Alfred Robens, Baron Robens of Woldingham

The Right Honourable The Lord Robens of Woldingham PC
Robens in 1947
Shadow Foreign Secretary
In office 14 December 1955 – 6 November 1956
Leader	Hugh Gaitskell
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Aneurin Bevan
Minister of Labour and National Service
In office 24 April 1951 – 26 October 1951
Prime Minister	Clement Attlee
Preceded by	Nye Bevan
Succeeded by	Walter Monckton
Member of Parliament for Blyth
In office 23 February 1950 – 30 October 1960
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Eddie Milne
Member of Parliament for Wansbeck
In office 5 July 1945 – 23 February 1950
Preceded by	Donald Scott
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Personal details
Born	(1910-12-18)18 December 1910 Manchester, Lancashire, England
Died	27 June 1999(1999-06-27) (aged 88) Chertsey, Surrey, England
Political party	Labour (before 1979) Conservative (1979–1999)

Alfred Robens, Baron Robens of Woldingham, PC (18 December 1910 – 27 June 1999) was an English trade unionist, Labour politician and industrialist. His political ambitions, including an aspiration to become Prime Minister, were frustrated by bad timing, but his energies were diverted into industry: he spent 10 years as Chairman of the National Coal Board, and later – despite the Aberfan disaster – headed a major inquiry which resulted in the Robens Report on occupational health and safety. His outlook was paternalistic; in later life, he moved away from his early socialism towards the Conservative Party. His reputation remains tarnished by his failure to have foreseen and prevented the Aberfan disaster, followed by actions widely regarded as grossly insensitive during the aftermath of the disaster.