Born on 16th May 1948, the only son of the late William and Bridget Hood, in the Lanarkshire mining village of Lesmahagow. William Hood was a Miner and Bridget Hood a Miner’s daughter.
Educated at Lesmahagow High and Coatbridge College before taking a Mechanical Engineering apprenticeship with the National Coal Board. Studied Politics, Industrial Relations and Economics at Nottingham University.
Qualified as a Mining Engineer in the Scottish Coalfields having worked at Ponfeigh (Douglas) and Auchlochan (Coalburn No. 9) collieries. As a newly qualified coalface engineer, he went to the Nottinghamshire Coalfield to work at the Ollerton Colliery and stayed there for 19 years until elected to Parliament for the Lanarkshire Parliamentary Constituency of Clydesdale, the place of his birth.
It was during his time in the Nottinghamshire collieries that his passion for politics became realised. He was elected as a Councillor on 3 May, 1973 and on 2 October the same year, became the youngest elected Miners’ Union leader in Nottinghamshire at the age of 24. He asserts that it was his lifelong political values, instilled in him from birth, that prepared him as he was put to the test as a leader of the Nottingham striking miners throughout the 1984-85 national Miners’ strike. He was first elected to Parliament on 11 June, 1987.
Married Marion McCleary 28 January, 1967. Two children – Bill and Helen Rose. Two grandchildren – Levi Paris and Cody James Hood.
Hobbies are writing, reading and pottering about in the garden.
Pets – 5 chickens and the family dog, a 8 year old Rottweiler – kennel name ‘Javlador the Custodian’, family name ‘Bert’.