Andrew Griffiths (politician)
Encyclopedia
Andrew James Griffiths (born 19 October 1970) is an English
politician
. He is the Conservative
Member of Parliament
for Burton
.
and attended Bramford Primary School and High Arcal School
. His father, Bob Griffiths, served as Mayor of Dudley in 1982. Upon finishing his education in 1987, Griffiths joined the family engineering business in the West Midlands
, manufacturing plant equipment for the construction industry. Later, he worked for the Leeds Permanent Building Society
(later to become the Halifax) where he became a manager specialising in property and financial services.
In 1999, Andrew went to work for the West Midlands MEP team in the European Parliament
in Brussels
, before being appointed Adviser on farming and working for the European Agricultural Spokesman Neil Parish
MEP
.
Griffiths first contested the safe Labour seat of Dudley North
at the 2001 general election, coming in 6,800 votes behind victor Ross Cranston. In 2004, Griffiths unsuccessfully stood as a Conservative candidate at the European Elections.
After the European Elections, Griffiths moved to Westminster
to work for the Shadow Cabinet, as Chief of Staff to the Rt. Hon. Theresa May
MP, where he worked on environment, transport and later family policy. During this time, Griffiths also helped set up Women 2 Win, a campaign to get more Conservative women elected to Parliament
. In 2006, Griffiths moved to work for the Culture, Media and Sport team, working as Chief of Staff to Hugo Swire
MP. The next year, he focused on community cohesion and local government matters as Chief of Staff to Eric Pickles
MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, and remained Pickles' Chief of Staff when he became the Party Chairman.
Griffiths was elected at the 2010 General Election for Burton
, regaining the seat for the Conservatives for the first time since 1997 when it was held by Ivan Lawrence
from 1974.
Andrew now serves as Secretary of the APPG for the Misuse of Drugs and Alcohol, Additional General Secretary of the APPG for Kashmir, and Vice Chairman of the APPG for Home Education.
He is Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Beer and a member of the Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee
.
Having stood in Dudley North in 2001, Andrew - currently chief of staff to Eric Pickles - was selected in November 2006 for Burton. Griffiths was a member of the A-List.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He is the Conservative
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...
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,...
for Burton
Burton (UK Parliament constituency)
Burton is a county 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:...
.
Early life
Griffiths grew up in SedgleySedgley
Sedgley is an urban village within the West Midlands county of England. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Sedgley was formerly an ancient manor composed of several smaller villages, including Gornal, Gospel End, Woodsetton, Ettingshall, Coseley and Brierley...
and attended Bramford Primary School and High Arcal School
High Arcal School
High Arcal School is a comprehensive secondary school situated in Sedgley, West Midlands, England. It was opened in 1961 as a grammar school and became comprehensive in 1975. The school holds Specialist Science College status...
. His father, Bob Griffiths, served as Mayor of Dudley in 1982. Upon finishing his education in 1987, Griffiths joined the family engineering business in the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, manufacturing plant equipment for the construction industry. Later, he worked for the Leeds Permanent Building Society
Leeds Permanent Building Society
The Leeds Permanent Building Society was a building society founded in Leeds, England in 1846 and was commonly known in a shortened form as The Leeds...
(later to become the Halifax) where he became a manager specialising in property and financial services.
Political career
Griffiths first entered politics at a local level when standing as a council candidate for Cosely on three separate occasions, losing them all.In 1999, Andrew went to work for the West Midlands MEP team in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, before being appointed Adviser on farming and working for the European Agricultural Spokesman Neil Parish
Neil Parish
Neil Quentin Gordon Parish is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Tiverton and Honiton, elected at the 2010 general election. He had been a Member of the European Parliament for South West England from 1999 to 2009.-Career:Prior to beginning his career in...
MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
.
Griffiths first contested the safe Labour seat of Dudley North
Dudley North (UK Parliament constituency)
Dudley North is a parliamentary 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 :...
at the 2001 general election, coming in 6,800 votes behind victor Ross Cranston. In 2004, Griffiths unsuccessfully stood as a Conservative candidate at the European Elections.
After the European Elections, Griffiths moved to Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
to work for the Shadow Cabinet, as Chief of Staff to the Rt. Hon. Theresa May
Theresa May
Theresa Mary May is a British Conservative politician who is Home Secretary in the Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition government. She was elected to Parliament in 1997 as the Member of Parliament for Maidenhead, and served as the Chairman of the Conservative Party, 2003–04...
MP, where he worked on environment, transport and later family policy. During this time, Griffiths also helped set up Women 2 Win, a campaign to get more Conservative women elected to Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
. In 2006, Griffiths moved to work for the Culture, Media and Sport team, working as Chief of Staff to Hugo Swire
Hugo Swire
Hugo George William Swire is a British Conservative Party politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for East Devon since 2001. He is currently a Minister of State for Northern Ireland in the current Government....
MP. The next year, he focused on community cohesion and local government matters as Chief of Staff to Eric Pickles
Eric Pickles
Eric Jack Pickles is a British Conservative Party politician. Pickles was appointed Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government of the coalition government headed by Prime Minister David Cameron on 12 May 2010....
MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, and remained Pickles' Chief of Staff when he became the Party Chairman.
Griffiths was elected at the 2010 General Election for Burton
Burton (UK Parliament constituency)
Burton is a county 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:...
, regaining the seat for the Conservatives for the first time since 1997 when it was held by Ivan Lawrence
Ivan Lawrence
Sir Ivan John Lawrence, QC, is a distinguished criminal barrister and was a British Conservative politician.-Early life:...
from 1974.
Andrew now serves as Secretary of the APPG for the Misuse of Drugs and Alcohol, Additional General Secretary of the APPG for Kashmir, and Vice Chairman of the APPG for Home Education.
He is Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Beer and a member of the Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee
Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee
The Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created on 7 June 2010.-Remit:...
.
Having stood in Dudley North in 2001, Andrew - currently chief of staff to Eric Pickles - was selected in November 2006 for Burton. Griffiths was a member of the A-List.
External links
- Andrew Griffiths MP official constituency website
- Andrew Griffiths MP Conservative Party profile