- Christopher Fraser
-
Christopher Fraser MP Member of Parliament
for South West NorfolkIn office
5 May 2005 – 5 May 2010Preceded by Gillian Shephard Succeeded by Elizabeth Truss Member of Parliament
for Mid Dorset and North PooleIn office
1 May 1997 – 7 June 2001Preceded by new constituency Succeeded by Annette Brooke Personal details Born 25 October 1962
Bushey, Hertfordshire, EnglandNationality British Political party Conservative Spouse(s) Lisa Norman Alma mater University of Westminster Christopher James Fraser is a British Conservative Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for South West Norfolk from 2005 to 2010.
Contents
Early life
He was born in Hertfordshire and educated at the University of Westminster where he was awarded a BA degree. He worked as chairman of a communications company. He was elected as a councillor to the Three Rivers District Council for four years from 1992.
Parliamentary career
Fraser was elected to the House of Commons at the 1997 general election for the new seat of Mid Dorset and North Poole with a majority of 681. He made his maiden speech on 4 July 1997.[1] He lost his seat at the 2001 general election to the Liberal Democrat Annette Brooke. Although his percentage of the vote increased, Fraser was edged out by the Liberal Democrats by 384 votes, after a tactical voting campaign urging Dorset residents to cast their votes in the best way to defeat the incumbent Conservatives. He returned to Westminster at the 2005 general election for South West Norfolk following the retirement of the former Secretary of State for Education Gillian Shephard. He held the seat with a comfortable majority of 10,086, and managed to achieve a small swing of 0.3 over Labour.
He served as a member of the culture, media and sport select committee from 1997 until he lost his seat. He was appointed as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Lord Strathclyde, the Shadow Leader of the House of Lords. Since his re-election in 2005 he has been a member of the Northern Ireland select committee and was appointed to the Northern Ireland Grand Committee. He is Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Northern Ireland Group. He was a member of the UK delegation to the Council of Europe and the Assembly of the Western European Alliance (2005–2007).
In 2009 his expenses claims were highlighted in the Daily Telegraph; according to the newspaper, Fraser claimed £1,800 in public money for buying 215 trees and marking out the boundary of his second home in the constituency.[2] The Lynn News reported "In February 2007 Mr Fraser claimed £1,808.28 for new fencing and hedging to provide security for his new constituency home."[3]
On 28 May 2009 he announced that he would be standing down as an MP at the next General Election citing family reasons.[4]
The Telegraph 2010 election website states that he "stood down on account of his wife's health problems".[5]
Personal life
Fraser married in February 1987 and he has a son and a daughter. He became a Freeman of the City of London in 1992. He receives income from land and property in London and Dorset and has a home in the constituency.
References
- ^ Hansard 4 July 1997
- ^ Daily Telegraph MPs' expenses: Christopher Fraser says that claim for trees was necessary 26 May 2009
- ^ http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/OUR-MPs-SAY-THEY-HAVE.5300363.jp
- ^ BBC News; MP Fraser poised to leave Commons, 28 May 2009
- ^ http://ukpolitics.telegraph.co.uk/Norfolk+South+West
External links
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Christopher Fraser MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Christopher Fraser MP
- South West Norfolk Conservatives
- BBC Politics page
News items
Parliament of the United Kingdom New constituency Member of Parliament for Mid Dorset and North Poole
1997–2001Succeeded by
Annette BrookePreceded by
Gillian ShephardMember of Parliament for South West Norfolk
2005–2010Succeeded by
Elizabeth TrussCategories:- Conservative Party (UK) MPs
- UK MPs 1997–2001
- UK MPs 2005–2010
- Members of the United Kingdom Parliament for English constituencies
- Councillors in Hertfordshire
- 1962 births
- Living people
- Alumni of the University of Westminster
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
