Matt Western
 |
Matt Western | |
|---|---|
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| Member of Parliament for Warwick and Leamington | |
| Assumed office 8 June 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Chris White |
| Majority | 1,206 (2.2%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1962 (age 62–63) |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse | Rebecca Earle [1] |
| Alma mater | University of Bristol |
| Website | Official website |
Matthew Raymond Western[2] (born November 1962) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Warwick & Leamington[3] since the snap 2017 general election.[4]
Early life
Western was educated in St Albans and graduated with a BSc degree in Geography from the University of Bristol in 1984.[5]
Prior to entering politics, Western worked in General Management; specialising in finance and marketing for Peugeot.[6] He also works as a volunteer careers mentor at Campion School.[1]
Political career
Western was elected to the Leamington Willes ward of Warwickshire County Council in 2013 and again in 2017 shortly before becoming an MP. He resigned as a Councillor in March 2018.[7][8]
As an MP Western has served on the International Trade Select Committee since September 2017 and on the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee since February 2018.[9]
In May 2019, Western was found to have claimed back expenses for bicycle rides around his constituency at the rate of 20p per mile.[10] He said that the money was "legitimate" and that by not using a car he was doing the "right thing".[11]
In September 2019, Western defended himself from claims that his office had been spending public money on political advertisements on Facebook, stating that "for a health democracy to function, it is important that as many people as possible are informed of what their representatives are doing".[12]
In September 2019, Warwick District Council leader Andrew Day asked Western to "stop playing political games with the regeneration of town", over Western's outspoken opposition to plans for the authority to relocate its current headquarters.[13]
Western is a signatory of the MPs Not Border Guards pledge, which vows to not report constituents to the Home Office for immigration enforcement.[14][15]
Western is the Chair of the Parliamentary Campaign for Council Housing, which aims to increase the number of council houses being built and represent the interests of council tenants.[16]
Personal life
Western lives in Leamington with his partner Rebecca Earle, a history professor at Warwick University.[1][17] He supports Arsenal FC.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d "Matt Western – Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Warwick and Leamington". Warwick and Leamington Labour Party. Archived from the original on 18 May 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ^ "No. 61961". The London Gazette. 19 June 2017. p. 11786.
- ^ "Matt Western MP". UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 18 June 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ "Election 2017 Results – Warwick and Leamington". BBC. Archived from the original on 20 May 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ^ "Matt Western". LinkedIn. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ^ Western. "Western, Matthew Raymond". Who's Who. Vol. 2018 (February 2018 online ed.). A & C Black.
{{cite encyclopedia}}: Unknown parameter|accessed=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|othernames=ignored (help) (Subscription or UK public library membership required.) - ^ "Councillors". democratic.warwickshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
- ^ "Warwick and Leamington MP Matt Western stands down as Warwickshire county councillor". www.leamingtoncourier.co.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
- ^ "Matt Western MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
- ^ https://news.sky.com/story/labour-mp-matt-western-defends-claiming-expenses-for-bike-rides-around-his-constituency-11719083
- ^ https://news.sky.com/story/labour-mp-matt-western-defends-claiming-expenses-for-bike-rides-around-his-constituency-11719083
- ^ https://www.leamingtoncourier.co.uk/news/politics/warwick-and-leamington-mp-responds-to-national-scrutiny-into-spending-on-political-adverts-on-facebook-1-9086754
- ^ https://www.leamingtoncourier.co.uk/news/politics/district-council-leader-asks-leamington-mp-to-stop-playing-political-games-with-the-regeneration-of-town-over-hq-concerns-1-9067249
- ^ "MPs not border guards - pledge signatories | Global Justice Now". Globaljustice.org.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
- ^ Jessica Elgot. "MPs criticised for calling immigration hotline 68 times in year | UK news". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
- ^ http://mattwestern.org/western-in-westminster/
- ^ "Professor Rebecca Earle". Warwick University. Archived from the original on 9 June 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
External links
- Matt Western – Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Warwick and Leamington
- Matt Western – Twitter page
- Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
- Voting record at Public Whip
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
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