Allen Adams

{{short description|British politician}}

{{for|the American politician and lawyer|J. Allen Adams}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2018}}

Allender Steele Adams (16 February 1946 – 5 September 1990), known as Allen Adams, was a Scottish Labour politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Paisley from 1979 to 1983 and Paisley North from 1983 to 1990.

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Allen Adams

| office = Member of Parliament
for Paisley North
{{nobold|Paisley (1979–83)}}

| term_start = 3 May 1979

| term_end = 5 September 1990

| predecessor = John Robertson

| successor = Irene Adams

| birth_date = {{birth date|1946|02|16|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Glasgow, Scotland

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1990|9|5|1946|2|16|df=y}}

| nationality = British

| party = Labour

| spouse = {{marriage|Irene Adams|1968}}

}}

Adams was born in Glasgow, and married Irene Adams on 24 February 1968."Announcements", The Daily Telegraph, 30 June 2005

He was elected as a Member of Strathclyde Regional Council for Paisley Craigielea in 1974,{{cite book|title=Scottish Regional and District Elections 1974|publisher=Scottish Academic Press|author1=J.M.Bochel|author2=D.T.Denver|url=http://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Scottish-Regional-and-District-Elections-1974.pdf|page=34}} a position he held until standing down due to his election as the MP for Paisley.

He served as Labour's Scottish whip whilst an MP. In a notable speech on 31 March 1988, he described Margaret Thatcher in the House of Commons as having "behaved towards Scotland with all the sensitivity of a sex-starved boa constrictor", a remark immediately withdrawn, as is the custom in the Commons.{{UK Parliament | date= 31 March 1988| place=House of Commons|url=https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=1988-03-31a.1277.0&s=speaker%3A14181#g1283.4|speaker=Mr Allen Adams|column=1283|title=Given that once again this week the Prime Minister has behaved towards Scotland with all the sensitivity of a sex-starved boa constrictor}}