Conor Burns
Encyclopedia
Conor Burns is a British
Conservative Party
politician. He was elected as the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Bournemouth West at the 2010 general election.
before moving with his family to Hertfordshire
in 1980. He was educated at St Columba's College, St Albans
and read Modern History and Politics at the University of Southampton
. Whilst at Southampton he was chairman of the University's Conservative Association, 1992–93 and Chairman of Wessex Area Conservatives, 1993-94. He later had a number of jobs in the communications and finance sectors, most recently as an associate director of the public affairs company PLMR. He was previously a director of the Policy Research Centre for Business Ltd, Company Secretary of De Havilland Global Knowledge Distribution plc and served as the manager of the Zurich Advice Network, managing 150 financial advisors.
City Council for three years from 1999, serving as the Conservative Group leader from 2001.
Burns stood as the Conservative Party
candidate
for Eastleigh in the 2001 general election
, finishing second with 34.3% of the vote.
Burns then went on to stand at the Hedge End Town Council elections, losing again, before finally losing again in the 2005 general election
, again finishing second with 37.5% of the vote, 568 votes behind current Environment Secretary
Chris Huhne
.
Burns was elected to the House of Commons as Member of Parliament
for Bournemouth West in the 2010 general election with a majority of 5,583.
He was appointed as PPS to Hugo Swire
, the Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office
in 2010, before which he briefly sat on the Education select committee.
Burns was a member of the A-List and was selected in September 2008.
after the eventual departure from office of Robert Mugabe
. He was outspoken in calling on former Home Secretary
Jacqui Smith
to grant asylum to young gay Iranian student Mehdi Kazemi
.
A strong Eurosceptic
, Burns has been critical of the electoral system used to elect Members of the European Parliament and the impact of UK Independence Party candidates in denying victory to Conservative candidates.
A friend of Captain James Philippson who died in Afghanistan
, Burns has been critical of the perceived failure of the Ministry of Defence
to provide troops with appropriate equipment, stating that many troops "would be alive today had they had the most basic of equipment".
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 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. He was elected as 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 Bournemouth West at the 2010 general election.
Early life
Burns lived in BelfastBelfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
before moving with his family to Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
in 1980. He was educated at St Columba's College, St Albans
St Columba's College, St Albans
St Columba's College is a British fee-paying independent school for boys aged 4-19. The college, founded in 1939 by Philip O’Neill and acquired in 1955 by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, is Roman Catholic, and a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference of leading independent...
and read Modern History and Politics at the University of Southampton
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
. Whilst at Southampton he was chairman of the University's Conservative Association, 1992–93 and Chairman of Wessex Area Conservatives, 1993-94. He later had a number of jobs in the communications and finance sectors, most recently as an associate director of the public affairs company PLMR. He was previously a director of the Policy Research Centre for Business Ltd, Company Secretary of De Havilland Global Knowledge Distribution plc and served as the manager of the Zurich Advice Network, managing 150 financial advisors.
Political career
Burns was an elected councillor on SouthamptonSouthampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
City Council for three years from 1999, serving as the Conservative Group leader from 2001.
Burns stood as 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...
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 Eastleigh in the 2001 general election
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...
, finishing second with 34.3% of the vote.
Burns then went on to stand at the Hedge End Town Council elections, losing again, before finally losing again in the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
, again finishing second with 37.5% of the vote, 568 votes behind current Environment Secretary
Environment Secretary
Environment Secretary can refer to:* Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Scotland* Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Hong Kong* Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, United Kingdom...
Chris Huhne
Chris Huhne
Christopher Murray Paul-Huhne, generally known as Chris Huhne is a British politician and cabinet minister, who is the current Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for the Eastleigh constituency in Hampshire...
.
Burns was elected to the House of Commons as 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 Bournemouth West in the 2010 general election with a majority of 5,583.
He was appointed as PPS 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....
, the Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office
Northern Ireland Office
The Northern Ireland Office is a United Kingdom government department responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and is based in Northern Ireland at Stormont House.-Role:...
in 2010, before which he briefly sat on the Education select committee.
Burns was a member of the A-List and was selected in September 2008.
Political interests
Writing in 2008, Burns called for the international community to prepare a contingency plan for the governance of ZimbabweZimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
after the eventual departure from office of Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
. He was outspoken in calling on former Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
Jacqui Smith
Jacqui Smith
Jacqueline Jill "Jacqui" Smith is a member of the British Labour Party. She served as the Member of Parliament for Redditch from 1997 until 2010 and was the first ever female Home Secretary, thus making her the third woman to hold one of the Great Offices of State — after Margaret Thatcher and...
to grant asylum to young gay Iranian student Mehdi Kazemi
Mehdi Kazemi
Mehdi Kazemi is a gay Iranian who is currently wanted in Iran for sodomy. Originally in the UK to study, he was granted asylum by Britain in 2008.-Background:...
.
A strong Eurosceptic
EuroSceptic
EuroSceptic is the second album of British singer Jack Lucien. It was released in October 2009.Due to being an album influenced by Europop, it features songs with parts in different languages...
, Burns has been critical of the electoral system used to elect Members of the European Parliament and the impact of UK Independence Party candidates in denying victory to Conservative candidates.
A friend of Captain James Philippson who died in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Burns has been critical of the perceived failure of the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
to provide troops with appropriate equipment, stating that many troops "would be alive today had they had the most basic of equipment".
External links
- Conor Burns MP official constituency website
- Conor Burns MP Conservative Party profile
- Bournemouth West Conservatives