Nick Herbert
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Nick Herbert MP
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 19 January 2009 |
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| Leader | David Cameron |
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| Preceded by | Peter Ainsworth |
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| In office 2 July 2007 – 19 January 2009 |
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| Leader | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | New Office |
| Succeeded by | Dominic Grieve |
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Member of Parliament
for Arundel and South Downs |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 5 May 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Howard Flight |
| Majority | 11,309 (22.8%) |
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| Born | 7 April 1963 Cambridge |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Jason Eades |
| Alma mater | Magdalene College, Cambridge |
| Website | www.nickherbert.com |
Nicholas Le Quesne "Nick" Herbert (born 7 April 1963) is a British politician and the Conservative Member of Parliament for Arundel and South Downs. He is currently Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
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[edit] Background
Herbert was educated at Haileybury and Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he read law and land economy. He was appointed as the director of public affairs at the British Field Sports Society in 1990 and remained in that position for six years. He joined Business for Sterling in 1998 as their chief executive where he helped launch the campaign against the Euro, before becoming a director of the think tank Reform in 2000 until his election to parliament in 2005.
[edit] Political career
He unsuccessfully contested the Northumberland seat of Berwick-upon-Tweed at the 1997 general election where he finished in third place some 8,951 votes behind the veteran Liberal Democrat MP Alan Beith. His selection to contest the West Sussex seat of Arundel and South Downs at the 2005 general election did not come about without incident. The sitting Conservative MP, Howard Flight, had been forced to resign as a vice chairman of the party and had the whip removed by Michael Howard in 2005 after he had told a Conservative Way Forward meeting that the Conservatives would have to make more cuts than they were promising.[1] With no whip, he was not considered as an approved candidate and, despite protest and the local association refusing to select a new candidate, he finally resigned just a month before the election.[2] Herbert was selected[3] and elected, holding the seat with a slightly reduced majority of 11,309. He made his maiden speech on 6 June 2005.[4]
On his election, he became the first[citation needed] out gay Conservative MP to be open about his homosexuality at the time he was initially elected (he is not the first out gay Tory MP; that distinction goes to Alan Duncan, who voluntarily came out in 2002[5] and Michael Brown, who was 'outed' in 1994).[6] Herbert lives in Arundel with his partner Jason.
[edit] Shadow Cabinet
After his election to Parliament, Herbert joined the Home Affairs Select Committee. After David Cameron became leader of the Conservative Party, Herbert became a Shadow Minister for home affairs on 16 December 2005. This meant he had to leave the Home Affairs Select Committee. In July 2007, he joined the Shadow Cabinet for the new position of Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, shadowing veteran Labour minister Jack Straw.[7] On 19 January 2009 he was made Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
[edit] Personal life
Herbert joined his long-term boyfriend, Jason Eades, in civil partnership in early January 2009 after a 10 year relationship.
[edit] References
- ^ Tory quits in 'hidden cuts' row, BBC News.
- ^ Flight to end battle with Howard, BBC News.
- ^ Flight replacement sparks new row, BBC News.
- ^ House of Commons Hansard Debates for 6 Jun 2005 (pt 30)
- ^ Tory MP says "I'm gay", BBC News.
- ^ The Sun | The Best for News, Sport, Showbiz, Celebrities & TV | The Sun| The Sun
- ^ Cameron reshuffles shadow team
[edit] External links
- Nick Herbert MP official site
- Conservative Party - Nick Herbert MP official biography
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Nick Herbert MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Nick Herbert MP
- The Public Whip - Nick Herbert MP voting record
- Open Directory Project - Nick Herbert directory category
- Reform
- [1] Daily Telegraph article: Nick Herbert marries his boyfriend
- [2] Daily Telegraph article: Nick Herbert MP, Expenses Claims Row, 2009
[edit] Offices held
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
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| Preceded by Howard Flight |
Member of Parliament for Arundel and South Downs 2005 – present |
Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| New creation | Shadow Secretary of State for Justice 2007–2009 |
Succeeded by Dominic Grieve |
| Preceded by Peter Ainsworth |
Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs January 2009 – present |
Incumbent |
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