Preceded by John Smith Name Walter Sweeney Succeeded by John Smith Profession Solicitor Party Conservative Party | Political party Conservative Spouse Nuala Kennan Nationality British Role British Politician | |
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Born 23 April 1949
Dublin, Ireland ( 1949-04-23 ) | ||
Walter Edward Sweeney (born 23 April 1949) is a British Conservative politician.
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Member of Parliament
Sweeney contested Stretford in 1983, but Labour's Tony Lloyd beat him by 4,432 votes.
In 1992, he was elected MP for the Vale of Glamorgan by 19 votes, defeating Labour's John Smith who had won the seat in a 1989 by-election. In the 1997 Labour landslide, however, Sweeney lost the seat back to Smith.
Haltemprice and Howden Election
In 2008 Sweeney, a member of the executive committee of The Freedom Association, made a surprise political re-appearance, standing as an Independent against the Conservative candidate in the Haltemprice and Howden by-election.
Present
Sweeney lives in Beverley, Yorkshire, with his wife, his three daughters, and two dogs named Juno and Pickles. Two of his daughters have been attending Durham University. His eldest daughter, Siobhan Sweeney recently graduated with a first class, and 92% in her dissertation. She now has aspirations to move to London. Walter Sweeney and runs a 5* Bed and Breakfast, while also working as a solicitor at a law firm in Hull.
Sweeney stood in the 2012 election for Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside as an Independent. He finished sixth with 5,118 votes.