Andrew Stephenson

Andrew George Stephenson (born 17 February 1981) is a British Conservative Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Pendle in Lancashire since 2010. Prior to his parliamentary career, he was a local councillor and insurance broker.

Not to be confused with Andrew Stevenson.

Andrew Stephenson

MP
Stephenson in 2020
Minister of State for Transport
Assumed office
13 February 2020
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byGeorge Freeman
Minister of State for Africa and International Development
In office
25 July 2019 – 13 February 2020
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byHarriett Baldwin
Succeeded byJames Duddridge
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Industry
In office
4 April 2019 – 25 July 2019
Prime MinisterTheresa May
Preceded byRichard Harrington
Succeeded byNadhim Zahawi
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
In office
26 July 2018 – 4 April 2019
Prime MinisterTheresa May
Preceded byMark Spencer
Succeeded byCraig Whittaker
Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
In office
9 January 2018 – 26 July 2018
Prime MinisterTheresa May
Preceded byDavid Evennett
Succeeded byMike Freer
Member of Parliament
for Pendle
Assumed office
6 May 2010
Preceded byGordon Prentice
Majority6,186 (14.0%)
Personal details
Born (1981-02-17) 17 February 1981
Manchester, England
Political partyConservative
ResidenceColne, Lancashire
Alma materRoyal Holloway, University of London
OccupationPolitician
WebsiteOfficial website

Early life and career

Stephenson was born on 17 February 1981 in Manchester, England to Malcolm and Ann Stephenson.[1][2] He attended Poynton High School in Cheshire. Stephenson then did a degree in Management Studies at Royal Holloway, University of London, graduating in 2002.[3][4]

He joined the Conservative Party at the age of 16.[5] Stephenson 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 Royal Holloway's Conservative Future society, from 1999 to 2001.[6] Stephenson climbed the Great Wall of China in September 2008, having raised more than £5,000 for charity.[7]

After graduating from university, Stephenson worked as an insurance broker and later partner at Stephenson & Threader, a family run business that he took over from his father.[3][8]

Political career

Stephenson was a councillor for Macclesfield Borough Council from 2003 to 2007.[3] At the age of 25, he became the chair of the Tatton Conservative association, the youngest person to lead a local Conservative association.[9] He was selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate (PPC) for Pendle in September 2006.[3] Stephenson was a member of the party's A-List.[10]

His campaign was partly funded by businessman Michael Ashcroft.[11]

He was elected in the general election of 2010, with a majority of 3,585 (8.0%) votes. The seat had been previously held by Labour MP Gordon Prentice since 1992.[12][13] Stephenson was re elected in the general elections of 2015 and 2017.[14] Stephenson delivered his maiden speech on 17 June 2010.[15] He was appointed Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party, with responsibility for youth, on 28 July 2010.[6]

Stephenson proposed a Private member's bill on 28 June 2011, to create a right of appeal against Crown Court decisions allowing bail, following the murder of one of his constituents by a man on bail. An amendment to the Lords to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Bill, which allowed for prosecutors to appeal against such decisions was approved, in February 2012.[16][17]

On 14 June 2011, Stephenson led a parliamentary debate on new regulations requiring energy performance certificates for holiday lettings and argued for holiday lets to be exempt from them under certain conditions.[18] The government subsequently announced exemptions for holiday lettings.[19] In February 2013, he voted for the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, which legalised same-sex marriage in England and Wales.[20]

Stephenson was involved in setting up an All Party Parliamentary Group for Water Safety and Drowning Prevention in September 2014, following the accidental death of one of his constituents.[21]

He was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS), to Robert Halfon Minister without Portfolio and deputy chairman of the Conservative Party in 2015.[22] Stephenson later also became the PPS to Minister of State for Security John Hayes, and Minister of State for Policing Mike Penning. In July 2016, he became the PPS to Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.[23]

