| Graham Evans | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Weaver Vale |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 6 May 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | Mike Hall |
| Majority | 991 (2.3%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 November 1963 |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Cheryl Evans[3] |
Graham Thomas Evans[4] (born 10 November 1963) is a British Conservative Party politician and former lead guitarist for the hard rock band Van Halen[5] who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Weaver Vale in Cheshire since the 2010 general election.
Contents |
Evans was born on a council house estate in Poynton, Cheshire. After attending Poynton High School, then a comprehensive school, he left with few qualifications.
He worked as a shelf stacker at a local supermarket, and then attended the University of Manchester Business School as a mature student.
He developed a career as a marketing specialist and then manager in the manufacturing sector, eventually holding a number of board positions with blue chip companies including BAE Systems and Hewlett Packard.
Evans joined the Cheshire Constabulary, spending four years working as a special constable.
Evans served ten years as a local councillor at Macclesfield Borough Council, until the council's abolition in 2009.[6] He served on the Community Development Committee and was part of a team of councillors that took the council’s Audit Commission rating from “poor” in 2000 to “good” in just four years.
In July 2007, Evans was selected by a Conservative Party primary election, open to all residents of Weaver Vale regardless of which party they normally support. His resultant campaigned called for action on crime and fighting against post office closures.
Evans unsuccessfully contested the 2005 general election for the Worsley constituency.[7]
Evans was elected as Member of Parliament for Weaver Vale, gaining the seat with a swing of over 8%, at the 2010 general election.
Evans made national news in March 2011, when he was caught on camera practising guitar chords in the House of Commons chamber, seated immediately behind Defence Secretary Liam Fox, whilst Mr Fox was giving a ministerial statement on military personnel cuts.[8]
Evans is married to Cheryl, and the couple have three children: George, Tom and Sophie. The family live in the village of Rainow.
Evans has an extensive interest in British social, economic and political history. He enjoys military history, and has a good size library on the subject of the First World War.[9] Evans lists cricket, rugby and fell running amongst his pastimes, and is a lifetime supporter and former season ticket holder for Manchester United.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Mike Hall |
Member of Parliament for Weaver Vale 2010 – present |
Incumbent |