Chris Grayling

The Right Honourable Chris Grayling MP
Minister of State at the Department for Work and Pensions
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 May 2010
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	Jim Knight (Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform)
Shadow Home Secretary
In office 19 January 2009 – 11 May 2010
Leader	David Cameron
Preceded by	Dominic Grieve
Succeeded by	Alan Johnson
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
In office 2 July 2007 – 19 January 2009
Leader	David Cameron
Preceded by	Philip Hammond
Succeeded by	Theresa May
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
In office 6 December 2005 – 2 July 2007
Leader	David Cameron
Preceded by	Tim Yeo
Succeeded by	Theresa Villiers
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
In office 10 May 2005 – 6 December 2005
Leader	Michael Howard
Preceded by	Oliver Heald
Succeeded by	Theresa May
Member of Parliament for Epsom and Ewell
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 June 2001
Preceded by	Archie Hamilton
Majority	16,447 (33.0%)
Personal details
Born	1 April 1962 (1962-04-01) (age 49) Marylebone, London, England
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Susan Clare Dillistone
Alma mater	Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge

Christopher Stephen "Chris" Grayling, PC, MP (born 1 April 1962), is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Shadow Cabinet from 2005 to 2010 and was the party's Shadow Home Secretary from 2009 to 2010. Following the 2010 general election, he was appointed a Minister of State in the Department for Work and Pensions.^[1] He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the constituency of Epsom and Ewell since 2001.

Early life

Chris Grayling was born in London and grew up in Buckinghamshire.

Education

Grayling was educated at the Royal Grammar School in High Wycombe. He then went on to Cambridge University, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in history at Sidney Sussex College in 1984.

Life and career

Grayling joined BBC News in 1985 as a trainee, becoming a producer in 1986. He left the BBC in 1988 to join Channel 4 as an editor on its Business Daily programme. He rejoined the BBC in 1991 as a business development manager on BBC Select. On leaving the BBC in 1993, he ran several television production companies, including managing the corporate communications division of Workhouse Ltd from 1992-5 and SSVC Group in Gerrards Cross from 1995-7. He became a management consultant in 1997 with Burson Marsteller, where he remained until his election to Westminster.

Prior to joining the Conservative Party, Grayling was a member of the Social Democratic Party, along with a number of other Cameron frontbenchers.^[2]

Councillor

Grayling was selected to contest the Labour-held marginal seat of Warrington South at the 1997 general election, but was defeated by Labour candidate Helen Southworth by 10,807 votes. He was elected as a councillor in the London Borough of Merton in 1998 and remained on the council until 2002.

Member of Parliament

He was elected to the House of Commons for the Surrey seat of Epsom and Ewell at the 2001 general election following the retirement of the veteran Tory MP Archie Hamilton. Grayling held the seat with a majority of 10,080 and has remained the MP there since. He made his maiden speech on 25 June 2001.^[3]

Shadow Cabinet

He served as a member of the environment, transport and the regions select committee from 2001 until he was promoted to the Opposition Whips' Office by Iain Duncan Smith in 2002, moving to become a spokesman on health later in the year. He became a spokesman on education and skills by Michael Howard in 2003, and following the 2005 general election he became a member of Howard's Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, and since the election of David Cameron as the leader of the Conservative Party in December 2005 he has served as the Shadow Secretary of State for Transport. In June 2007, he was made Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, a post he held until January 2009 when he became Shadow Home Secretary.

Conservative Attack Dog

Grayling became known as a national politician through his “attack dog” pressure on leading Labour politicians ^[4]. He was heavily involved in the questioning of David Blunkett, the then Work and Pensions Secretary, over his business affairs that led to his resignation in 2005. ^[5] He also challenged Cherie and Tony Blair over the money they made from lectures while he was in Downing Street and former Minister Stephen Byers over his handling of the Railtrack collapse.^[6]

Expenses claims

Between 2001 and 2009,^[7] Grayling claimed for a flat in Pimlico, close to the House of Commons, despite having a constituency home less than 17 miles away^[8] and owning two buy to let properties in Wimbledon.^[9] Grayling says he uses the flat when "working very late" because he needs to "work very erratic and late hours most days when the House of Commons is sitting."^[10]

During the Parliamentary expenses scandal, The Daily Telegraph reported that Grayling refitted and redecorated the flat in 2005 at a cost of thousands of pounds. Grayling said that both the water and electrical systems failed "leaving the place needing a major overhaul".^[9].

