Andrew Robathan

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Andrew Robert George Robathan (born 17 July 1951) is a British Conservative politician, and Member of Parliament (MP) for Blaby in Leicestershire.

Educated at Merchant Taylors' School in Northwood, Robathan went on to Oriel College, Oxford before becoming an officer in the Coldstream Guards and the SAS. He was first elected as MP for Blaby in 1992 succeeding Nigel Lawson, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer. Blaby is a safe seat for the Conservatives, but Robathan's majority is yet to reach the heights of the 1992 election when his majority was over 25,000. This is, in part, due to boundary changes in 1997, and to a rise in Liberal Democrat support within the constituency. In the past two elections, Robathan has faced J. David Morgan of the Labour Party but Morgan's impact has been negligible.

Robathan is in many ways a typical Conservative MP of the old school: public-school and Oxford educated, a former army officer, holding deeply Euro-Sceptic and conservative views. Nevertheless, he has a passion for the environment and is deeply committed to International Development, the select committee for which department he was a leading member from 1997-2001.

He has also taken a very personal interest in the affairs of John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister. Their mutual antagonism is legend and is not helped by Robathan's hand in reporting Prescott to the Commissioner for Public Standards over Prescott's complicated living arrangements. At the time, the DPM had four homes and was not declaring the benefit received from a flat owned by the RMT in Clapham.

Robathan's Parliamentary career has been steady rather than spectacular. He was a mildly rebellious, John Redwood-backing PPS to Iain Sproat, Minister for Sport, in the Major administration before returning to the backbenches when the Conservatives lost the 1997 General Election. He returned to the front-bench, after a surprisingly long wait, as Trade and Industry Spokesman in 2002.

In the 2001 Conservative Party leadership election, Robathan was a keen supporter of Michael Portillo which surprised many who thought he would back Iain Duncan Smith especially given their Guards background. Unhappy with Duncan Smith's leadership he is believed - although this has not been confirmed - to have been a leading light in the campaign to replace Duncan Smith in 2003 which may explain why he was not originally given a front-bench post by Michael Howard. It was suggested that Howard excluded him to mollify an unhappy and hurt Duncan Smith. Nevertheless, after six months on the backbenches, Robathan was appointed Commons Liaison to the Lords and then a defence spokesman in which capacity he fought the 2005 General Election.

In the 2005 Conservative leadership election, Robathan was one of the very first MPs to declare his support for David Cameron and he was instrumental in persuading many right-wingers in the party to back Cameron. He was rewarded with one of only five paid posts in opposition, Opposition Deputy Chief (and Pairing) Whip. (The other paid posts are Leader of the Opposition, Leader of the Opposition in the Lords, Lords Chief Whip, Commons Chief Whip, Deputy Chief Whip).

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Preceded by
Nigel Lawson		 Member of Parliament for Blaby
1992 – present		 Incumbent
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