Simon Burns

Biography:

Simon Burns was re-elected MP for Chelmsford on May 7th 2015 with 27732 votes, taking 51.5% of the vote.

Simon was born in September 1952. He was educated at Christ the King School, Accra, Ghana; Stamford School, Stamford, Lincs; and Worcester College, Oxford, where he obtained a BA Honours Degree in Modern History. In 1982 he married Emma Clifford (divorced 2000), and they have a daughter and a son.

Simon was Member of Parliament for Chelmsford from June 1987 – March 1997 and was elected Member of Parliament for West Chelmsford in May 1997.

From 1975 to 1980 he was political adviser to the Rt Hon Sally Oppenheim. From 1980-83 he was a journalist and company director of What To Buy for Business magazine, and from 1983-87 was on the Policy Executive of the Institute of Directors.

He has been active in politics since 1970 when he was a founder member of the Rutland and Stamford Young Conservatives, and founder and Chairman of the Stamford School CPC.

In 1972 he worked for Senator George McGovern against Richard Nixon in his 1972 presidential election bid. From 1973-75 he was a committee member, Political Action Officer and Secretary of Oxford University Conservative Association, and a member of the Oxford Union.

From 1977-81 he was Treasurer, Southfields Ward, and a member of the Treasurer’s and Executive Council, Putney Conservative Association. In 1983 he was Conservative candidate in Alyn and Deeside (North Wales) when he reduced Labour’s majority from 6,800 to 1,368. In 1986 he was Chairman, Avonmore Ward, Fulham Conservative Association.

Simon has been Parliamentary Private Secretary to Timothy Eggar MP, and the Rt Hon Gillian Shephard MP, at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food until July 1994. He has also been Assistant Government Whip (1994-1995), Lord Commissioner of Her Majesty’s Treasury (1995-1996), and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health (1996-7).

In June 1997 he was appointed Opposition Front Bench Spokesman for Social Security, a position he held until August 1998 when he was appointed Front Bench Spokesman for Environment, Housing and Planning, until June 1999. He was elected a member of the executive at the 1922 Committee in July 1999 and Treasurer of the 1922 Committee in November 1999.

He was a member of the House of Commons Health Select Committee from 1999 to 2005. From 2001 to 2005, he was a Shadow Minister for Health. After December 2005, he was an Opposition Whip. After the formation of the coalition he was appointed to be a minister of state in the Department of Health, a role he retained until 2013.

Constituency: Chelmsford

Constituency Address: 88 Rectory Lane, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 1RF

Constituency Tel: 01245 352872

Date of Birth: 6 September 1952

Email: burnss@parliament.uk

Party: Conservative

Personal Website: http://www.simonburnsmp.com/

Westminster Address: House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA

Westminster Tel: 020 7219 6811

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Simon-Burns/106143442750438