Richard Rosser, Baron Rosser

Initially employed by London Transport he joined the staff of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) early in his working career, representing London Transport's white-collar staff in negotiations with the management. He rose through the ranks of the TSSA to be an Assistant General Secretary (one of two, at the time), and in 1989 he was elected General Secretary of the union (i.e. in day-to-day control, but answerable to an elected Executive Committee of lay members, and to the Annual Conference). Rosser was re-elected twice, serving a total of fifteen years in office before his retirement in 2004 – a record second only to the thirty years (1906-1936) served by Alexander Walkden.

During his time at the TSSA, Rosser was also a magistrate and was Chairman of the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party in 1997–98.

Rosser was the Labour candidate for Croydon Central at the general election of February 1974, but was not elected.{{cite book|title=The Times Guide to the House of Commons February 1974|date=1974|publisher=Times Newspapers Ltd|location=London|isbn=0-7230-0115-4|page=94}}

Following his retirement from TSSA Rosser was created a life peer on 14 June 2004 as Baron Rosser, of Ickenham in the London Borough of Hillingdon,{{London Gazette |issue=57328 |date=17 June 2004 |page=7561}} taking his seat in the House of Lords on the Labour Party benches in the summer of 2004. In addition to transport matters, he took an interest in penal policy, being chair of the Prison Service Audit Committee and a non-executive member of the Prison Service change programme board.

Rosser served as an Opposition Whip and Spokesperson for the Labour Party on defence, home affairs and transport at various times from 2010. He stood down from the Labour front bench in 2022 due to ill health. Lord Rosser died on 10 April 2024, at the age of 79.{{cite web |title=Deceased Lords |url=https://members.parliament.uk/members/Lords?SearchText=&PartyId=&Gender=Any&MembershipStatus=4&PolicyInterestId=&Experience=&ShowAdvanced=true |website=House of Lords |access-date=11 April 2024}}

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|motto = Per Unitatem Proficimus (Through Unity We Progress){{cite book|title=Debrett's Peerage |date=2019}}}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/lord-rosser/3687 House of Lords member profile].

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{{succession box|title=General Secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association|years=1989–2004|before=Bert Lyons|after=Gerry Doherty}}

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{{S-bef|before=Robin Cook}}

{{s-ttl|title=Chair of the Labour Party|years=1997–1998}}

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Category:1944 births

Category:2024 deaths

Category:People educated at Haydon School

Category:General secretaries of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association

Category:Labour Party (UK) life peers

Category:Chairs of the Labour Party (UK)

Category:Labour Party (UK) parliamentary candidates

Category:Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress

Category:Life peers created by Elizabeth II

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