Background
Brown was born in Glasgow, Scotland, where his father was a Clydeside engineer
Brown was born in Glasgow, Scotland, where his father was a Clydeside engineer
He was educated at Allan Glen"s School and Whitehill Secondary School, Glasgow.
He has been described as the last "Red Clydesider". He left school aged 14 to work at the Post Office, and played semi-professional football at Shettleston Juniors. By 1935 he was a temporary postman-messenger and by 1937 a sorting clerk and telegraphist.
He moved over to the Labour Party in 1946.
He became a civil servant in 1947 at the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance. He became a magistrate in 1961.
Brown left the civil service in 1962, when he was selected as a prospective parliamentary candidate, and served as Member of Parliament for Glasgow Provan from 1964 until he retired in 1987. His constituency in north-east Glasgow had a high rate of unemployment, included several large public sector housing estates, including Easterhouse and Blackhill, and also covered Barlinnie prison.
After winning the ballot for Private Members Bills one year, he successfully pushed through his bill to become the Employer"s Liability (Defective Equipment) Acting 1969.
He was Parliamentary Private Secretary to Judith Hart, the Paymaster-General, and served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland during the 1974–1979 Labour government, dealing with home affairs, housing and agriculture and fisheries. After Iceland expanded its claimed fishing territory to 200 nautical miles, Brown joined the Member of Parliament for Grimsby, Tony Crosland, as British negotiator with Iceland during the third Cod War, in 1976-1977. Brown was praised for the role he played in resolving the dispute both by the British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, and by the Icelandic government.
He survived a reselection challenge by a Militant candidate before the 1983 general election, and retired before the 1987 general election.
His successor, Jimmy Wray, was also closely challenged by Militant. In later life, he was a director of Margaret McIver Limited, which owned a ballroom and market in Glasgow.
In retirement, he enjoyed playing golf and listening to jazz music, particularly Django Reinhardt.
His political views lay to the left wing of the party, and his parliamentary interests concentrated mainly on constituency and Scottish matters.
43rd United Kingdom Parliament. 44th United Kingdom Parliament. 45th United Kingdom Parliament.
46th United Kingdom Parliament.
47th United Kingdom Parliament. 48th United Kingdom Parliament.
49th United Kingdom Parliament]
After serving as a councillor on the Glasgow Corporation, he was Member of Parliament for Glasgow Provan for 23 years.
