Sir Stanley Graham Yapp (30 June 1933 – 1 April 2012) was a Labour politician in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

, England, who became the first leader of the

West Midlands County Council West Midlands County Council (WMCC) was, from 1974 to 1986, the upper-tier administrative body for the West Midlands county, a metropolitan county in England. History The WMCC existed for a total of twelve years. It was established on 1 April 1 ...

. He worked as a tool maker for GEC at their Witton, Birmingham, factory and entered politics after becoming active in the

Amalgamated Engineering Union The Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU) was a major United Kingdom, British trade union. It merged with the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union to form the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union in 1992. History ...

. In 1960, Yapp was elected to

Birmingham City Council Birmingham City Council is the local authority for the city of Birmingham in the West Midlands, England. Birmingham has had an elected local authority since 1838, which has been reformed several times. Since 1974 the council has been a metropo ...

representing

Kingstanding Kingstanding is an area in north Birmingham, England. It gives its name to a ward in the Erdington council constituency. Kingstanding ward includes the areas; Perry Common, Witton Lakes. The other part of Kingstanding falls under the Oscott ...

ward; he was re-elected there in 1963 and 1966, but lost his seat to the Conservatives in 1969. In 1970 he fought unsuccessfully in Aston ward, and in a July 1970 by-election he failed to retake Newtown ward from the Liberal Party. At the council elections in 1971 he returned, representing

Washwood Heath Washwood Heath is a ward in Birmingham, within the formal district of Hodge Hill, roughly two miles north-east of Birmingham city centre, England. Washwood Heath covers the areas of Birmingham that lie between Nechells, Bordesley Green, Stec ...

ward and remained a member until the reform of local government took effect. At the creation of West Midlands County Council in 1973, Yapp won the

Erdington Erdington is a suburb and ward of Birmingham, in the county of the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Warwickshire, it is located northeast of central Birmingham, bordering Sutt ...

division and was also elected for the identical ward on the new Birmingham City Council. Yapp became Leader of the West Midlands County Council when it came into its powers in 1974, serving until Labour lost control and he lost his seat in the 1977 election. He did not stand for re-election to Birmingham City Council in 1978, but was made an Honorary Alderman in 1978. Yapp returned as a councillor in 1980 for

Oscott Oscott is a Ward (country subdivision), ward in the northwest of Birmingham, England, within the Government of Birmingham, England#Districts, formal district of Perry Barr. The Ward is centred on the area known as Old Oscott, originally just "Os ...

ward, and in 1981 also gained the Oscott division on West Midlands County Council. Boundary changes in 1982 ended the terms of all councillors on Birmingham City Council and Yapp did not seek re-election, but after the abolition of West Midlands County Council in 1986 he was elected once again to Birmingham City Council for Oscott ward. Yapp did not defend his seat in 1990, but fought

Acocks Green Acocks Green is a suburban area and ward of southeast Birmingham, England. It is named after the Acock family, who built a large house there in 1370. It is occasionally spelled "Acock's Green". It has frequently been noted on lists of unusual p ...

ward in 1991, and won a byelection in Fox Hollies ward in February 1993. He was again defeated in 1994. All told he spent 28 years on the council. He was chairman of

Birmingham Airport Birmingham Airport , formerly ''Birmingham International Airport'', is an international airport located east-southeast of Birmingham city centre, west-northwest of Coventry slightly north of Bickenhill village, in the Metropolitan Bor ...

from 1988 to 1994 and was one of the first directors of the

National Exhibition Centre The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) is an exhibition centre located in Marston Green, England, near to Birmingham and Solihull. It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham Airport and Birmingham International rail ...

. He was appointed a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised Order of chivalry, orders of chivalry; it is a part of the Orders, decorations, and medals ...

in the

1975 Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours 1975 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were published on 6 June 1975 for ...

. Yapp died suddenly, from

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest (also known as sudden cardiac arrest CA is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When the heart stops beating, blood cannot properly Circulatory system, circulate around the body and the blood flow to the ...

, on 1 April 2012. He and Christine, his third wife, had been married for 28 years.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yapp, Stan Councillors in Birmingham, West Midlands History of the West Midlands (county) Labour Party (UK) councillors Knights Bachelor 1933 births 2012 deaths Trade unionists from Birmingham, West Midlands Leaders of local authorities of England