Administrative/Biographical History: Robin Corbett (1933-2012) was born in Fremantle, Australia. He attended Holly Lodge Grammar School in Smethwick but did not attend university. He was called up for two years' national service into the Royal Air Force in 1951. After completing his national service he became a journalist, first for the Birmingham Evening Mail and then for the Daily Mirror. In 1968 he became deputy editor of Farmer's Weekly, then worked for IPC Magazines in 1970, where he stayed until his election to parliament in 1974.

He was elected Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Hemel Hempstead at the October 1974 general election, but he lost the seat at the general election in 1979. He then returned to IPC Magazines, working as a communications consultant until he returned to parliament in the 1983 general election, representing Birmingham Erdington. He held this seat until his retirement from the House of Commons at the 2001 general election.

Whilst in the House of Commons, he was opposition spokesman on Home Affairs (1979–1992), then for national heritage, broadcasting and press until 1995. He was a Labour Party Whip from 1984 until 1987. He was Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee from 1999 to 2001. He was raised to the peerage as Lord Corbett of Castle Vale, of Erdington in the County of West Midlands, in 2001. His political interests included Home Office, police, civil liberties, the motor industry, manufacturing, disability, children's rights, alternative energy, environment, agriculture, animal welfare, and press and broadcasting. He was Chair of the All Party Penal Affairs Group, a parliamentary organisation clerked by the Prison Reform Trust, and a patron of the Forum on Prisoner Education and UNLOCK, The National Association of Ex-Offenders. He was chairman of the all-party British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom and chairman of Friends of Cyprus.

• Scope and Content:
  Papers of politician Lord Corbett of Castle Vale, including:
  correspondence, invitations, ephemera, badges, calendars and press cuttings from Corbett's time as MP for Hemel Hempstead and Birmingham Erdington, 1965-2008.
• Twenty-seven scrapbooks containing press cuttings, ephemera and correspondence concerning Corbett's activities in national and local politics, 1964-2001.

Quantity: 4 Boxes, 2 Packages and oversize items