Bill Cash
Encyclopedia
William Nigel Paul "Bill" Cash (born 10 May 1940)
is a British
Conservative
politician
and Member of Parliament
for Stone
.
to a political family, which included seven Liberal
Members of Parliament, including John Bright
. He was educated at Stonyhurst College
in Lancashire
before attending Lincoln College, Oxford
where he took a BA in History. He qualified as a solicitor in 1967, and since 1979 has practised as a solicitor in his own account (i.e. he is not employed by a law firm or a member of a partnership).
, and was killed in Normandy
during Operation Overlord
. He married Bridget Mary (née Lee) in 1965, and they have two sons, and a daughter. One of his sons is the controversial journalist William Cash. He lives at Upton Cresset Hall, near Bridgnorth
, Shropshire
.
at a by-election in May
following the death of Sir Hugh Fraser
. Since the 1997 election
he has been MP for Stone, Staffordshire
.
He has served on various parliamentary committees. He was elected unopposed as Chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee on 8 September 2010. He has also served on the All-Party Committee on East Africa (since 1988), the All-Party Group for the Jubilee 2000 (1997–2000), but more notably the Select Committee on European Legislation (since 1985), and as chairman of the Conservative Backbench Committee on European Affairs (1989-91). He is known as a strong eurosceptic and at one point was ringleader of a rebellion over the Maastricht treaty
that almost brought down John Major
's government. He was described by Kenneth Clarke
as the most "Eurosceptic" Member of Parliament.
In 1993 he founded and is chairman of the eurosceptic European Foundation
which was created during the Maastricht Rebellion
, the funding for which he organised. During 1994-1995 Cash was member of the Tindemans group
. He is currently Secretary of the European Reform Forum
, and is a Vice-President of the Conservative Small Business Bureau (since 1986).
After he became leader, fellow Maastricht rebel Iain Duncan Smith
gave him the post of shadow Attorney General
in 2001, and in 2003 was made a spokesman on Constitutional Affairs
but he returned to the backbenches later that year after Duncan Smith was ousted as party leader.
, that Cash had claimed £15,000 which he paid his daughter, Laetitia Cash
, a prospective Conservative candidate, as rent for a Notting Hill
flat, when he had a mortgaged flat of his own a few miles away, which his son Sam Cash was staying in rent-free. "It was only for a year, she was getting married, she wasn't there. My other flat wasn't round the corner, it was in Westminster. It was done through the rules", he said on Newsnight
. The following day Cash announced that he had agreed to pay the money back. Cash was rejecting calls for his resignation and said he was hopeful of getting a fair hearing. David Cameron
was said to have ordered Cash to co-operate or risk having the Conservative whip withdrawn
Cash faced a no-confidence vote by secret ballot by his constituency party on 2 July 2009. He was, however, re-selected with the overwhelming support over 98% of the vote. Cash also received a personal letter of support from Conservative leader David Cameron before the meeting thanking Cash for "the tireless contribution you make to the work of Parliament. You have a long record of serving your constituents with commitment and integrity". Kennedy, in his letter to Cash regarding his appeal, wrote: "In my judgment there are special reasons why it would not be fair and equitable to require repayment of any money. They are that in 2004-05 you paid rent for accommodation. Such rent was recoverable under the Rules as they existed at the time unless there was some evidence of impropriety. There is no such evidence in your case."
is a British
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...
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...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and 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 Stone
Stone (UK Parliament constituency)
Stone is a county constituency in Staffordshire which is 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 :...
.
Education
Cash was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to a political family, which included seven Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
Members of Parliament, including John Bright
John Bright
John Bright , Quaker, was a British Radical and Liberal statesman, associated with Richard Cobden in the formation of the Anti-Corn Law League. He was one of the greatest orators of his generation, and a strong critic of British foreign policy...
. He was educated at Stonyhurst College
Stonyhurst College
Stonyhurst College is a Roman Catholic independent school, adhering to the Jesuit tradition. It is located on the Stonyhurst Estate near the village of Hurst Green in the Ribble Valley area of Lancashire, England, and occupies a Grade I listed building...
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...
before attending Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is situated on Turl Street in central Oxford, backing onto Brasenose College and adjacent to Exeter College...
where he took a BA in History. He qualified as a solicitor in 1967, and since 1979 has practised as a solicitor in his own account (i.e. he is not employed by a law firm or a member of a partnership).
Family
Cash's father fought in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and was killed in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
during Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
. He married Bridget Mary (née Lee) in 1965, and they have two sons, and a daughter. One of his sons is the controversial journalist William Cash. He lives at Upton Cresset Hall, near Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England, along the Severn Valley. It is split into Low Town and High Town, named on account of their elevations relative to the River Severn, which separates the upper town on the right bank from the lower on the left...
, Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
.
Parliament
Cash entered Parliament in 1984, when he was elected as MP for StaffordStafford (UK Parliament constituency)
Stafford 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. The sitting MP is the Conservative Jeremy Lefroy....
at a by-election in May
Stafford by-election, 1984
The Stafford by-election, 1984 was a parliamentary by-election held on 3 May 1984 for the British House of Commons constituency of Stafford.- Previous MP :...
following the death of Sir Hugh Fraser
Hugh Fraser (politician)
Major Sir Hugh Charles Patrick Joseph Fraser MBE was a British Conservative politician and first husband of the author Lady Antonia Fraser.-Youth and military career:...