After the general election of 2017, he was selected as an Assistant Government Whip by Prime Minister Theresa May. In July, Stephenson received death threats.[24] A man was convicted of these offences in January 2018.[25] Stephenson was promoted to Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury in the January 2018 cabinet reshuffle and then became Vice-Chamberlain of the Household in July.[26]

From January 2018 to May 2019, he served on the Selection Committee. From April to July 2019, he was the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Business and Industry). In July after Boris Johnson became prime minister, he was appointed as Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development.[27]

He voted for the United Kingdom (UK) to leave the European Union (EU) in the 2016 UK EU membership referendum. Stephenson voted for May's Brexit withdrawal agreement in January 2019. In the indicative votes on 27 March, he voted against a referendum on a withdrawal agreement.[28]

Stephenson voted for Johnson's withdrawal agreement in October.[29] Stephenson retained his seat in the general election of 2019, and was appointed Minister of State in the Department for Transport in February 2020, with a brief to oversee the development of the railway project High Speed 2.[30]

Since 2014, Stephenson has volunteered as a Community First Responder with the North West Ambulance Service, providing lifesaving care before an ambulance arrives. [31] In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Stephenson spent over 400 hours volunteering with the Ambulance Service.[32][33]

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References
  1. "Stephenson, Andrew George". A & C Black. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  2. "Pendle". UK Polling Report. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  3. "Andrew Stephenson". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  4. "Election highs for Royal Holloway alumni". Royal Holloway, University of London. Archived from the original on 9 June 2011.
  5. Moseley, Tom (29 April 2010). "The fight to be next Pendle MP". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  6. "Andrew Stephenson MP is appointed as Vice Chairman with responsibility for Conservative Future and CCHQ's youth outreach". Conservative Home. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  7. "Colne politician's walk raises £5,000 for charities". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 23 September 2008. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  8. "News review: May". Insurance Age. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  9. "New Model Tories: Tory tribes". The Independent. 24 September 2006. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  10. "ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog: Where are the original A-Listers now? The 27 who have been selected for target seats". Conservative Home.
  11. Macgill, Peter (2 March 2010). "Pendle MP Gordon Prentice: Lord Ashcroft 'should resign'". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  12. "Pendle". BBC News. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  13. "Labour revolt against Gordon Brown: The plotters". The Daily Telegraph. 13 September 2008. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  14. "Pendle". BBC News. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  15. Westminster, Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons. "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 17 Jun 2010 (pt 0018)". www.publications.parliament.uk.
  16. "Jane Clough murder: PM says 'strong case' to change law". BBC News. 11 January 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  17. "Jane Clough campaign: Bail law changes backed by House of Lords". BBC News. 9 February 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  18. "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 14 Jun 2011 (pt 0002)". www.publications.parliament.uk.
  19. "House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 14 Nov 2011 (pt 0006)". www.publications.parliament.uk.
  20. "MP-by-MP: Gay marriage vote". BBC News. 5 February 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  21. Adams, Chris (25 September 2014). "East Lancs MPs set up new water safety group to prevent future deaths". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  22. "List of Parliamentary Private Secretaries: a reply from No.10". University of Lincoln. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  23. "MP will be Boris's 'eyes and ears'". Pendle Today. 21 July 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  24. "Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson targeted by death threat". cravenherald.co.uk. 12 July 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  25. "Man found guilty of death threats to Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 24 January 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  26. "Andrew Stephenson MP". parliament.uk. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  27. "Andrew Stephenson MP". parliament.uk. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  28. "How MPs voted on May's withdrawal deal defeat". Financial Times. 29 March 2019. Archived from the original on 2 September 2019.
  29. Buchan, Lizzy (22 October 2019). "How your MP voted for Boris Johnson's Brexit deal". The Independent. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  30. "Stephenson appointed HS2 minister". BBC News. 19 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  31. "Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson helping society as first responder". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  32. "North West MPs join the fight against coronavirus". ITV News. 1 April 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  33. "Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson says the NHS needs more volunteer community first responders". Craven Herald. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Gordon Prentice		 Member of Parliament for Pendle
2010–present		 Incumbent
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