Philip Bradbourn

Philip Bradbourn OBE MEP

Philip Charles Bradbourn OBE MEP (9 August 1951 – 19 December 2014) was a British politician, and Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands, for the Conservative Party. He was a member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2014.

He was a parliamentary candidate for Wolverhampton South East in the 1992 general election and stood for the European Parliament in County Durham in 1994.

Until his election he was adviser to the Conservative Group Leader on Wolverhampton City Council. He held various local authority posts mainly based around planning. He was also the Chairman of the West Midlands Region Conservatives.

In the 1992 General Election he stood as Conservative Candidate in the Wolverhampton South-East Parliamentary Constituency and in the 1994 European Elections was European Conservative Candidate for the County Durham European Constituency.

Born in Tipton in 1951, Bradbourn was educated at Tipton Grammar School and then at Wulfrun College and Worcester College where he obtained a post-graduate Diploma in Municipal Administration in 1972. Raised in the Black Country, he lived in the area until his death.

He was awarded the OBE for public and political service in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 1994.

Bradbourn died following a battle with bowel cancer on 20 December 2014, at the age of 63. Ashley Fox, leader of the Conservative MEPs, said Bradbourn was a "one-off" adding that he was "a much loved character who could always be relied on for a robust intervention and a succinct summary of a political point". Fox continued: "His no-nonsense approach to politics made him a powerful voice for the West Midlands as well as a resolute defender of the British taxpayers' interests in Brussels and Strasbourg."

Expenses claims

In May 2008 it was reported Philip Bradbourn has used tax-payers' money to fund lavish trips across the world, including a visit to Table Mountain in South Africa and a wine route tour of the Neethlingshof Wine Estate in 2007. The six-day excursion is estimated to have cost £30,000.

Bradbourn pursued a complaint against the News of the World with the Press Complaints Commission. The News of the World then issued this apology "Contrary to the claim in our article "EU blows millions on fact finding freebies for MEPs" (18.5.08), Philip Bradbourn MEP did not visit Table Mountain or a wine estate during a South Africa trip. We apologise for any embarrassment."

Smoking incident

On 12 September 2007, an article appeared in the Times referring to an incident which occurred in the European Parliament (a non-smoking building), where he was found smoking in a corridor. When it was pointed out to him that he was not permitted to smoke inside the Parliament, he reportedly responded "I'm a member. I make the rules." Bradbourn, however, denied this, saying that his exact words were, "Elected members make the rules in Parliament, not staff."

Birmingham confusion

Philip Bradbourn also came under fire in 2008 when it was discovered that the website of the West Midlands Conservative MEPs showed a photo of Birmingham, Alabama instead of Birmingham, England.

External links

• West Midlands Conservative MEP Team