Members of Parliament for Macclesfield - Community Newsgroup

Member of Parliament for Macclesfield

Party

Committees

Chairmen's Panel Committee, Modernisation Committee, Media Group, Army Group, Motor Group, Aviation Group, Building Societies And Financial Mutuals Group, Gurkha Rights Group, Rural Services Group, Uk Aluminium Industry Group, Water And Sanitation In The Third World Group, Integrated And Complementary Healthcare Group, Primary Care And Public Health Group, Group Against Fluoridation, Group Against Financial Exploitation, National Parks Group, West Coast Main Line Group, Royal Marines Group, Maternity Group, Beer Group, Stroke Group, Community Media Group, Athletics Group, Historic Churches (associate Group), Rugby Union Group, Continuation Of First Past The Post Group, Pharmaceutical Industry Group, Lighting Group, Africa Group, Assyria And The Assyrians Group, Australia And New Zealand Group, British-austrian Group, Britain-bangladesh Group, Britain-bermuda Group, British-chile Group, British-danish Group, United Kingdom-falkland Islands Group, Faroe Islands Group, Gibraltar Group, British-icelandic Group, British-isle Of Man (manx) Group, Mauritius Group, British-montserrat Group, British-namibian Group, Northern Ireland Group, British Overseas Territories Group, British-south Pacific Group, Sri Lanka Group, Island Of St Helena Group, Sudan (associate Group), British-swedish Group, British-taiwan Group, Tanzania Group, British-turkish Parliamentary Group, Turkish Northern Cyprus Group, British Virgin Islands Group, Zimbabwe Group

Biography

MP Since - 1971 (by-election) Majority - 9,401 Born - 31/03/1938. Married, 2 sons & 1 daughter.

Education - Rugby School

Previous Occupation - Commissioned army national service, 14th/20th King's Hussars (1957-1959); Sales executive trainee, Shell-Mex BP Ltd (1959-60); Sales and general manager, Stevens & Hodgson Ltd (1960-71).

Personal Overview - Tends to the right in the Conservative Party, and is a long term backbencher. He has not been afraid to speak his mind in the past when he has differed in view from the Party line (spoke out against Post Office privatisation). He was well known as Chairman of the Health Select Committee until being removed in 1992, after being critical of NHS changes. Since then, his high profile backbench career has continued, being the Chairman of a number of All Party Groups (including the West Coast Main Line Group and the Media & Several Country All Party Groups). He is a Euro sceptic (anti ERM & Maastricht), with a background in Local Government (has been Vice Chairman of the Association of District Councils), and appears to have an interest in the media. He is involved in a large number of local Macclesfield organisations. Was judged to have broken MPs expense rules in 2008 when claiming for rent on a second home owned by a trust, although this was accepted by Parliamentary Standards Commissioner John Lyon as accidental. Announced that he would stand down along with his wife Ann Winterton at the next General Election as they could not maintain the 'hectic pace' of politics.

Political History - Councillor, Warwickshire County Council (1967-72). MP Macclesfield (1971- by-election). Chairman of the Health Select Committee (1991-92). Member of the Liaison Select Committee (1997-2006). Chair of the Procedure Select Committee (1997-2005). Member of the House of Commons Modernisation Select Committee (1997-). Member of the Chairmen's Panel Select Committee (1997-2005). Member of the Chairman's Panel (2006-).

Characteristics - A free thinking and speaking member of Parliament, he has spent all his political life on the back benches. He is likely to go his own way on many issues. President of Macclesfield RNLI and Macclesfield Riding for the Disabled Branch, Macclesfield Multiple Sclerosis Society, Macclesfield Majestic Theatre Group. Patron, International Centre for Child Care Studies, East Cheshire Branch of the NSPCC. Honorary Vice President of the Macclesfield & District Council for Voluntary Service.

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