John A. W. Bird (6 February 1926 – 18 November 1997) was a British Labour Party politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Midlands West from 1987 to 1994.
Early Life and Career
Born in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, Bird trained as an engineer. He served in the infantry in the British Army during the Second World War. After the war, he worked as a lecturer at Wolverhampton Polytechnic. He was also a longtime trade unionist.
Political Career
Bird served as the leader of City of Wolverhampton Council. In that capacity, he spearheaded a financial rescue of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. in 1986.
He was elected to the European Parliament in a by-election on 5 March 1987, representing the Midlands West constituency. He succeeded Terry Pitt and served until 9 June 1994, when he was succeeded by Simon Murphy. During his tenure, he sat with the Party of European Socialists group.
Death
John Bird died on 18 November 1997 at the age of 71.
