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Robin Walker

This article is about the politician. For other uses, see Robin Walker (disambiguation).

Robin Caspar Walker[1] (born 12 April 1978) is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Worcester from 2010 to 2024. He chaired the House of Commons Education Select Committee from 2022 to 2024.[2] He served as the Minister of State for School Standards from 2021 to 2022 and as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at both the Scotland Office and Northern Ireland Office under Prime Minister Boris Johnson from 2019 to 2020. A member of the Conservative Party, he identifies as a one-nation Conservative.[3]

The Honourable
Robin Walker
Official portrait, 2020
Chair of the Education Select Committee
In office
16 November 2022 – 30 May 2024
Preceded byRobert Halfon
Succeeded byHelen Hayes
Minister of State for School Standards
In office
16 September 2021 – 6 July 2022
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byNick Gibb
Succeeded byWill Quince
Minister of State for Northern Ireland[a]
In office
26 July 2019 – 16 September 2021
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byNick Hurd
Succeeded byConor Burns
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland
In office
26 July 2019 – 16 December 2019
Serving with Colin Clark
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byThe Lord Duncan of Springbank
Succeeded byDouglas Ross
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union
In office
17 July 2016 – 26 July 2019
Prime MinisterTheresa May
Preceded byDepartment established
Succeeded byJames Duddridge
Member of Parliament
for Worcester
In office
6 May 2010 – 30 May 2024
Preceded byMike Foster
Succeeded byTom Collins
Personal details
Born (1978-04-12) 12 April 1978 (age 46)
London, England
Political partyConservative
RelationsPeter, Lord Walker (father)
Alma materBalliol College, Oxford
ProfessionBusinessman
Websitewalker4worcester.com

Early life and education

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His father was Peter Walker, Baron Walker of Worcester, MP for Worcester from 1961 to 1992 and subsequently member of the House of Lords. Robin Walker was born in London, and was educated at St Paul's School, an independent school for boys in Barnes in West London, followed by a scholarship at Balliol College, Oxford, where he read Ancient and Modern History.

Early career

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After leaving university, Walker set up his own internet business, before pursuing a career in the City of London with the financial communications company Finsbury.

Walker has campaigned in three elections, working for Secretary of State for Health Stephen Dorrell in 1997, for Richard Adams, the Conservative Candidate for Worcester in 2001, and as press officer for Oliver Letwin, then Shadow Chancellor, in 2005.

Parliamentary career

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At the 2010 general election, Walker was elected as MP for Worcester, winning with 39.5% of the vote and a majority of 2,982.[4] His father, Peter Walker, had previously been the MP for Worcester from 1961 to 1992.[5]

Walker was one of a small group of Conservative MPs who rebelled from the party line and voted in favour of an in/out referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union.[6] He ultimately supported the government's plan to hold a referendum by 2017, and voted against a rebel amendment to hold the referendum in 2014.[7]

Walker has campaigned for fairer funding in education as a member of the cross party F40 campaign, which in 2014 secured an extra £350 million for lower funded areas – £5 million of which is earmarked for Worcestershire.[8][9]

Walker was made the chairman of the All Party Group for Credit Unions in October 2014.[10] Walker has supported a number of cross party initiatives on making credit unions available in post offices as well as helping them to compete with larger lenders.[11] He had also received the Citizens Advice Parliamentarian of the Year Award earlier in the year, in recognition for his campaign for better regulation of pay day lenders.[12]

In July 2014, Walker called on Prime Minister David Cameron to use "every tool in the box" to de-escalate the violence in Gaza, and bring both sides to the table.[13] Later that year, Walker campaigned for a two-hour train service from Worcester to London, citing benefits to local constituents and businesses.[14] He spoke on this topic during a parliamentary debate in the House of Commons, calling for a "faster and more frequent train service".[15]

He campaigned for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom during the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.[16]

At the 2015 general election, Walker was re-elected as MP for Worcester with an increased vote share of 45.3% and an increased majority of 5,646.[17] After the election, Walker was made PPS to Secretary of State for Education Nicky Morgan and also sat on the House of Commons Select Committee for Administration.

Walker was opposed to Brexit prior to the 2016 referendum.[18] In July 2016, he was appointed as Minister at the Department for Exiting the European Union, in the government led by Theresa May.[19][20]

In October 2016, Walker formally debated a petition calling for the observance of a British Independence Day in the United Kingdom. Arguing against, he said that "tempting though that might be, I think the idea of an independence day would face fierce competition from the likes of St George's Day, Trafalgar Day and many more."[21][22]

At the snap 2017 general election, Walker was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 48.1% and a decreased majority of 2,508.[23]

In July 2019, Walker was made the Minister of State for Northern Ireland. [20] During his time in the role he helped introduce a number of reforms related to the right to abortion in Northern Ireland.

