Alan West, Baron West of Spithead

The Lord West of Spithead
Official portrait, 2020
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Security and Counter-Terrorism
In office
28 June 2007 – 11 May 2010
Prime MinisterGordon Brown
Preceded byTony McNulty
Succeeded byThe Baroness Neville-Jones
First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff
In office
September 2002 – February 2006
Prime MinisterTony Blair
Preceded bySir Nigel Essenhigh
Succeeded bySir Jonathon Band
Chancellor of Solent University
In office
28 June 2006 – 1 October 2018
DeputyProfessor Graham Baldwin
Succeeded byTheo Paphitis
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Assumed office
9 July 2007
Life Peerage
Personal details
Born (1948-04-21) 21 April 1948 (age 76)
London, United Kingdom
Political partyLabour
Spouse
Rosemary Anne Linington Childs
(m. 1973)
Children3
Military service
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Branch/serviceRoyal Navy
Years of service1965–2006
RankAdmiral
CommandsFirst Sea Lord
Commander-in-Chief Fleet
Chief of Defence Intelligence
Commander United Kingdom Task Group
Director of Naval Staff Duties
HMS Bristol
HMS Ardent
HMS Yarnton
Battles/warsFalklands War
Iraq War
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Service Cross

Alan William John West, Baron West of Spithead, GCB, DSC, PC (born 21 April 1948) is a retired admiral of the Royal Navy and formerly, from June 2007 to May 2010, a Labour Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the British Home Office with responsibility for security and a security advisor to Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Prior to his ministerial appointment, he was First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff from 2002 to 2006.