. Since the 1997 election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
he has been MP for Stone, Staffordshire
Stone (UK Parliament constituency)
Stone is a county constituency in Staffordshire which is 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 :...
.
He has served on various parliamentary committees. He was elected unopposed as Chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee on 8 September 2010. He has also served on the All-Party Committee on East Africa (since 1988), the All-Party Group for the Jubilee 2000 (1997–2000), but more notably the Select Committee on European Legislation (since 1985), and as chairman of the Conservative Backbench Committee on European Affairs (1989-91). He is known as a strong eurosceptic and at one point was ringleader of a rebellion over the Maastricht treaty
Maastricht Treaty
The Maastricht Treaty was signed on 7 February 1992 by the members of the European Community in Maastricht, Netherlands. On 9–10 December 1991, the same city hosted the European Council which drafted the treaty...
that almost brought down John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
's government. He was described by Kenneth Clarke
Kenneth Clarke
Kenneth Harry "Ken" Clarke, QC, MP is a British Conservative politician, currently Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. He was first elected to Parliament in 1970; and appointed a minister in Edward Heath's government, in 1972, and is one of...
as the most "Eurosceptic" Member of Parliament.
In 1993 he founded and is chairman of the eurosceptic European Foundation
European Foundation (think tank)
The European Foundation is a respected and leading Eurosceptic think tank based in the United Kingdom. It is chaired by Bill Cash, a British Conservative MP. The organisation produces the European Journal....
which was created during the Maastricht Rebellion
Maastricht Rebels
The Maastricht Rebels were British Members of Parliament belonging to the then governing Conservative Party who refused to support the government of John Major in a series of votes in the House of Commons on the issue of the implementation of the Maastricht Treaty in British law.The Maastrict...
, the funding for which he organised. During 1994-1995 Cash was member of the Tindemans group
Tindemans group
The Tindemans Group was a EU group of reflection in 1994-1995, set up with the aim of bringing the general public into the debate about the 1996 Intergovernmental Conference with a view to enlargement with new member states from Central and Eastern Europe. It was chaired by Leo Tindemans, former...
. He is currently Secretary of the European Reform Forum
European Reform Forum
The European Reform Forum is a committee of senior British politicians, journalists, academics, and businessmen who are seeking to produce a report on the future direction of the European Union. The members are drawn predominantly from a Conservative background. It was launched on 30 June 2005 in...
, and is a Vice-President of the Conservative Small Business Bureau (since 1986).
After he became leader, fellow Maastricht rebel Iain Duncan Smith
Iain Duncan Smith
George Iain Duncan Smith is a British Conservative politician. He is currently the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and was previously leader of the Conservative Party from September 2001 to October 2003...
gave him the post of shadow Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
in 2001, and in 2003 was made a spokesman on Constitutional Affairs
Department for Constitutional Affairs
The Department for Constitutional Affairs was a United Kingdom government department. Its creation was announced on 12 June 2003 with the intention of replacing the Lord Chancellor's Department...
but he returned to the backbenches later that year after Duncan Smith was ousted as party leader.
Expenses claims
Cash was cleared on appeal in February 2010 by former High Court judge and President of the Court of Appeal, the Rt Hon Sir Paul Kennedy after it was reported on 28 May 2009, in the swirl of stories surrounding the 2009 Parliamentary Expenses scandalUnited Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal
The United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal was a major political scandal triggered by the leak and subsequent publication by the Telegraph Group in 2009 of expense claims made by members of the United Kingdom Parliament over several years...
, that Cash had claimed £15,000 which he paid his daughter, Laetitia Cash
Laetitia Cash
Laetitia Mary Cash is a British barrister and journalist. She was formerly a district councillor in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England. Her father is the prominent Conservative politician Bill Cash.-Biography:...
, a prospective Conservative candidate, as rent for a Notting Hill
Notting Hill
Notting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
flat, when he had a mortgaged flat of his own a few miles away, which his son Sam Cash was staying in rent-free. "It was only for a year, she was getting married, she wasn't there. My other flat wasn't round the corner, it was in Westminster. It was done through the rules", he said on Newsnight
Newsnight
Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
. The following day Cash announced that he had agreed to pay the money back. Cash was rejecting calls for his resignation and said he was hopeful of getting a fair hearing. David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
was said to have ordered Cash to co-operate or risk having the Conservative whip withdrawn
Cash faced a no-confidence vote by secret ballot by his constituency party on 2 July 2009. He was, however, re-selected with the overwhelming support over 98% of the vote. Cash also received a personal letter of support from Conservative leader David Cameron before the meeting thanking Cash for "the tireless contribution you make to the work of Parliament. You have a long record of serving your constituents with commitment and integrity". Kennedy, in his letter to Cash regarding his appeal, wrote: "In my judgment there are special reasons why it would not be fair and equitable to require repayment of any money. They are that in 2004-05 you paid rent for accommodation. Such rent was recoverable under the Rules as they existed at the time unless there was some evidence of impropriety. There is no such evidence in your case."
External links
- Bill Cash MP biography at the site of the Conservative Party
- ePolitix.com - Bill Cash
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Bill Cash MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - William Cash MP
- The Public Whip - William Cash MP voting record
- BBC News profile (30 March 2006)
- billcashmp.co.uk Bill Cash's own website