David Bellotti

David Frank Bellotti (born 13 August 1943) is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom who was Member of Parliament (MP) for the Eastbourne constituency from 1990 to 1992.[1]

Bellotti first contested the Eastbourne seat at the 1979 general election, subsequently fighting Lewes in the 1983 and 1987 general elections under the Liberal banner. He then won the parliamentary seat of Eastbourne for the Liberal Democrats in the Eastbourne by-election following the assassination of Conservative MP Ian Gow by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). Two years later Bellotti was defeated by Nigel Waterson in the 1992 general election in which John Major's Conservative government was re-elected.

He subsequently unsuccessfully contested the East Sussex and Kent South constituency in the 1994 elections to the European Parliament.

David Bellotti returned to local government, regaining a seat on the council. He then became CEO of Brighton & Hove Albion, a position in which he controversially took part in the sale of the club's stadium after their articles of association had been changed, allowing for profit to be made on the sale of the Goldstone Ground. This change was however reversed on the insistence of the Football Association, preventing directors from taking out more than they had invested. Bellotti became reviled by Brighton fans and left the area shortly afterwards.[2]

Following the controversy over Brighton and Hove Albion, members of the Liberal Democrats in Eastbourne deselected him as candidate for the Park ward of East Sussex County Council.

After leaving the football club and losing his council seat Bellotti moved to Bath and became election agent for Don Foster MP. In May 2003 David Bellotti was elected councillor for Lyncombe ward on Bath and North East Somerset council and was re-elected in May 2007.[3] On 8 May 2008 he was appointed as Chairman of the Council for 2008/9.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "E" (part 1)
  2. ↑ Greg Wood (29 October 1996). "Brighton rocked by civil war". The Independent. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  3. ↑ "Lyncombe". Bath Liberal Democrats. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  4. ↑ "Council hosts unique Fairtrade visit for Fairtrade Fortnight". Bath and North East Somerset Council. 2009-02-16. Retrieved 14 December 2009.

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Ian Gow		 Member of Parliament for Eastbourne
1990–1992 		Succeeded by
Nigel Waterson