Andrew Edmund Armstrong Selous (/səˈluː/; born 27 April 1962)[1] is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for South West Bedfordshire from 2001 until 2024, when the constituency was abolished. Selous stood for the new Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard constituency however the seat was won by the Labour candidate Alex Mayer. Selous lives in Studham[2] in the constituency of Luton South.[3]
Andrew Selous | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2019 | |
| Second Church Estates Commissioner | |
| In office 10 January 2020 – 5 July 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Boris Johnson Liz Truss Rishi Sunak |
| Preceded by | Dame Caroline Spelman |
| Succeeded by | Marsha de Cordova |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice | |
| In office 15 July 2014 – 17 July 2016 | |
| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Jeremy Wright |
| Succeeded by | Sam Gyimah |
| Member of Parliament for South West Bedfordshire | |
| In office 7 June 2001 – 30 May 2024 | |
| Preceded by | David Madel |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 April 1962 Marylebone, London, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Harriet Marston |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Eton College |
| Alma mater | London School of Economics |
| Occupation | MP |
| Profession | Business, Industry, Trade |
| Website | andrewselous |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1981-1996 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Service number | 533612 |
| Unit | Honourable Artillery Company Royal Regiment of Fusiliers |
A member of the Conservative Party, he served as Minister of State for Prisons from 2014 to 2016 in the government of Prime Minister David Cameron.
Early life
editSelous was born in Marylebone to Gerald and Mary Selous (née Casey).[4] He was privately educated both at West Downs School and Eton College. He then studied at the London School of Economics, receiving a BSc in Industry and Trade in 1984.
In 1981, Selous joined the Honourable Artillery Company as a soldier. On 1 October 1989, he was commissioned in the Queen's Division, Territorial Army, as a second lieutenant (on probation);[5] he then served with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.[6] He was promoted to lieutenant on 1 October 1991.[7] He was transferred to the London Regiment on 20 April 1993.[6] He moved to the Regular Army Reserve of Officers in January 1996, thereby ending his active service.[8]
From 1988 until 1994, he was a director of his family firm CNS Electronics (now CNS Farnell). Then, from 1991 until 2001, he was an underwriter at Great Lakes Reinsurance (UK) PLC.[9]
Parliamentary career
editSelous was first elected to the House of Commons in 2001, and had previously contested the Sunderland North seat in 1997. He is a director and prominent member of the Conservative Christian Fellowship.[10]
In 2006, Selous was promoted to Shadow Minister for Work and Pensions.[11]
In the Coalition government, he was the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Iain Duncan Smith, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, from 28 May 2010 to 16 July 2014.[12] On 16 July 2014, he was appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Ministry of Justice with responsibility for Prisons and Probation and retained this role following the 2015 general election.[13] However he was asked to step down from the government by Theresa May after she became Prime Minister in July 2016.[14]
He attracted criticism in 2014 for reportedly stating at a Centre for Social Justice fringe meeting that "disabled people work harder because they're grateful to have a job". Selous subsequently said that he had simply been trying to convey the message that disabled people were valued by employers, and his observation that disabled people often work harder was supported by a spokesperson for Disability Rights UK.[15]
Selous chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group on Strengthening Couple Relationships, and argues that cross-party efforts to prevent family breakdown can relieve pressure on the care system.[16] He was opposed to the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, arguing that it was directly contrary to what Jesus said.[17]
He served as Second Church Estates Commissioner, responsible for representing the Church Commissioners in Parliament and in the General Synod of the Church of England, from 2020 to 2024.[18]
References
edit- ^ The Public Whip (2019). "Andrew Selous compared to 'Homosexuality - Equal rights'". The Public Whip. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ Leighton Buzzard's MP confirms he will stand again as general election announced
- ^ New parliamentary constituencies for Central Bedfordshire
- ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
- ^ "No. 51942". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 November 1989. p. 13430.
- ^ a b "No. 53356". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 June 1993. p. 10973.
- ^ "No. 52713". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 November 1991. p. 17249.
- ^ "No. 54328". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 February 1996. p. 2933.
- ^ Selous, Andrew Edmund Armstrong. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2019. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U41957. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help) - ^ "Andrew Selous". BBC News. 23 October 2002. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
- ^ "UK Political Database: Andrew Selous". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 30 April 2010.
- ^ "Parliamentary post for SW Beds MP". Bedfordtoday.co.uk. 28 May 2010. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
- ^ "UK Prime Minister on Twitter". Twitter.
- ^ "Andrew Selous asked to step down as Prisons Minister by Theresa May". Bedfordshirenews.co.uk. 18 July 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
- ^ "Andrew Selous: 'Disabled are grateful so work harder,' says Tory minister". Independent. 19 October 2014. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
- ^ Selous, Andrew (11 March 2014). "Comment: Silver splitters are putting significant pressure on care system, MP warns". Retrieved 7 April 2015.
- ^ "Voices of dissent: Gay marriage opponents attack". Independent. 11 December 2012. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
- ^ "The Church Commissioners for England have today welcomed the Crown appointment of Mr Andrew Selous MP as Second Estates Commissioner, succeeding the Rt Hon Dame Caroline Spelman". The Church of England. 10 January 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
External links
edit- Andrew Selous MP Official site
- Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005
- Voting record at Public Whip
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
- Andrew Selous: Electoral history and profile The Guardian
- Andrew Selous MP Archived 10 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine BBC Democracy Live, 5 June 2010
- Appearances on C-SPAN
News items
edit- Concerns over housing growth BBC News, 6 November 2003
- Swiss assisted suicide 'may be illegal' BBC News, 16 April 2003
- MP challenges Guides' age policy BBC News, 25 January 2002