David Amess

Early life

Born in Plaistow, then in Essex (now East London) to James and Maud Amess, and raised Roman Catholic. Amess' mother turned 104 in May 2016, and Amess asked a Prime Minister's Question on the First World War in 2014 where he mentioned her birthday to mark the occasion.

He attended St Anthony's Junior and Infant School, then St. Bonaventure Grammar School (now St Bonaventure's Catholic School) on Boleyn Road in Forest Gate and then Bournemouth College of Technology, where he earned a BSc degree with honours in Economics and Government. Amess taught at the St John the Baptist Primary School in Bethnal Green for a year (1970–71), and then spent a short time as an underwriter before becoming a recruitment consultant.

Political career

He contested the safe Labour Party seat of Newham North West at the 1979 General Election, and the seat was retained by Labour's MP Arthur Lewis. In 1982, Amess was elected as a councillor to the London Borough of Redbridge.

The sitting Conservative MP for Basildon, Harvey Proctor, moved to Billericay in the 1983 General Election, and Amess won the nomination to fight the Basildon seat. He was elected as the Member of Parliament for Basildon on 9 June 1983.

Amess continued to serve both as an MP and a local councillor until 1986, when he stood down from Redbridge Borough Council to concentrate on his Westminster seat. He held his Basildon seat narrowly at the 1987 General Election, in part by developing a significant personal following. During the 1987 campaign, the constituency was visited by future Prime Minister John Major. Following the election Amess was appointed a Parliamentary Private Secretary to Michael Portillo, a position he held for ten years throughout Portillo's ministerial career. Amess held his seat again at the 1992 General Election, which was the first but vital sign that the Conservatives would unexpectedly win the 1992 election; the Basildon constituency was viewed as the make-or-break milestone.

In 1997, Amess received the nomination for Southend West in Essex after the retirement of former Cabinet minister Paul Channon and was returned to Westminster again. Amess doubled his majority in Southend West at the 2015 General Election, and was re-elected comfortably in the 2017 equivalent.

Policy positions

Amess normally adheres to Conservative party policy when voting in the Commons, but he is very strongly in favour of the ban on fox-hunting. He voted for the 2003 invasion of Iraq but has since been critical of the Labour government's failure to find the weapons of mass destruction with which they justified the action at the time. On foreign policy, he is also a leading member of Conservative Friends of Israel. He is one of the few Conservative MPs to support the impeach Blair campaign and is strongly against Labour's proposed anti-terror laws and the erosion of civil liberties.

Amess is strongly pro-life. In June 2005, Amess supported the Prohibition of Abortion (England and Wales) Bill introduced by Laurence Robertson that sought to almost entirely ban abortion. He is also in favour of a return to capital punishment. He is a supporter and advocate for the People's Mujahedin of Iran.

Amess was one of thirty Conservatives who voted against military action in Syria in August 2013. He later commented that he felt the way he and his colleagues voted made a difference and if he had previously voted against the war in Iraq things might have been different in that situation as well. Since 2014, Amess has been leading a campaign for fairer funding for grammar schools. He raised this issue in parliamentary debates and questions, and contacted the Secretary of State to ask for the funding discrepancy to be addressed.

Amess was in favour of Brexit prior to the 2016 referendum.

Legislative success

Amess has had a great deal of legislative success during his 30 years in Parliament. He has sponsored: the Horses and Ponies Bill in 1984-5; the members of parliament (Minimum Age) Bill 1984–85; the Abortion (Right of Conscience) (Amendment) Bill 1988–89; the British Nationality (Hon. Citizenship) Bill 1988–89; the Adoption (Amendment) Bill 1989–90; the Dogs Bill 1989–90; the Pet Animals (Amendment) Bill 1990–91; the Protection Against Cruel Tethering Act 1988; the Human Fertilisation (Choice) Bill 1992–93; the Voluntary Personal Security Cards Bill 1992–93; the Football Matches (Violent and Disorderly Conduct) Bill 1992–93; the Newly Qualified Drivers Bill 1993–94; the Coercion in Family Planning (Prohibition) Bill 1994–95; the Freezing of Human Embyros Bill 1995–96; the Abortion (Amendment) Bill 1996–97; the Reform of Quarantine Regulations Bill 1997–98; and the Voluntary Personal Security Cards Bill 1997–98.

Two of his most notable achievements to date are the Protection Against Cruel Tethering Act (1988), and the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act (2000), both of which are on the statute book in his name. In 2014, he successfully piloted the Security Printing (Specialist) Materials Bill onto the Statute Book. This Bill ended a loophole which allowed companies who supplied specialist printing equipment to counterfeiters to evade prosecution.

In 2016, he again successfully steered a piece of legislation onto the statute book, this time the Driving Instructors (Registration) Bill. This Bill streamlines the process whereby instructors whose registration has lapsed can apply to return to the register. It also allows instructors who wish to leave the register for personal reasons to do so without being penalised. The Bill was supported by driving school owners and motoring organisations.

Protection Against Cruel Tethering Act (1988)

The Protection Against Cruel Tethering Act came about as a result of Amess' long-standing concern for animal welfare, supported by the National Farmers Union. Amess stated in the House of Commons that the Ten Minute Rule Bill was, "inspired by the Essex Horse and Pony Protection Society". The bill stated:

“In section 1 of the Protection of Animals Act 1911 there shall be added in subsection (1) the following words after paragraph (e) “or (f) shall tether any horse, ass or mule under such conditions or in such manner as to cause that animal unnecessary suffering;”

Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000

Amess' most publicised legislative success came in 2000 with the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act. According to a speech in the House of Commons made by Amess, the Act came to fruition after he was drawn out of the Private Members Ballot. He met with Martyn Williams, a campaigner from Friends of the Earth, who convinced him of the need for the Act following on from the death of a constituent in a cold house.

