Andrew Rosindell
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| Andrew Rosindell MP | |
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Member of Parliament
for Romford |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 7 June 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Eileen Gordon |
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| Majority | 11,589 (31.8%) |
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| Born | 17 March 1966 Romford |
| Political party | Conservative |
Andrew Richard Rosindell (born March 17, 1966) is a British Conservative politician. He is the Member of Parliament for the Romford constituency in Greater London. He is also a director of the European Foundation.
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[edit] Early life
He was born in Romford and attended Rise Park and then Marshalls Park School. Before entering politics on a full-time basis, he was a freelance journalist and public relations consultant.
He was chairman of the Young Conservatives from 1993 to 1994. He was chairman of the International Young Democrat Union from 1998 to 2002.
Before becoming an MP he was a local councillor in Romford on Havering Council, winning the Chase Cross and Havering-atte-Bower ward from the Liberal Democrats in 1990. In 1998 he took an 81% share of the vote, a record for a Conservative in a London borough.
[edit] Parliamentary career
After unsuccessful attempts to win seats in Glasgow and Thurrock, Rosindell finally reached Parliament in the 2001 UK general election, defeating the former teacher and Labour MP, Eileen Gordon. Rosindell won 18,931 votes (53% share) – a swing of 9.2% from Labour to Conservative. It was one of the few seats the Conservatives managed to regain after the landslide in 1997.
Rosindell's political views are firmly right-wing: he is a Eurosceptic and supports the re-introduction of the death penalty and the detainment of asylum seekers. He is a member of the Freedom Association, and was a member of the Monday Club, until he was compelled to resign in 2001 by the then Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith.
At the 2001 election he campaigned with his Staffordshire Bull Terrier Spike, who wore a union flag waistcoat. At the 2005 election Rosindell increased his majority to 11,589, winning 21,560 votes on a 59.1% share. This was the joint highest Conservative share of the vote anywhere in the UK,[1] showing the immense popularity of his brand of right-wing populism in the archetypal working class 'Essex man' constituency, which was held by Labour from 1997 to 2001.
During the 2005 general election campaign a clash between Labour and Conservative activists distributing leaflets at Romford railway station resulted in the police being called.[2]
Rosindell was elected a vice-chairman of the Conservative Party in 2004. In December 2005, he became an Opposition Whip.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
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| Preceded by Eileen Gordon |
Member of Parliament for Romford 2001–present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
[edit] Notes
- ^ Joint highest Conservative share of vote alongside wealthy Richmond (Yorkshire)
- ^ Evening Standard - Tory KO'd in Labour scrap
