James Duddridge

James Duddridge
MP
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
In office
11 August 2014 – 16 July 2016
Preceded by Mark Simmonds
Succeeded by Alok Sharma
Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
In office
11 May 2010 – 4 September 2012
Prime Minister David Cameron
Succeeded by Robert Goodwill
Member of Parliament for
Rochford and Southend East
Assumed office
5 May 2005
Preceded by Sir Teddy Taylor
Majority 11,050 (26.6%)
Personal details
Born (1971-08-26) 26 August 1971
Bristol, UK
Nationality British
Political party Conservative
Spouse(s) Katy née Thompson
Residence Southend and London
Alma mater University of Essex
Occupation Politician
Profession Merchant banker
Religion Church of England
Website www.jamesduddridge.com

James Philip Duddridge (born 26 August 1971) is a British Conservative politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Rochford and Southend East and previously served as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

He has served as a government whip, and before entering politics he worked as a merchant banker.

Early life

Born in Bristol, Duddridge was educated at Crestwood School, Huddersfield High School and The Blue School, Wells. He read Government at the University of Essex, graduating with a 2:2 in 1993.

Duddridge served as Chairman of the Wells Young Conservatives from 1989 until 1991, and was elected Chairman of Essex University's Conservative Association in 1990. In 1991, Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin appointed him as a researcher.

Professional career

After graduating in 1993, Duddridge embarked upon a retail banking career with Barclays until 2005. The company posted him to Africa with the Bank of Swaziland between 1995 and 1996, before he went on to be sales director for Banque Belgolaise in Ivory Coast until 1998. Duddridge returned to the UK in 1998 as Barclays national sales manager, and was seconded as service delivery director by Barclays Bank of Botswana in 2001. He was also a consultant, founder shareholder and director of YouGov from 2000, remaining in both positions until his election as an MP in 2005.

Political career

Duddridge contested Rother Valley at the 2001 general election unsuccessfully for the Conservative Party, finishing second some 14,882 votes behind the sitting Labour MP, Kevin Barron. He was subsequently selected as the Conservatives' parliamentary candidate for Rochford and Southend East at the 2005 general election, following Sir Teddy Taylor's retirement. He held the seat for the Conservatives with a majority of 5,494 and delivered his maiden speech in the House of Commons on 9 June 2005.[1]

From 2005 to 2007, Duddridge served on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, and the International Development Committee from 2006 to 2008, and in January 2008, he was appointed an Opposition Whip. He was returned at the 2010 general election again as Rochford and Southend East's MP, becoming a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury (Government Whip) with responsibility for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Education, but later left government in Prime Minister David Cameron's September 2012 reshuffle.

Notably, on 3 December 2010, Duddridge was permitted to reply on HM Government's behalf from the Despatch Box during an Adjournment debate, a rarity as Commons Whips – particularly Government Whips – by convention do not speak in the Chamber.[2]

James Duddridge voted in favour of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill at both its second reading in February 2013[3] and its third reading in May 2013.[4]

On 11 August 2014, it was announced that Duddridge would return to Government as Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs following the resignation of Mark Simmonds.[5] He stood down in July 2016 after Theresa May took over as Prime Minister.

Duddridge is seen as a hardline Eurosceptic having suggested in Parliament that the Government should tell the European Commissioner to "sod off" rather than pay benefits to Romanians and Bulgarians.[6]

Controversies

During the expenses scandal it was alleged that Duddridge claimed £53,000 over three years for redecoration and mortgage repayments on his second property.[7] Despite owning two properties in London, he still claims a further £11,000 of expenses per year to fund overnight accommodation at London hotels.[8]

In Spring 2014, Duddridge caused controversy by holding his constituency surgery in a branch of Halifax bank, exclusively for Halifax customers.[7]

It was reported that Duddridge earns £6,000 a year from a second job as an advisor to a firm of financial planners.[9]

Personal life

Duddridge married Kathryn (Katy) Thompson in May 2004 at St Albans, and they live in Southend-on-Sea with their sons, Tom and Henry, and daughter Mary.

References

  1. ↑ Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons, Westminster (9 June 2005). "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 9 Jun 2005 (pt 26)". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  2. ↑ Isaby, Jonathan. "Government whip makes speech from the Despatch Box—is this a first?". ConservativeHome. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  3. ↑ "Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill – Second Reading – 5 Feb 2013 at 18:52 – The Public Whip". Publicwhip.org.uk. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  4. ↑ "Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill – Third Reading – 21 May 2013 at 18:59 – The Public Whip". Publicwhip.org.uk. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  5. ↑ "Ministerial appointments: 11 August 2014 – News stories". GOV.UK. 11 August 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  6. ↑ Watt, Nicholas. "Africa minister Mark Simmonds resigns". Guardian. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Introducing: James Duddridge, the MP who gives you extra – If you bank with Halifax". YouTube. 7 April 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  8. ↑ "Which Tory MP has claimed thousands for London hotels – despite having TWO flats there? (From Echo)". Echo-news.co.uk. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  9. ↑ "Southend MP has £500-a-day second job (From Oxford Mail)". Oxfordmail.co.uk. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
Preceded by
Teddy Taylor		 Member of Parliament for Rochford and Southend East
2005–present 		Incumbent
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