The Act required the Secretary of State to "publish and implement a strategy for reducing fuel poverty". This Act was widely credited with a significant change in both attitude and policy towards fuel poverty within the UK. The scale of fuel poverty in England fell from 5.1 million households to 1.2 million households between 1996 and 2004, indicating the impact of the Act.

Health Select Committee

Amess served on the Health Select Committee from 1998 until 2007. Due to his role on the Health Select Committee, Amess became one of the most prominent Conservative spokesmen on Health issues, be becoming Chair of the Conservative Party Backbench Committee for Health in 1999. He has campaigned on various health issues since. While a member of the committee, Amess played a prominent role holding an inquiry into the state of obesity in the UK, leading to the publication of a report in 2004. The report found that two-thirds of the population of England are overweight or obese and went on to discuss the causes of obesity, as well as making various recommendations to combat the problem. To this day, he maintains an interest in the issue, most recently tabling a series of Parliamentary Questions in July 2013.

Panel of Chairs

Amess is also a member of the Panel of Chairs, which comprises the chairman and two deputy Chairmen of Ways and Means, as well as ten Members nominated at the start of each session by the Speaker of the House of Commons. Amess was appointed most recently on 26 May 2010, but has been on the panel since 2001. As a member of the panel, Amess is responsible for chairing Public Bill Committees; chairing Westminster Hall debates; and at times, for chairing Committees of the whole House.

Administration Committee

Sir David became a members of the Administration Committee in 2015. This committee is responsible for overseing the running of the Parliamentary Estate and services.

Backbench Business Committee

Amess was elected onto the newly formed Backbench Business Committee in 2010, he stood down in 2015.

Raoul Wallenberg

Amess campaigned for many years to have a statue erected in honour of Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat who saved tens of thousands of Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary; an endeavour for which Wallenberg eventually lost his life. Amess began asking Parliamentary Questions in the late 1980s regarding Wallenberg, and he held an Adjournment Debate in Wallenberg's honour in 1996. Amess had previously attempted to push through a Raoul Wallenberg (Memorial) Bill in the 1989–90 session. A memorial was eventually installed in London, at Great Cumberland Place, outside the Western Marble Arch Synagogue. Both Queen Elizabeth II and Charles, Prince of Wales have since visited the memorial.

Centenerian Tea Party

Amess holds an annual tea party for centenarians in Southend West, which has one of the highest concentrations of people over 100 in the UK. At one time he held the Guinness World Record for the greatest number of centenarians gathered in one place. For the last two years the event has been held to coincide with 'Silver Sunday' and has been supported by Age UK.

Guide Dogs for the Blind

In February 2014, Amess took part in a blindfolded walk with a guide dog across Leigh-on-Sea for Guide Dogs for the Blind to experience first-hand what it is like to be a blind or partially sighted pedestrian. As a result, Amess asked a question to the Prime Minister on this issue where he spoke of his experience on the walk and asked the Prime Minister to consider Guide Dogs for the Blind's recommendations on shared surface streets.

Industry and Parliament Trust

Amess became a Fellow of the IPT in 1994. Amess completed an IPT Post-Graduate Fellowship I in 2012 specialising in the Cultural and Creative Industries, at Brit School, ITN and the Royal Opera House. Amess became chairman of the board of Trustees in 2014.

Awards

Amess was knighted in the 2015 New Year Honours for political and public service. He is a member of the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor.

Dods Charity Champion Awards 2011

At the Dods Charity Champion Awards 2011 Amess won the Animal Welfare and Environment Champion award where he was recognised formally for his leading role in and commitment to animal welfare and was presented with the aware by The Right Honourable John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons, in the State Rooms of the Speaker's House. The award is given to the Parliamentarian who has done the most to tackle issues concerning the welfare of animals and the natural environment.

Dods Outstanding Achievement 2012

Amess received the "Outstanding Achievement Award" at the Charity Champion Parliamentary reception hosted by Dods in 2012 in recognition for his lifetime commitment to charitable work.

Grassroot Diplomat Award nomination 2014

Amess has been nominated for the Policy Driver for Animal Rights Protection award at the Grassroot Diplomat Awards 2014 for his longstanding dedication to animal rights.

Personal life

He and his wife Julia have one son and four daughters. Julia is a part-time caseworker for her husband. Their eldest daughter is actress Katie Amess.

Publications

Amess wrote a book about his re-election to the Basildon constituency in 1992 called 1992: Against All Odds! (2012) It was launched in the House of Commons at an event to mark the 20th anniversary of the election and was attended by Prime Minister David Cameron and Conservative Party activists.

Amess compiled a pamphlet entitled "Party of Opportunity" with the Renewal Group, which contained thirteen short biographical accounts of Conservative members of parliament who identify as working class or who come from a working-class background. The pamphlet, which was launched in the House of Commons in April 2014, included contributions from 4 Government Ministers, including Sajid Javid, Mark Francois, Patrick McLoughlin, and Mike Penning. The second edition of the "Party of Opportunity" was launched in January 2015, sponsored by The Association of Conservative Clubs and included contributions from 29 Conservative MPs.

Brass Eye

Amess infamously appeared in the "Drugs" episode of the spoof current affairs television programme Brass Eye, and was fooled into filming an elaborate warning against the dangers of a fictional Eastern European drug called "cake".

He asked a question about "cake" in Parliament, alongside real substances khat and GHB. In response the Home Office minister replied that "cake" was a name "we understand refers to 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-benzylamphetamine", a real drug that is not covered by legislation or most anti-drug campaigns, either at the time of the question or since. In 2001, when Brass Eye was repeated and released on DVD, a disclaimer was added to the "Drugs" episode at Amess' request reiterating his disapproval of recreational drug use.