Ashley Fox
Encyclopedia
Ashley Fox is a British solicitor
and politician
who is currently a Member of the European Parliament
, representing South West England
for the Conservative Party
and the European Conservatives and Reformists
(ECR) political group.
, Ashley studied law at Bristol Polytechnic
before working for a year as an English assistant in France. He took his solicitors finals at Chester College of Law. After completing his articles, he qualified as a Solicitor in 1994.
Before being elected as a MEP Ashley worked for 15 years as a Solicitor in Bristol, specialising in Insurance Litigation. He was a Partner at Badhams Thompson and an Associate at Morgan Cole.
From 1998 -2000 Ashley was Chairman of Bristol West Conservative Association. He stood as the Conservative candidate for Bath
at the General Election in 2001
. In 2002 he was elected as Councillor for Westbury-on-Trym on Bristol City Council, a position he held for 8 years.
Ashley continues to live in Bristol with his wife and two children.
to represent the South West England & Gibraltar constituency
. As a British Conservative he is a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR). He was appointed Chief Whip of the ECR in December 2010.
Ashley is a member of the Internal Market Committee where he takes a particular interest in the Aerospace and Pharmaceutical Industries. He also sits on the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee and the Committee for Constitutional Affairs. Ashley is a member of the Delegation for relations with the Arabian Peninsula and also of the Delegation for relations with China.
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who is currently a Member of the European Parliament
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,...
, representing South West England
South West England (European Parliament constituency)
South West England is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation, reduced from 7 in 2004.-Boundaries:...
for the 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...
and the European Conservatives and Reformists
European Conservatives and Reformists
The European Conservatives and Reformists, abbreviated to ECR, is a conservative anti-federalist political group in the European Parliament. The group currently comprises 57 MEPs, making it the fourth-largest group in the European Parliament....
(ECR) political group.
Life And History
Educated at The King's School, WorcesterThe King's School, Worcester
The King's School, Worcester is an English independent school refounded by Henry VIII in 1541. It occupies a site adjacent to Worcester Cathedral on the banks of the River Severn in the centre of the city of Worcester...
, Ashley studied law at Bristol Polytechnic
University of the West of England
The University of the West of England is a university based in the English city of Bristol. Its main campus is at Frenchay, about five miles north of the city centre...
before working for a year as an English assistant in France. He took his solicitors finals at Chester College of Law. After completing his articles, he qualified as a Solicitor in 1994.
Before being elected as a MEP Ashley worked for 15 years as a Solicitor in Bristol, specialising in Insurance Litigation. He was a Partner at Badhams Thompson and an Associate at Morgan Cole.
From 1998 -2000 Ashley was Chairman of Bristol West Conservative Association. He stood as the Conservative candidate for Bath
Bath (UK Parliament constituency)
Bath is a constituency in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, previously of the House of Commons of England. It is an ancient constituency which has been constantly represented in Parliament since boroughs were first summoned to send members in the 13th century...
at the General Election in 2001
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
. In 2002 he was elected as Councillor for Westbury-on-Trym on Bristol City Council, a position he held for 8 years.
Ashley continues to live in Bristol with his wife and two children.
Member of the European Parliament
Ashley was elected to the European Parliament in June 2009 as part of the 2009 European ElectionEuropean Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom)
The European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2009 European Parliament election, the voting for which was held on Thursday 4 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections in England. Most of the results of the election were announced on Sunday 7 June, after...
to represent the South West England & Gibraltar constituency
South West England (European Parliament constituency)
South West England is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation, reduced from 7 in 2004.-Boundaries:...
. As a British Conservative he is a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR). He was appointed Chief Whip of the ECR in December 2010.
Ashley is a member of the Internal Market Committee where he takes a particular interest in the Aerospace and Pharmaceutical Industries. He also sits on the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee and the Committee for Constitutional Affairs. Ashley is a member of the Delegation for relations with the Arabian Peninsula and also of the Delegation for relations with China.