Religion Christian Occupation Charity Fundraiser | Nationality British Role Politician Majority 4,501 (8.8%) Name Stuart Andrew | |
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Website stuartandrew.comparliament..stuart-andrew Similar People Eric Joyce, Greg Mulholland, Kris Hopkins, Jon Ashworth, Crispin Blunt Profiles | ||
Stuart James Andrew (born 25 November 1971) is a Welsh Conservative MP for the Pudsey constituency in West Yorkshire.
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Early life
He grew up in the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, and later attended Ysgol David Hughes in Menai Bridge. 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.
Career
Andrew was first elected as a Conservative councillor in Wrexham in 1995. He then stood as a Conservative candidate in the 1997 Parliamentary election in Wrexham. In 1998 whilst still serving as a councillor he defected to the Labour Party, citing issues with the "direction of the party".
Two years after 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. 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, but the Pudsey MP tweeted the next day that, "I'm OK."
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.
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.
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”.
Andrew was appointed Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party, with particular responsibility for cities, on 23 September 2016.
Andrew supported Brexit in the 2016 referendum.
At the 2017 general election, Andrew was re-elected with a slightly increased vote, but a majority of just 331.