Edward Garnier

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Edward Henry Garnier QC (born October 26, 1952) is a barrister and Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. Since 1992 he has been Member of Parliament for Harborough.

1 Education and professional career
2 Politics
3 Personal life
4 Publications
5 External links

[edit] Education and professional career

Edward Garnier was born in Germany, the son of a British Army colonel, was educated at Wellington College, Berkshire and Jesus College, Oxford where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in modern history in 1974 and a master's degree in 1976. He went on to study at the College of Law in Chancery Lane in the City of London.

He was called to the bar at the Middle Temple in 1976 and is a practising barrister specialising in libel. He took silk in 1995 (Queen's Counsel) and was appointed as an assistant recorder at the crown court in 1998 and as a recorder in 2000.

[edit] Politics

Garnier unsuccessfully contested the West Yorkshire seat of Hemsworth at the 1987 general election, finishing second some 20,700 votes behind the new Labour MP George Buckley. He was elected to the House of Commons at the 1992 General Election for Harborough in Leicestershire following the retirement of the veteran Tory John Farr. Garnier won the seat with a majority of 13,543 and has remained the MP since. He made his maiden speech on May 20, 1992.

In parliament he served on the home affairs select committee from 1992 until he was appointed as the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Alastair Goodlad and David Davis for a year in 1994. In 1996 he became the PPS to the Attorney General Nicholas Lyell, in 1997 he was briefly the PPS to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Roger Freeman. He joined the frontbench under William Hague as a spokesman on the Lord Chancellor's Department in 1997. He entered Hague's Shadow Cabinet in 1999 as the Shadow Attorney General, returning to the backbenches after the 2001 General Election. Since the 2005 General Election he has been a spokesman on home affairs.

[edit] Personal life

He has been married to Anna Caroline Mellows since 1982 and they have two sons and a daughter. He was a visiting fellow at St. Anthony's College, Oxford in 1996, and is a follower of cricket.

[edit] Publications

Halsbury's Laws of England contribution by Edward Garnier, 1985, Butterworth ISBN 0-406-03000-6
Bearing the Standard: Themes for a Fourth Term contribution by Edward Garnier, 1991, Conservative Political Centre ISBN 0-85070-824-9
Facing the Future by Edward Garnier, 1993