Graham Brady
Encyclopedia
Graham Stuart Brady is a British
Conservative Party
politician
and the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Altrincham and Sale West. He served as a shadow minister for Europe under four Conservative leaders before resigning in 2007 in protest at David Cameron
's opposition to grammar school
s. He succeeded Sir Michael Spicer as chairman of the 1922 Committee
on 26 May 2010.
On the 1 December 2010 Mr Brady was voted "Backbencher of the Year" by The Spectator
at their annual parliamentary awards.
Grammar School
and St Aidan's College
, University of Durham, and he graduated with a BA
in Law
in 1989. While at Durham he was Chairman of the university's Conservative Association in 1987. He was appointed a consultant
in public relations
with Shandwick plc in 1989. He joined the Centre for Policy Studies
in 1990. He was elected Vice Chairman of the Berkshire East Conservative Association in 1992. He was appointed Director of public affairs
at the Watership Partnership in 1992, where he remained until elected to Westminster
in 1997. He is now Chairman of the 1922 Committee.
. The 1997 General Election
proved to be a close battle, but Graham Brady held on and was elected as the Conservative MP for Altrincham and Sale West with a majority of 1,505. He made his maiden speech
on 2 June 1997. Brady's constituency is considered to be a Conservative safe seat
, having returned a Conservative MP for its entire history. He was relatively untouched by the expenses scandal but see employing Victoria Lowther, his wife, in Personal Life below.
(PPS) to the Chairman of the Conservative Party
, Michael Ancram
in 1999. He was made an Opposition Whip
by William Hague
in 2000, and later in the year became an Opposition Spokesman on Education and Employment. After the 2001 General Election
he was the Opposition Spokesman on Education and Skills under both Hague and Iain Duncan Smith
. He became the PPS to the Leader of the Opposition, Michael Howard
in 2003, and an Opposition Spokesman on Foreign Affairs
and Shadow Europe
Minister in 2004.
Education and Employment (Employment Sub-Committee) 1997–2001,
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister 2004–05,
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Urban Affairs Sub-Committee) 2004–05,
Treasury 2007-
All-party groups (office-holding)
Vice-chair Advertising Group 2001-;
Secretary Cayman Islands Group 2001-;
Treasurer Egypt Group 2001-;
Vice-chair Montserrat Group 2006-;
Secretary:
Fluoridation Group 2008-,
Infrastructure Group 2008-;
Treasurer Thailand Group 2009-;
Vice-chair Cannabis and Children Group 2009-
National Union Executive Committee 1988;
Chair Northern Area Conservative Collegiate Forum 1987–89;
Vice-chair East Berkshire Conservative Association 1993–95;
Member Executive 1922 Committee 1998–2000, 2007-
Secretary All-Party Cayman Islands Group 2001-;
Treasurer All-Party Egypt Group 2001-;
Vice-chair All-Party Montserrat Group 2006-;
Member Select Committee on Treasury 2007-;
Chairman 1922 Committee 2010-;
Secretary All-Party:
Fluoridation Group 2008-,
Infrastructure Group 2008-;
Treasurer All-Party Thailand Group 2009-;
Vice-chair All-Party Cannabis and Children Group 2009-
's opposition to Grammar School
s. He told the BBC that he was "Faced with a choice between a front bench position that I have loved and doing what I believe to be right for my constituents and for the many hundreds of thousands of families who are ill-served by state education in this country, there is in conscience only one option open to me," And arguing that "Grammar schools in selective areas are exactly the motor that does drive social mobility more effectively than comprehensive areas." Brady's own constituency has retained a selective rather than comprehensive education system.
.
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
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and 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 Altrincham and Sale West. He served as a shadow minister for Europe under four Conservative leaders before resigning in 2007 in protest at 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 ....
's opposition to grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
s. He succeeded Sir Michael Spicer as chairman of the 1922 Committee
1922 Committee
In British politics, the 1922 Committee is a committee of Conservative Members of Parliament. Voting membership is limited to backbench MPs although frontbench Conservative MPs have an open invitation to attend meetings. While the party was in opposition, frontbench MPs other than the party leader...
on 26 May 2010.
On the 1 December 2010 Mr Brady was voted "Backbencher of the Year" by The Spectator
The Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
at their annual parliamentary awards.
Early life
Graham Brady was born in Salford, and was educated at the AltrinchamAltrincham
Altrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington...
Grammar School
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
and St Aidan's College
St Aidan's College
St Aidan's College is a college of the University of Durham in England. Founded in 1947 as St Aidan's Society, but able to trace its roots back to the end of the 19th century, the college is named for St Aidan of Lindisfarne.-History:...
, University of Durham, and he graduated with a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
in 1989. While at Durham he was Chairman of the university's Conservative Association in 1987. He was appointed a consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
in public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
with Shandwick plc in 1989. He joined the Centre for Policy Studies
Centre for Policy Studies
The Centre for Policy Studies is a British right wing policy think tank whose goal is to promote coherent and practical public policy, to roll back the state, reform public services, support communities, and challenge threats to Britain’s independence...
in 1990. He was elected Vice Chairman of the Berkshire East Conservative Association in 1992. He was appointed Director of public affairs
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
at the Watership Partnership in 1992, where he remained until elected to Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
in 1997. He is now Chairman of the 1922 Committee.