Walker was again re-elected at the 2019 general election, with an increased vote share of 50.8% and an increased majority of 6,758.[24]

In September 2021, Walker became the Minister for School Standards, leaving his role with the Northern Ireland Office.[20] He resigned from his role as schools minister in July 2022. [25]

In November 2022, Walker was elected as Chair of the Education Select Committee by Conservative MPs. [26] As such he also became a member of the Liaison Committee in the House of Commons. [27]

Walker did not seek relection as an MP at the 2024 general election.[28]

Personal life

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Walker is a long-term supporter of both Worcester Warriors and Worcestershire County Cricket Club (WCCC). He wore the WCCC tie whilst delivering his maiden parliamentary speech in the House of Commons.

On 9 April 2011, Walker married Charlotte Keenan,[29] former chief executive of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation,[30] currently managing director at Goldman Sachs.[31] Their daughter, Hermione, was born in 2018,[32] and their son, Freddie, was born in 2022.

When his father was appointed a life peer in 1992, Walker became entitled to the style of The Honourable as the son of a Baron.

Notes

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  1. ^ Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (2019–2020)

References

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  1. ^ "No. 59418". The London Gazette. 13 May 2010. p. 8746.
  2. ^ "Robin Walker elected as education committee chair". schoolsweek.co.uk. 16 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  3. ^ "Robin Walker MP (@WalkerWorcester) on Twitter". mobile.twitter.com. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  4. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  5. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  6. ^ Grew, Tony (31 January 2013). "Robin Reliable". PoliticsHome.com. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  7. ^ "Robin Walker – Referendum on the UK's membership of the EU". Public Whip. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  8. ^ "Hansard". parliament.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  9. ^ Tom Edwards (29 April 2014). "Extra 5m school funding for Worcestershire is not enough, say MPs". worcesternews.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  10. ^ Tom Edwards (15 October 2014). "Robin Walker MP named new chair of parliamentary group on credit unions". worcesternews.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  11. ^ "Hansard". parliament.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  12. ^ "Citizens Advice". citizensadvice.org.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  13. ^ Tom Edwards (22 June 2014). "MP Robin Walker urges PM to use every tool in the box to cool Gaza tensions". worcesternews.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  14. ^ Tom Edwards (21 October 2014). "Train services have been neglected in Worcestershire". worcesternews.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  15. ^ "Hansard". parliament.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  16. ^ Tom Edwards (8 August 2014). "Reject Independence, Worcester MP urges Scotland". worcesternews.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  17. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  18. ^ Goodenough, Tom (16 February 2016). "Which Tory MPs back Brexit, who doesn't and who is still on the fence?". The Spectator. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  19. ^ "Worcester's Robin Walker "hugely excited" after becoming Brexit minister as FOUR county MPs join Government". Worcester News. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  20. ^ a b c "UK Parliament Members Profile". UK Parliament. 29 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  21. ^ "Turns out there are 'no current plans' for a British independence day on June 23". Aol. 17 October 2016.
  22. ^ "UK Exit from the European Union". UK Parliament. 17 October 2016.
  23. ^ "Persons Nominated Worcester". Worcester Council. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  24. ^ "Worcester Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  25. ^ Walker, Robin (6 July 2022). "Robin Walker Resignation Letter". X. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  26. ^ "Robin Walker elected Chair of the Education Committee". UK Parliament. 16 November 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  27. ^ "Role - Liaison Committee". UK Parliament. 29 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  28. ^ "Robin Walker to step down as Worcester MP". Worcester News. 3 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  29. ^ David Paine (11 April 2011). "MP swaps division bells for wedding bells". Worcester News. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  30. ^ "Charlotte Keenan – Chief Executive, Tony Blair Faith Foundation". Tony Blair Institute. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  31. ^ "Charlotte Keenan LinkedIn Profile". Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  32. ^ "Worcester MP Robin Walker celebrates birth of daughter". Worcester News. 21 March 2018.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Robin Walker.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Worcester
2010–2024 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Department established Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union
2016–2019 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland
2019
With: Colin Clark 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
2019–2020 		Succeeded by
Himself
as Minister of State for Northern Ireland
Preceded by
Himself
as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 		Minister of State for Northern Ireland
2020–2021 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of State for School Standards
2021–2022 		Succeeded by
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