Nicola Blackwood

Nicola Blackwood MP
Member of Parliament for Oxford West and Abingdon
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 May 2010
Preceded by	Evan Harris
Majority	176 (0.3%)
Personal details
Born	1979 (age 31–32) Johannesburg, South Africa
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Alma mater	St Anne's College, Oxford and Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Religion	Church of England
Website	nicolablackwood.com

Nicola Claire Blackwood^[1] (born 1979, Johannesburg, South Africa) is a Conservative Party politician. She was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Oxford West and Abingdon in the 2010 election.

Political career

Blackwood was chosen as the candidate for the Conservative party at an open primary on 13 November 2006.^[2]. The seat had been held by the Conservatives since creation in 1983 until 1997, when it was won by Dr. Evan Harris for the Liberal Democrats. He held the seat comfortably in 2001 and 2005. Boundary changes reduced Liberal Democrat support, with 8,000 students moved to the Oxford East constituency and more rural voters added.^[3] Blackwood won Oxford West and Abingdon in the 2010 general election by 176 votes on a 6.9% Liberal Democrat-Conservative swing. In the final weeks of the campaign, pamphlets were distributed by Keith Mann, an animal rights activist, and Reverend Lynda Rose, both making personal attacks on Evan Harris's positions on abortion, embryo research, assisted suicide and secularism.^[4] and calling Harris 'Dr. Death' for his positions. Blackwood distanced herself from these campaigners saying that she had a 'positive message',^[5] while Harris himself claimed that they played a part in his defeat.^[6]

In late 2010, Ms Blackwood was elected to serve on the Home Affairs Select Committee, which is responsible for examining the expenditure, administration and policy of the Home Office and its associated public bodies for parliament. She is also secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Overseas Development (Apgood).^[7] Before her election to parliament, Blackwood worked as a volunteer on human rights and aid projects in the Middle East, Mozambique, Rwanda and Bangladesh, and has also worked as a volunteer among the disadvantaged in Birmingham and Blackpool. Prior to running for office, Blackwood worked with the Conservative Party Human Rights Group which was set up to find ways for the UK to combat human rights abuses in places like Burma and the DRC. She has also worked as an adviser to the then Shadow International Development Secretary, Andrew Mitchell. She is also a member of the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission,^[8] as well as holding a position on the Council of Advisors for ZANE, a charity which seeks to support pensioners in Zimbabwe.^[9]

Personal life

Blackwood was born in 1979 in Johannesburg. Her family moved to Oxford two months after her birth, after her father had angered the apartheid government by speaking up for the rights of the black community.^[10] She trained as a classical singer at Trinity College of Music from the age of 14. She was home schooled for her GCSEs and A-Levels, during which time she suffered serious illness.^[8] Blackwood went to St Anne's College, Oxford where she obtained a First in music, and later obtained an M.Phil. in musicology from Emmanuel College, Cambridge. She has been a member of the Conservative Christian Fellowship since 2005, and attends the Church of England St Aldate's Church in Oxford.^[9]

References

1. ^ 06/05/2010 to 19/05/2010 Results — "Westminster", The London Gazette.
2. ^ ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog: Oxford West and Abingdon open primary
3. ^ Tory topples Evan Harris (From The Oxford Times)
4. ^ Full image of Dr Evan Harris ... How well do you know your former MP? ( election leaflet published by unknown party) | ElectionLeaflets.org
5. ^ Nicola Blackwood – Member of Parliament for Oxford West and Abingdon
6. ^ Ousted Oxford West and Abingdon MP Dr Evan Harris blames leaflet smears from animal rights and Christian groups (From The Oxford Times)
7. ^ Executive, Apgood, UK.
8. ^ ^{a b} Oxford City Conservatives — Nicola Blackwood^{[dead link]}
9. ^ ^{a b} Profile of Nicola Blackwood
10. ^ Nicola Blackwood – Member of Parliament for Oxford West and Abingdon - About Nicola

External links

• Nicola Blackwood website

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Evan Harris	Member of Parliament for Oxford West and Abingdon 2010–present	Incumbent

Persondata
Name	Blackwood, Nicola
Alternative names
Short description	Member of Parliament
Date of birth	1979
Place of birth	Johannesburg, South Africa
Date of death
Place of death