Gwyn Prosser
Working with the people of Dover & Deal
Gwyn Prosser
Working with the people of Dover & Deal
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Biography
Gwyn Prosser was born in 1943 in, what Dylan Thomas described as “The sunny, salty, sea-port town of Swansea.” He is married to Rhoda and has two daughters and a son.
Pre - 1997
Professional
After attending local schools, he studied Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture in South Shields, Cardiff and Glasgow and at the age of 27 he gained a Combined First Class Certificate of Competency in Marine Engineering qualifying him to sail as Chief Engineer Officer on any of the world’s ocean going merchant vessels.
During his deep-sea career Gwyn sailed with BP Tankers, Blue Funnel and Glen Line before taking up engineering posts ashore in Greenock and in Saudi Arabia. He settled in Dover in 1979 and joined Sealink’s Cross Channel Ferries where he sailed as Chief Engineer on the Calais run and served on the Executive Council of the Merchant Navy Officer’s Union NUMAST. He is a Chartered Engineer and a Member of the Institute of Marine Engineers.
Political
Gwyn was elected to Dover District Council in 1987 after campaigning to protect jobs in the ferry industry and safeguard the economy of Dover and East Kent against the impact of the Channel Tunnel. He Chaired the Economic Development Committees of both Dover District and Kent County Council and he was made Kent’s President of European Affairs. He was selected as Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Dover in 1989 and in 1992 he narrowly failed to win the seat for Labour when the Tories held on with a wafer thin majority of just 883.
Since 1997
Gwyn was elected the Member of Parliament for Dover & Deal in Labour’s landslide General Election victory of 1997 and was re-elected in 2001 and again in 2005.
He set up a fully-equipped and networked Constituency Office in Dover where three members of staff help to deal with his correspondence and enormous caseload and manage his diary arrangements and surgery appointments. This office is also the first port of call for enquiries from constituents and media contact.
He is a member of the highly influential Home Affairs Select Committee.
In 1997 Gwyn helped set up the All Party Ports Committee and in the present Parliament he is Chairman of the Associated Parliamentary Ports and Merchant Navy Group, Vice Chairman of the All Party Cycling Group and Secretary of the All Party Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty Group.
He also sits on the Transport, Home Office and Work & Pensions
Departmental Committees and has membership of a large number of All Party Groups.
BBC WEBSITE POLITICAL PROFILE
“Gwyn Prosser entered the Commons in 1997 best known as the vanquisher of controversial right-wing Tory MP David Shaw, but has since made his own name as a highly active constituency MP. Before his election, he was a high profile local councillor specialising in projects to regenerate the regional economy. He has continued to work on that issue but has also become a general champion of the needs of the town as a major port. He speaks from experience, having spent many years as a marine engineer. His interventions in the Commons focus strongly on a few key issues -asylum is a particular concern, and he skilfully treads a tightrope of conveying local anxiety to the government while fighting against local scaremongering. He also speaks on the problems of bootlegging and smuggling.
A Labour loyalist on other issues, he has a strong personal interest in animal welfare, and has campaigned in support of a ban on live animal exports.”