Comparing Moss Side to 'The Wire'

As Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling's provoked controversy in August 2009 when he compared parts of to Britain to the Baltimore set TV series The Wire. In a speech on gang problems he also talked about the gang problems in Manchester’s Moss Side. His Comments met with an angry response in Manchester, from locals and the police.^[11] Having been out on patrol for a day with the police, observing the results of a shooting at a house, he described himself as having witnessed an "urban war". Police responded that gang related shootings in Greater Manchester had fallen by 82 percent on the previous year, and that to speak of "urban war" was "sensationalistic"^[11]. Local councillor Roy Walters complained of the Moss Side unfairly being a "negative target" due to historical associations^[11]. However he was defended by right wing commentators who said he spoke for the “mainstream majority”. Sticking by his comments, he said, "I didn't say Moss Side equals Baltimore. What I said is that we have in Moss Side symptoms of a gang conflict in this country which I find profoundly disturbing".^[12] Baltimore, with a population of about 600,000, was noted as having 191 gun related murders in the past year, in comparison to Moss Side, population 11,000, which had none.^[11]

Statistics controversy

Grayling came under fire as Shadow Home Secretary over the Conservative Party's use of violent crime statistics.^[13] In February 2010, the Conservative Party issued press releases to every constituency in the UK claiming that crime had "risen sharply" in the UK. However, they failed to take into account the more rigorous system for recording crime. The chairman of The UK Statistics Authority, Sir Michael Scholar, said that the figures Grayling was using were "likely to mislead the public" and "likely to damage public trust in official statistics".^[14] Scholar further added that reliable statistics showed that there had not been an increase in crime during Labour's period in office.^[15] However a subsequent report produced by the independent House of Commons library confirmed that Grayling and the Conservative Party had been right to say that violent crime had risen significantly.^{[16] [17][18]}

Gay couples in B&Bs controversy

In March 2010, Grayling was recorded at an open meeting of the thinktank Centre for Policy Studies saying that during the debates on civil liberties under the Labour Government, he had felt that Christians should have the right to live by their consciences and that Christian owners of bed and breakfasts should have the right to turn away gay couples.^[19] Grayling said:

"I personally always took the view that, if you look at the case of should a Christian hotel owner have the right to exclude a gay couple from a hotel, I took the view that if it's a question of somebody who's doing a B&B in their own home, that individual should have the right to decide who does and who doesn't come into their own home. If they are running a hotel on the High Street, I really don’t think that it is right in this day and age that a gay couple should walk into a hotel and be turned away because they are a gay couple, and I think that is where the dividing line comes."^[20]

