Today is the birthday of the British MP CLIVE BETTS.  Born in Sheffield as Clive James Charles Betts, he was made an opposition whip under Tony Blair in 1996, and after the 1997 general election entered the government as an Assistant Whip. He was promoted in 1998 to full Whip, with the title of Lord Commissioner to the Treasury, but like the majority of whips at that time was dropped from the government after the 2001 general election. Since 2002, Betts has been a Member of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Select Committee. Since the 2005 general election he has also been a member of the Finance and Services Committee. He was outed by a newspaper in February of 2003.