Member of Parliament
He was selected to contest the Altrincham and Sale West parliamentary constituency following the retirement of the veteran Conservative MP Fergus MontgomeryFergus Montgomery
Sir William Fergus Montgomery is a former Conservative member of Parliament in the United Kingdom.Born in South Shields, Montgomery was educated at Jarrow Grammar School and the University of Durham, and became a teacher in 1950. From 1950 until 1958 he was a councillor serving on Hebburn urban...
. The 1997 General 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...
proved to be a close battle, but Graham Brady held on and was elected as the Conservative MP for Altrincham and Sale West with a majority of 1,505. He made his maiden speech
Maiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
on 2 June 1997. Brady's constituency is considered to be a Conservative safe seat
Safe seat
A safe seat is a seat in a legislative body which is regarded as fully secured, either by a certain political party, the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both...
, having returned a Conservative MP for its entire history. He was relatively untouched by the expenses scandal but see employing Victoria Lowther, his wife, in Personal Life below.
Parliamentary career
Following his election, Graham Brady became a Member of the Education and Employment Select Committee. He became the Parliamentary Private SecretaryParliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
(PPS) to the Chairman of the Conservative Party
Chairman of the Conservative Party
In the United Kingdom, the Chairman of the Conservative Party is responsible for running the party machine, overseeing Conservative Central Office. When the Conservatives are in power, the Chairman is usually a member of the Cabinet being given a sinecure position such as Minister without Portfolio...
, Michael Ancram
Michael Ancram
Michael Andrew Foster Jude Kerr, 13th Marquess of Lothian, PC, QC , known as Michael Ancram, is a United Kingdom Conservative Party politician. He is a member of the House of Lords, former Member of Parliament, and a former member of the Shadow Cabinet...
in 1999. He was made an Opposition Whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
by William Hague
William Hague
William Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001...
in 2000, and later in the year became an Opposition Spokesman on Education and Employment. After 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...
he was the Opposition Spokesman on Education and Skills under both Hague and 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...
. He became the PPS to the Leader of the Opposition, Michael Howard
Michael Howard
Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne, CH, QC, PC is a British politician, who served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005...
in 2003, and an Opposition Spokesman on Foreign Affairs
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
and Shadow Europe
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
Minister in 2004.
Commons Select Committees
Member: Education and Employment 1997–2001,Education and Employment (Employment Sub-Committee) 1997–2001,
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister 2004–05,
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Urban Affairs Sub-Committee) 2004–05,
Treasury 2007-
Commons Backbench committees
Joint Secretary, Conservative Party Committee for Education and Employment 1997–2000All-party groups (office-holding)
Vice-chair Advertising Group 2001-;
Secretary Cayman Islands Group 2001-;
Treasurer Egypt Group 2001-;
Vice-chair Montserrat Group 2006-;
Secretary:
Fluoridation Group 2008-,
Infrastructure Group 2008-;
Treasurer Thailand Group 2009-;
Vice-chair Cannabis and Children Group 2009-
Party posts
Chair Durham University Conservative Association 1987–88;National Union Executive Committee 1988;
Chair Northern Area Conservative Collegiate Forum 1987–89;
Vice-chair East Berkshire Conservative Association 1993–95;
Member Executive 1922 Committee 1998–2000, 2007-
Current posts
Vice-chair All-Party Advertising Group 2001-;Secretary All-Party Cayman Islands Group 2001-;
Treasurer All-Party Egypt Group 2001-;
Vice-chair All-Party Montserrat Group 2006-;
Member Select Committee on Treasury 2007-;
Chairman 1922 Committee 2010-;
Secretary All-Party:
Fluoridation Group 2008-,
Infrastructure Group 2008-;
Treasurer All-Party Thailand Group 2009-;
Vice-chair All-Party Cannabis and Children Group 2009-
Resignation
On 29 May 2007, Brady resigned his post as Shadow Minister for Europe in protest at Conservative leader David CameronDavid 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 ....
's opposition to Grammar School
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
s. He told the BBC that he was "Faced with a choice between a front bench position that I have loved and doing what I believe to be right for my constituents and for the many hundreds of thousands of families who are ill-served by state education in this country, there is in conscience only one option open to me," And arguing that "Grammar schools in selective areas are exactly the motor that does drive social mobility more effectively than comprehensive areas." Brady's own constituency has retained a selective rather than comprehensive education system.
Personal life
Graham Brady married Victoria Lowther in 1992, whom he met at Durham, and he has a daughter and a son. Graham Brady was reported to be among those MPs who paid the highest amount to family members of between £40,000 and £45,000. He employs his wife Victoria as senior parliamentary assistant. He was the youngest Conservative elected in 1997 and currently resides in AltrinchamAltrincham
Altrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington...
.
External links
- Graham Brady MP official site
- ePolitix.com - Graham Brady MP
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Graham Brady MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Graham Brady MP
- The Public Whip - Graham Brady MP voting record
- BBC News - Graham Brady profile 30 March 2006