burrelton, Perthshire. His father worked for the London and North Eastern Railway. He was educated at schools in Burrelton and Coupar Angus, before becoming an apprentice draughtsman at the Hall and Company shipyard in Aberdeen in 1942, aged 14. He could not afford the fees to study naval architecture in Newcastle, and worked as a draughtsman for the North-east Scotland Regional Hospital Board.

He was an active member of the Draughtsmen's and Allied Technicians' Association (Data; later successively renamed as AUEW-Tass, MSF, Amicus and Unite). He joined the Labour party in 1950, and was elected to Aberdeen City Council in 1959, serving as a councillor until 1971. He became leader of the local Labour group in 1967, and served as Lord Provost and Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeen in 1970-71. After he failed to be selected for the safe Labour seat of Aberdeen North, losing out to Robert Hughes, he found favour instead in Oldham East, where he was elected in June 1970.