Stuart Andrew

Stuart James Andrew
MP
Member of Parliament
for Pudsey
Assumed office
6 May 2010
Preceded by Paul Truswell
Majority 4,501 (8.8%)
Personal details
Born (1971-11-25) 25 November 1971
Isle of Anglesey, Wales
Nationality British
Political party Conservative
Residence Guiseley, West Yorkshire
Occupation Charity Fundraiser
Religion Christian [1]
Website stuartandrew.com
parliament..stuart-andrew

Stuart James Andrew (born 25 November 1971) is a Welsh Conservative politician. The Member of Parliament for the Pudsey constituency in West Yorkshire, he grew up in the Isle of Anglesey in North Wales, and later attended Ysgol David Hughes in Menai Bridge.

Biography

After leaving school he worked as a fundraiser for the British Heart Foundation. Before being elected to parliament he led the fundraising team for Martin House Hospice.

Andrew stood as a Conservative candidate in the 1997 Parliamentary election in Wrexham. Subsequent to this Andrew joined the Labour Party, leaving the Conservatives citing issues with the "direction of the party".[2]

Upon losing his council seat, he rejoined the Conservative Party and moved to Leeds. He served as a Leeds City Council Councillor from 2003–2010, initially representing the Aireborough ward, and following boundary changes representing the Guiseley and Rawdon ward. He was Elected as Member of Parliament for Pudsey in the general election on 6 May 2010.

In October 2010, it was reported that Andrew joined the Welsh Affairs Select Committee.[3] On 22 February 2012 Andrew was headbutted and punched in a House of Commons bar during a disturbance created by Scottish Labour MP Eric Joyce,[4] but the Pudsey MP tweeted the next day that, "I'm OK."[5]

In 2012, Andrew brought forward a bill that would create a new power for Governors to "Destroy or otherwise dispose of any unauthorised property found within a prison or an escort vehicle". The bill was supported both by the Coalition and also the Labour Party with Shadow Secretary of State for Justice Sadiq Khan saying he backed the bill.[6]

At the 2015 General Election, the Pudsey seat was considered to be one of the most marginal in the country. However, Andrew retained the seat through increasing his majority to 4501. He now serves as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Patrick McLoughlin, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Chairman of the Conservative Party.

Andrew is a patron of LGBTory.[7][8]

During the debates on the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, which he subsequently voted for, Andrew responded to comments from Gerald Howarth about "aggressive homosexuals" by telling of a time when he had been attacked in the street and beaten unconscious “because of who and what I am”.[9]

Andrew was appointed Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party, with particular responsibility for cities, on 23 September 2016.[10]

Andrew supported Brexit in the 2016 referendum.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "'Equality' was said so often it became as bruised as an old peach". Daily Mail. London, UK.
  2. ↑ "Tory battling in marginal criticised for switching sides". Yorkshire Post. 9 April 2010. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  3. ↑ "Yorkshire Tory MP on Welsh Affairs Committee". Wales Online. 28 October 2010.
  4. ↑ Watt, Nicholas; Mulholland, Helene (24 February 2012). "Eric Joyce stripped of Labour whip after allegations of Commons assault". The Guardian. London.
  5. ↑ Joe Murphy, "MP goes berserk in Commons bar brawl", The Evening Standard, 23 February 2012.
  6. ↑ "MP bids to allow prisoners' mobile phones to be sold off". BBC News. 14 September 2012.
  7. ↑ "Updated: Out gay Tory shadow ministers retain seats". Pink News. 7 May 2010.
  8. ↑ "Patrons". LGBTory. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  9. ↑ Blanchard, Jack (22 May 2013). "Leeds MP beaten unconscious in homophobic attack hits out at Tory gay marriage rebels". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  10. ↑ "Stuart Andrew MP on Twitter". Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  11. ↑ Goodenough, Tom (16 February 2016). "Which Tory MPs back Brexit, who doesn't and who is still on the fence?". The Spectator. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Paul Truswell		 Member of Parliament for Pudsey
2010–present 		Incumbent
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