Martin Horwood

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Martin Charles Horwood (born 12 October 1962, Cheltenham) is the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for the Cheltenham constituency.

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[edit] Early life

He was born in St. Paul’s, Cheltenham, in 1962. His parents lived first in St. Mark’s and then in Leckhampton, where his mother still lives. He joined the Cheltenham Young Liberals while still at Cheltenham College in 1979.

Horwood went to Oxford University to read Modern History in 1981, and was elected President of the Oxford Student Liberal Society and then Chair of the party’s national student wing, the Union of Liberal Students.

[edit] Career

After graduating and leaving student politics, he worked first in advertising and then in the voluntary sector. In 1990 he moved to Oxford to work for Oxfam. His teams raised tens of millions of pounds for the poor in developing countries, including £2.5m for victims of the Rwanda genocide.

In 1995 he married Dr Shona Arora. They moved to India for a year, Horwood working for Oxfam and Arora for the UN programme on AIDS and a small charity working on sexual health in the slums of Delhi.

Returning to the UK, he became the first Director of Fundraising at the Alzheimer’s Society, the care and research charity for people with dementia and their carers. Horwood led the team that won the charity Tesco Charity of the Year, earning millions for the charity nationwide and £16,000 for the Cheltenham branch alone.

He returned home to Cheltenham in 2001 to work for local business Target Direct which works mainly with charity clients. He became their Head of Consultancy.

[edit] Member of Parliament

Horwood was adopted as parliamentary candidate for Cheltenham following the decision by sitting MP Nigel Jones to stand down. He was elected at the 2005 general election, winning the seat with a majority of 2,303 over the Conservatives.

He was appointed to the select committee scrutinising the work of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister - now the Department for Communities and Local Government - shortly after being elected. On the committee he has supported more democratic and accountable regional government, more local fire control centres like Gloucestershire's Tri-Service Centre and a tougher environmental assessment of the impact of the Government's plans for huge housing developments across the south of England and a revival of affordable social rented housing amongst the housing that is built.

In July 2005, then party leader Charles Kennedy appointed Horwood to the shadow home affairs team and he has spoken for the Liberal Democrats on the Police and Justice Bill and other home office legislation and regulation, calling for firm action on crime and anti-social behaviour combined with respect for individual civil liberties. He was the party's spokesperson on the Charities Bill.

When Charles Kennedy stood down early in 2006, Horwood backed the dark horse leadership candidate Chris Huhne who went on to lose the election with a respectable 42% of the final vote.

In March 2006, new party leader Ming Campbell promoted Horwood to shadow environment minister, working under Chris Huhne. He has spoken in favour of a switch to more green taxation, tougher action to prevent climate change and more investment in bio-fuels and microgeneration.

Horwood is also secretary of the all-party parliamentary group on corporate responsibility which promotes good environmental and social practice amongst UK companies.

Locally he has campaigned against the loss of a range of local NHS services including overnight children's care on Battledown children's ward, the closure of St. Paul's maternity wing, the loss of Cheltenham's A&E, cuts to rehabilitative care and adult mental health services. He opposed the proposed merger of Gloucestershire Constabulary into a giant south-western force and the loss of Gloucestershire's fire control centre to Taunton. After widespread public opposition to their loss, St. Paul's will stay as a midwife-led unit, A&E is still open and Gloucestershire Constabulary survives as a local force.

Horwood has also supported more recycling by Cheltenham Borough Council, opposed the over-extension of Cheltenham housing into Green belt and green land around the edge of town, called for more police community support officers and police on the beat and more investment and better services at Cheltenham Spa railway station.

[edit] Family

Martin is married to Gloucestershire Director of Public Health Dr. Shona Arora. They have two young children and live in Cheltenham.

[edit] External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Nigel Jones		 Member of Parliament for Cheltenham
2005 – present		 Incumbent
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