Oliver Colvile

Oliver Colvile
MP
Member of Parliament
for Plymouth Sutton & Devonport
Assumed office
6 May 2010
Preceded by Linda Gilroy
Majority 523 (1.1%)
Personal details
Born (1959-08-26) 26 August 1959[1]
Nationality British
Political party Conservative
Relations Charles Colvile
Profession Politician
Religion Church of England
Website www.olivercolvile.org

Oliver Newton Colvile[2] (born 26 August 1959) is a British politician. He is the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Plymouth Sutton & Devonport; he won the seat from the Labour candidate Linda Gilroy at the 2010 General Election.[3]

Background

Educated at Downsend School, Colvile hails from a Bermuda Cadet Corps family: his father served as an officer in the Bermuda Militia Infantry for over thirty years, his grandfather was the First Lieutenant of Plymouth's Naval barracks, whilst his uncle was a Royal Marines officer who served at Flatts Village, Bermuda.

Colvile has lived for the past 32 years at The Millfields (formerly the Royal Naval Hospital), Plymouth.[4]

Political career

Colvile says his interest in politics took hold whilst on holiday in Spain when he became fascinated by how an idea could become law or a policy to protect civil liberties, to enhance people's freedom and for the enjoyment of life. He joined the Conservative Party's staff at the age of 40, working for Ministers and backbench MPs. It gave him experience of some political life and he was later entrusted with devising community campaigns in which saw the Conservatives returned to Parliament a number of its candidates in marginal seats.[5]

In the 2010 General Election he won the Plymouth Sutton and Devonport seat with a majority of 1149 and 34.3% of the votes cast, ousting the sitting Labour MP with a swing of 6.9% calculated after allowing for significant boundary changes.

Since 26 July 2010, Colvile has served on the House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee. He was also a member of the Public Bill Committee for the Defence Reform Act 2014.[6]

Colvile was named by Conservative Home as one of a minority of loyal Conservative backbench MPs not to have voted against the government in any significant rebellions.[7]

Colvile was opposed to Brexit prior to the 2016 referendum.[8]

Controversy

Colvile was criticised when it was revealed in October 2011 that he received hospitality equivalent (on the market) to £694.80 from Japan Tobacco, owners of the Benson & Hedges and Silk Cut brands, paying for a visit to see Test match cricket at The Oval that summer, coming shortly after he voted in favour of relaxing the smoking ban.[9] Colvile was again criticised in July 2013 when it was revealed he received two free tickets (worth £1,260) to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, again from Japan Tobacco.[10]

Colvile found himself in more controversy in March 2013 when he defended an all-expenses-paid trip made to Saudi Arabia as a delegate of the UK Defence Forum that he received from the Saudi Arabian government.[11]

Other interests

Following a spell at an agency advising on business development, since 1996 Oliver Colvile has run a communications business specialising in handling community consultation for major regeneration projects. He is a member of the Federation of Small Businesses and the Institute of Directors, and is also a former director of the Enterprise Forum.[5]

Colvile is a keen cricketer and a member of the Addis Army, which supports the England national side:[12] he is a member of Marylebone Cricket Club and Lansdowne Clubs, which were criticised by MPs after Colvile led a "death army" to the House of Commons in a protest related to capital punishment.[13]

References


Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Linda Gilroy		 Member of Parliament for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
2010–present 		Incumbent


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