John Stevens (politician)
Encyclopedia
John Christopher Courtenay Stevens (b 23 May 1955) is an English
politician
. A Conservative
Member of the European Parliament
(MEP) from 1989 to 1999, he contested the Buckingham constituency
in the 2010 general election as an independent
, against Commons speaker John Bercow
.
, where he won the Boxing Cup, and at Magdalen College, Oxford
, taking a third class honours degree in law. He then worked as a foreign exchange and bond trader for Morgan Grenfell.
He was the Conservative
Member of the European Parliament
(MEP) for Thames Valley
from 1989 to 1999.
Stevens was the co-founder, along with Brendan Donnelly
, of the Pro-Euro Conservative Party
. He contested the Kensington and Chelsea by-election, 1999
for the PECP and came 4th.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. A 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 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,...
(MEP) from 1989 to 1999, he contested the Buckingham constituency
Buckingham (UK Parliament constituency)
Buckingham 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:...
in the 2010 general election as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
, against Commons speaker John Bercow
John Bercow
John Simon Bercow is a British politician who has been the Speaker of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom since June 2009. Prior to his election to Speaker he was a member of the Conservative party....
.
Background
Stevens was educated at WinchesterWinchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
, where he won the Boxing Cup, and at Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, taking a third class honours degree in law. He then worked as a foreign exchange and bond trader for Morgan Grenfell.
He was 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 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,...
(MEP) for Thames Valley
Thames Valley (European Parliament constituency)
Prior to its uniform adoption of proportional representation in 1999, the United Kingdom used first-past-the-post for the European elections in England, Scotland and Wales...
from 1989 to 1999.
Stevens was the co-founder, along with Brendan Donnelly
Brendan Donnelly (politician)
Brendan Patrick Donnelly is a pro-European Union British politician.Donnelly was elected as a Member of the European Parliament in Sussex South and Crawley at the European Parliament election, 1994 for the Conservative Party...
, of the Pro-Euro Conservative Party
Pro-Euro Conservative Party
The Pro-Euro Conservative Party was a British political party announced by John Stevens and Brendan Donnelly in February 1999, formed to contest the 1999 European Parliament Elections. The founders were Members of the European Parliament who had resigned from the UK Conservative Party in protest at...
. He contested the Kensington and Chelsea by-election, 1999
Kensington and Chelsea by-election, 1999
The Member of Parliament for Kensington and Chelsea, Alan Clark, died of a brain tumour on September 5, 1999.This was the first safe Conservative seat to have a by-election in the Parliament. There was immediate speculation that Michael Portillo, the most high-profile casualty of the 1997 general...
for the PECP and came 4th.