Sir Thomas Clarke, CBE, PC, JP, KSG (born 10 January 1941) is a British Labour Party politician who was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1982 until 2015, representing Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill from 2005 until losing his seat to Philip Boswell of the SNP in the May 2015 general election.

[5] Clarke was selected to contest the 1982 Coatbridge and Airdrie by-election caused by the death of the sitting Labour MP James Dempsey.

Clarke became known quite quickly in parliament for his work on issues surrounding disabled people and in 1986 he sponsored the 'Disabled Persons (Services, Representation and Consultation) Act'.

[10][13] Following the 1997 general election he joined the Privy Council[14] and served as a Minister of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport with responsibility for Film and Tourism.

[19] Subsequently, in May 2013, the MP voted against the bill's third and final reading,[20] opposing the legalisation of same-sex marriage within England and Wales.

[21] He was sworn of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom on 20 May 1997 In 2016, Clarke was awarded a Papal Knighthood and an audience with Pope Francis for his work on International Development and Disability Rights.