David Bookbinder

Bookbinder was born in Manchester in 1940 or 1941. He joined the Labour Party at the age of 15. ==Derbyshire County Council ==

Bookbinder was elected a county councillor for the Litchurch division of Derby in 1973 and defended the seat in the 1977, 1981, 1985 and 1989 elections, with a majority of at least 22% in each case. During the 1975 United Kingdom European Communities membership referendum campaign Bookbinder spoke against membership of the European Communities, concerned that value-added tax would be imposed on food in the UK. Bookbinder became leader of the council in 1981 and also sat on its policy committee and the investment panel. Bookbinder played a key role in attracting Toyota Manufacturing UK to establish their first UK factory at Burnaston, Derbyshire. The decision was taken in 1989 and the first car was produced in 1992. The local Conservative MP Edwina Currie said "Toyota would not have arrived in Derbyshire and in my constituency without David Bookbinder". Bookbinder won significant damages in a High Court case for libel against the Sunday Times who had, in September 1989, accused him of having "corrupt relations" with media tycoon Owen Oyston. Bookbinder resigned as leader in April 1992 after his wife, Mary, was diagnosed with breast cancer. He stood down as councillor in July 1993 and Mary died the following year. == Other interests ==

Bookbinder stood as candidate for parliament in the High Peak constituency at the October 1974 and 1979 general elections and in the Amber Valley constituency at the 1983 and 1987 general elections. He came second to the Conservative candidate (Spencer Le Marchant and Phillip Oppenheim respectively) each time. After retiring from the council Bookbinder was chairman of Derbyshire First Investments, a company that invested in businesses in the county. Bookbinder was a supporter of Manchester City FC. He underwent heart bypass surgery in 2000 and later suffered from bladder cancer for which he had chemotherapy but also used Chinese traditional medicine. Bookbinder died on Christmas Eve 2023. == References ==