Biography:
John Whittingdale was elected MP for Maldon on May 7th 2015 with 29112 votes, taking 60.6% of the vote.
Prior to his election, John worked both in Whitehall and the City. Having worked in the Conservative Research Department, he was appointed Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in 1984, serving three successive Secretaries of State until 1987. He then went to work at NM Rothschild Merchant Bank in the City before returning to Government work in 1989 when he was appointed Political Secretary to the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. He continued in that role until Margaret Thatcher left office in 1990 and he was awarded the OBE in her resignation honours list.
In 1992, John was elected Member of Parliament for South Colchester and Maldon. He served as a member of the House of Commons Select Committee on Health from 1993 to 1997 and was also Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister for Education and Employment between 1994 and 1996.
In 1997, John was elected to represent the new constituency of Maldon and East Chelmsford. He spent a year as an Opposition Whip and in 1998 was appointed a front bench Treasury spokesman. Following this, in 1999 he became Parliamentary Private Secretary to the then Leader of the Opposition, William Hague. After the 2001 General Election, John was appointed to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and in July, 2002 Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Following a year covering the Agriculture portfolio, John returned as Shadow Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport in September 2004 – leaving the post after the election in 2005. In July 2005 he was elected Chairman of the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, a role he covered until 2015.
In 2006, John was elected as one of three Parliamentary representatives on the Board of the Conservative Party. He was also elected Vice Chairman of the Conservative Parliamentary Party 1922 Committee. On 11 May 2015 David Cameron appointed him Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
John was educated at Winchester College and University College, London, where he graduated with a degree in economics.
Constituency: Maldon
Constituency Address: 19 High Street, Maldon, CM9 5PE
Constituency Tel: 01621 855663
Date of Birth: 16 October 1959
Email: john.whittingdale.mp@parliament.uk
Party: Conservative
Personal Website: www.johnwhittingdale.org.uk
Westminster Address: House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
Westminster Tel: 020 7219 3557
Twitter: @JWhittingdale
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/john.whittingdale?fref=ts
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