Edward Timpson

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Edward Timpson MP
Member of Parliament
for Crewe and Nantwich
Incumbent
Assumed office 
22 May 2008
Preceded by Gwyneth Dunwoody
Majority 7,860 (18.9%)
Born 1973 (age 34–35)
Knutsford, Cheshire
Nationality British
Political party Conservative
Spouse Julia Timpson
Alma mater Durham University

(Anthony) Edward Timpson (born 1973) is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Crewe and Nantwich. He was elected at the Crewe and Nantwich by-election on 22 May 2008.[1]

Contents

[edit] Biography

Timpson was born in Knutsford, Cheshire in 1973. His father, John, is the head of the Timpsonchain of shoe repair and key-cutting shops, which has been in the family for five generations and has over 550 stores in the UK and Ireland. Timpson grew up with a brother and sister, and with a series of foster children taken in by his parents, two of whom they adopted.[2] The foster children included children with behavioural issues and those with Down's syndrome; others had endured abuse. Timpson says that "This had a profound effect on me from a young age. Half of my work is legal aid for those from broken homes who need support."[3]

He was educated at Uppingham School and Durham University where he studied politics before converting to law, becoming a barrister in 1998. Since 1999 he has practised in Chester as a family law barrister.[4] In June 2002, he married Julia Still in south Cheshire. Since then he has lived in Cheshire, 13 miles from Crewe, with his wife and three children (including a son born February 2004 and a daughter born November 2005). Timpson has completed six marathons, including the New York marathon in 2007 and the London Marathon in 2008, raising over £4,500.[5] He plays football, and in 1993, he wrote a travelogue. He has also published an illustrated children's book.[6] On 22 May 2008 Edward Timpson was elected MP, gaining 20,539 votes (49% of the vote), a swing from Labour of 17.6%[7]

[edit] Campaign themes

The Conservatives conducted their campaign from a railway building near Crewe Alexandra football ground. Their slogan in the May 2008 Local Elections was "Keep Brown Down". During these elections there was a 16% swing to the Conservative party in Crewe North[8]

According to The Guardian the Conservatives ran a campaign based on issues affecting local people:

  • Crime and antisocial behaviour,
  • Post office closures - Timpson claims: "The closure of the post offices is a huge issue for people in Crewe... [they] mean there will only be one post office serving the whole of Nantwich. It is symptomatic of the general deterioration of local services."
  • Loss of the 10p tax rate,
  • Problems at Leighton Hospital, where maternity services were criticised after two women in labour were turned away.

Timpson wrote to the Labour candidate Tamsin Dunwoody asking whether she backed Government policies including the abolition of the 10p tax rate, 42-day pre-charge detention for terror suspects, ID cards and the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty without a referendum.[9]

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ "Tories snatch Crewe from Labour", BBC News, London: British Broadcasting Corporation, 2008-05-23. Retrieved on 2008-05-24. 
  2. ^ The Times 8-May-08 Top hats and tails come out as Tory candidate says ‘I’m no Tarporley toff’
  3. ^ New Statesman Could Crewe go blue? 8-May-2008
  4. ^ Profile at Nicholas Street Chambers.
  5. ^ Edward's marathon effort will aid families in need Crewe Guardian
  6. ^ Profile at Conservative Party website
  7. ^ Daily Telegraph Crewe and Nantwich by-election: Rampant Tories crush Labour 23-May-2008
  8. ^ The Guardian 5-May-2008 Tories Train their sights on Crewe
  9. ^ Yorkshire Post Labour pins faith in Dunwoody daughter to fight crucial byelection campaign 5-May-2008

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Gwyneth Dunwoody		 Member of Parliament for Crewe and Nantwich
2008–present		 Incumbent