Ray Edward Harry Collins, Baron Collins of Highbury (born 21 December 1954) is a British politician and
trade unionist
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits (s ...
serving as a
Member of the House of Lords
This is a list of members of the House of Lords, the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Current sitting members
Lords Spiritual
26 bishops of the Church of England sit in the House of Lords: the Archbishops of Canterbury and ...
since 2011. A member of the
Labour Party, he has been Shadow Deputy
Leader of the House of Lords
The leader of the House of Lords is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Lords. The post is also the leader of the majority party in the House of Lords who acts as ...
since 2021. Collins served as
General Secretary of the Labour Party from 2008 to 2011, and has held several opposition front bench posts in the Lords since 2011.
Trade unionist
Collins was appointed Central Office Manager of the
Transport and General Workers' Union
The Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU or T&G) was one of the largest general trade unions in the United Kingdom and Ireland – where it was known as the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union (ATGWU) to differentiate ...
in 1984 and held essentially the same post until 2008, being redesignated Head of Administration in the 1990s and Assistant General Secretary in 1999. He has been a member of the Labour Party for over thirty years and has campaigned for the party in every General Election since 1970. He was TGWU representative on the Labour Party
National Policy Forum and a member of Labour's
National Constitutional Committee The National Constitutional Committee (NCC) is a senior organ of the UK Labour Party concerned with discipline. It is covered by Clause IX: of the Labour Party Rule Book, the governing document for the Labour Party in the United Kingdom. Representat ...
.
He helped steer the TGWU into a merger with
Amicus, creating
Unite
Unite may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music Albums
* ''Unite'' (A Friend in London album), 2013 album by Danish band A Friend in London
* ''Unite'' (Kool & the Gang album), 1993
* ''Unite'' (The O.C. Supertones album), 2005
Songs ...
, one of the largest trade unions in the country.
Labour Party
Collins took the helm because the party was reportedly close to bankruptcy. In May 2008,
Electoral Commission figures showed the party was £17.8 million in debt.
On 20 January 2011, Collins was created a
life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...
as Baron Collins of Highbury, ''of
Highbury
Highbury is a district in North London and part of the London Borough of Islington
in Greater London that was owned by Ranulf brother of Ilger and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Roads.
The manor house was sit ...
in the
London Borough of Islington
The London Borough of Islington ( ) is a London borough in Inner London. Whilst the majority of the district is located in north London, the borough also includes a significant area to the south which forms part of central London. Islington has ...
'', and was
introduced in the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...
on 24 January 2011, where he sits on the Labour benches. He was appointed a
whip
A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally ...
in 2011. He was appointed Labour's Lords Spokesperson for International Development in 2013.
On 10 July 2013 Collins was asked to review and make recommendations for internal Labour Party reform. His recommendations included replacing the electoral college system for selecting new leaders with a "one member, one vote" system. Mass membership would be encouraged by allowing "registered supporters" to join at a low cost, as well as full membership. Members from the trade unions would also have to explicitly "opt in" rather than "opt out" of paying a political levy to Labour. On 1 March 2014, at a special conference, the party largely adopted these recommendations.
Personal life
Collins married his partner Rafael in 2014.
He received a grant of arms, crest, supporters and badge from
Garter Woodcock
The woodcocks are a group of seven or eight very similar living species of wading birds in the genus ''Scolopax''. The genus name is Latin for a snipe or woodcock, and until around 1800 was used to refer to a variety of waders. The English ...
on 12 June 2015.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Ray
1954 births
English trade unionists
Labour Party (UK) life peers
Life peers created by Elizabeth II
Living people
Gay politicians
People from Newport, Isle of Wight
Alumni of the University of Kent
LGBT politicians from England
LGBT life peers