Andrew Stephenson
Encyclopedia
Andrew Stephenson is a British
Conservative Party
politician
who has been the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Pendle
in Lancashire
since the 2010 general election. Formerly a borough councillor in Macclesfield
, he worked as an insurance broker
before becoming an MP.
. He was educated at Poynton High School
, a state-funded school, before going on to study at Royal Holloway College
, University of London
, where he graduated with a degree in Management Studies in 2002.
Stephenson became an active member of the Conservative Party at the age of 16. He served two terms on the National Executive of Conservative Future
and was the organisation's National Deputy Chairman from 2001 to 2002. He was also the Chairman of the Conservative Future Society at Royal Holloway, University of London, from 1999 to 2001.
Stephenson became a Councillor in 2003 at the age of 23, and was one of the first council "Youth Champions" in the country.
, running a small business in Greater Manchester
. He was a councillor on Macclesfield Borough Council
between 2003 and 2007.
Stephenson was a member of the controversial A-List.
Stephenson was selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate
for Pendle in September 2006. During his campaign at the 2010 general election, he was accused by the then-sitting Labour Party
MP, Gordon Prentice
, of trying to buy the constituency with funding from tax exile Lord Ashcroft. In the election on 6 May 2010, Stephenson won 17,512 votes (38.9% of the total votes), defeating Prentice by a majority of 3,585 votes. In doing so, he became the first Conservative to represent Pendle in the House of Commons since John Lee
in 1992. Upon winning the ballot, Stephenson said that he was "absolutely delighted by the result" and "humbled to become Pendle's MP". On 28 July 2010, Stephenson was appointed Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party, with responsibility for youth.
, having signed several early day motion in support of its continued funding on the National Health Service
sponsored by Conservative MP David Tredinnick
.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who has been the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Pendle
Pendle (UK Parliament constituency)
Pendle is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
since the 2010 general election. Formerly a borough councillor in Macclesfield
Macclesfield
Macclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East, the county palatine of Chester, also known as the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the Macclesfield urban sub-area at the time of the 2001 census was 50,688...
, he worked as an insurance broker
Insurance broker
An insurance broker finds sources for contracts of insurance on behalf of their customers. The three largest insurance brokers in the world, by revenue, are Aon, Marsh & McLennan, and Willis Group Holdings.-Purpose of insurance brokers:...
before becoming an MP.
Early life and education
Stephenson was born in 1981 in ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. He was educated at Poynton High School
Poynton High School
Poynton High School and Performing Arts College is a secondary school in Poynton near Stockport, England. It is a mixed non denominational school though its roll is 96% white British and predominantly Anglican....
, a state-funded school, before going on to study at Royal Holloway College
Royal Holloway, University of London
Royal Holloway, University of London is a constituent college of the University of London. The college has three faculties, 18 academic departments, and about 8,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students from over 130 different countries...
, University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, where he graduated with a degree in Management Studies in 2002.
Stephenson became an active member of the Conservative Party at the age of 16. He served two terms on the National Executive of Conservative Future
Conservative Future
Conservative Future, abbreviated to CF, is the youth movement of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom for members aged up to 30 years old.Founded in 1998, Conservative Future is the largest political organisation on British campuses...
and was the organisation's National Deputy Chairman from 2001 to 2002. He was also the Chairman of the Conservative Future Society at Royal Holloway, University of London, from 1999 to 2001.
Stephenson became a Councillor in 2003 at the age of 23, and was one of the first council "Youth Champions" in the country.
Career
Prior to being elected to Parliament, Stephenson worked as a self-employed insurance brokerInsurance broker
An insurance broker finds sources for contracts of insurance on behalf of their customers. The three largest insurance brokers in the world, by revenue, are Aon, Marsh & McLennan, and Willis Group Holdings.-Purpose of insurance brokers:...
, running a small business in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
. He was a councillor on Macclesfield Borough Council
Macclesfield (borough)
Macclesfield was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district with borough status in Cheshire, England. It included the towns of Bollington, Knutsford, Macclesfield and Wilmslow and within its wider area the villages and hamlets of Adlington, Disley, Gawsworth, Kerridge, Pott Shrigley, Poynton,...
between 2003 and 2007.
Stephenson was a member of the controversial A-List.
Stephenson was selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate
Prospective parliamentary candidate
Prospective parliamentary candidate is a term used in British politics to refer to candidates selected by political parties to fight individual constituencies in advance of a general election. This terminology was motivated by the strict limits on the amount of expenses incurred by an actual...
for Pendle in September 2006. During his campaign at the 2010 general election, he was accused by the then-sitting Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
MP, Gordon Prentice
Gordon Prentice
Gordon Prentice is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Pendle in Lancashire from 1992 to 2010.-Early life:...
, of trying to buy the constituency with funding from tax exile Lord Ashcroft. In the election on 6 May 2010, Stephenson won 17,512 votes (38.9% of the total votes), defeating Prentice by a majority of 3,585 votes. In doing so, he became the first Conservative to represent Pendle in the House of Commons since John Lee
John Lee, Baron Lee of Trafford
John Robert Louis Lee, Baron Lee of Trafford is a British Liberal Democrat politician.He was Conservative MP for Nelson and Colne from 1979 to 1983, and then for Pendle from 1983 until he lost his seat to the Labour candidate Gordon Prentice in 1992...
in 1992. Upon winning the ballot, Stephenson said that he was "absolutely delighted by the result" and "humbled to become Pendle's MP". On 28 July 2010, Stephenson was appointed Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party, with responsibility for youth.
Alternative medicine
He is a supporter of homeopathyHomeopathy
Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine in which practitioners claim to treat patients using highly diluted preparations that are believed to cause healthy people to exhibit symptoms that are similar to those exhibited by the patient...
, having signed several early day motion in support of its continued funding on the National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
sponsored by Conservative MP David Tredinnick
David Tredinnick (politician)
David Arthur Stephen Tredinnick is a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom.He is a former officer in the Grenadier Guards and is Member of Parliament for Bosworth first elected in 1987....
.