Patrick Hall politician

Patrick Hall (born 20 October 1951) is a British Labour Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bedford from 1997 to 2010. He was educated at Bedford Modern School, the University of Birmingham, and Oxford Polytechnic. Before entering politics, he worked as a local government planning officer and later as Town Centre Coordinator for Bedford Borough Council.

Hall joined Bedfordshire County Council in 1989 and became a member of the North Bedfordshire Community Health Council. He contested Bedfordshire North in the 1992 General Election but lost to Conservative MP Trevor Skeet. In 1997, he was elected MP for Bedford with a majority of 8,300, becoming the first Labour MP to hold the seat for more than one term. Known for his constituency work, Hall focused on town planning and transport issues, chairing the all-parliamentary group on town centre management and campaigning for improved rail links and road infrastructure.

During his parliamentary career, Hall rebelled against government policy by voting against the Iraq War in 2003 and opposed the Trident nuclear weapons programme. He was also noted for his integrity during the expenses scandal, with his claims being among the lowest of all MPs. Hall lost his seat to Conservative candidate Richard Fuller in the 2010 General Election but was reselected by Labour as their candidate for Bedford in 2015, though he was defeated again that year.

Hall is married to Claudia and has two step sons. He enjoys squash and gardening.