When the recording was released by The Observer on 3 April 2010,^[21] Grayling's comments caused uproar,^[22] with Ben Summerskill, chief executive of the gay rights group Stonewall, saying that this position would be illegal and "very alarming to a lot of gay people who may have been thinking of voting Conservative".^[22] Lord Mandelson, the most senior gay minister in the government, said that the comment showed that the Conservative party had not changed, that "when the camera is on they say one thing, but when the camera is off they say another".^[23] There have since been growing calls for Grayling to resign.^[24][25] Conservative party leader David Cameron was subsequently urged to "back or sack" Grayling,^[26] with gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell saying that "Cameron's silence is worrying. Many voters – gay and straight – will be disturbed by his failure to swiftly disown Grayling's support for homophobic discrimination. What does this say about the sincerity and seriousness of his commitment to gay equality?"^[27] A poll for the website pinknews.co.uk released on 5 April^[28] found that support for the Conservatives in the LGBT community had fallen drastically since Grayling's comment.^[29] Author Douglas Murray has dubbed Grayling "a political buffoon, unsure of what he is saying and with little idea of how to say it."^[30] Anastasia Beaumont-Bott, founder of "LGBTory", a gay rights group that campaigns for the Conservatives, announced that she would be voting for Labour, not the Conservatives, in response to Grayling's comment. She said, "I feel guilty because as a gay woman affected by LGBT rights I am on record saying you should vote Conservative, and I want to reverse that. I want to go on record to say don't vote Conservative. I'd go as far to say that I'll vote Labour at this general election."^[31] Beaumont-Bott was joined in defecting from the Conservatives to Labour a week later by prominent gay rights campaigner David Heathcote.^[32] However Grayling’s comments were defended by a number of commentators, including the Today Programme presenter and leading gay broadcaster Evan Davis, and by leading Christian groups.^[33]

Grayling apologised on 9 April, saying "I am sorry if what I said gave the wrong impression, I certainly didn't intend to offend anyone... I voted for gay rights, I voted for this particular measure." On the 12 April edition of The Daily Politics, presenter Andrew Neil claimed the programme makers had been unable to contact Grayling about an appearance and suggested that he had gone to ground since his comments were published.^[34] Since the start of the 2010 general election campaign on 6 April, Grayling has been "hidden away" by the Conservatives, making very few public appearances.^{[35][36][37][38]} During the launch of the Labour Party's "LGBT Manifesto" on 15 April, Deputy Leader Harriet Harman renewed calls for Grayling to be sacked, saying "We don't want to wake up and find we have a homophobic home secretary. David Cameron should have sacked him as soon as he said that."^[39] It is unclear whether his remarks were the reason that David Cameron chose to appoint Theresa May as Home Secretary in his new cabinet, rather than Grayling who held the position in the Shadow Cabinet; Grayling was not given any cabinet post, as had been predicted by some media commentators prior to the election.^[40]

Privy Council

He was appointed as a Privy Counsellor on 9 June 2010.^[41]

Personal life

In April 1987 Grayling married Susan Clare Dillistone in Surrey and they have a daughter, Laura (born December 1992), and a son, Matthew (born August 1996). He supports Manchester United, and can boast that he once hit a four off the Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee.^[42]

Publications

• The Bridgewater Heritage: The Story of Bridgewater Estates by Chris Grayling, 1983, Bridgewater Estates PLC
• A Land Fit for Heroes: Life in England After the Great War by Christopher Grayling, 1985, Buchan & Enright ISBN 0-907675-68-9
• Holt's: The Story of Joseph Holt by Christopher Grayling, 1985, Joseph Holt PLC
• Just Another Star?: Anglo-American Relations Since 1945 by Christopher Grayling and Christopher Langdon, 1987, Virgin Books ISBN 0-245-54603-0
• Insight Guide Waterways of Europe contribution by Chris Grayling, 1989, Apa Publications ISBN 0-88729-825-7

See also

• Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (UK)

References

1. ^ "Her Majesty’s Government". Number10.gov.uk. 2010-05-19. http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/topstorynews/2010/05/her-majestys-government-49840. Retrieved 2010-11-13. 
2. ^ "Are there more ex-SDP members on the Tory front-bench than the Lib Dem front-bench?". Libdemvoice.org. 2009-01-30. http://www.libdemvoice.org/are-there-more-exsdp-members-on-the-tory-frontbench-than-the-lib-dem-frontbench-10833.html. Retrieved 2010-05-02. 
3. ^ Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons, Westminster (2001-06-25). "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 25 Jun 2001 (pt 20)". Publications.parliament.uk. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmhansrd/vo010625/debtext/10625-20.htm#10625-20_spnew1. Retrieved 2010-05-02. 
4. ^ Attack Dog - Telegraph - December 2008[1]
5. ^ Blunkett falls - Scotsman - November 2005 [2]
6. ^ Cherie in trouble again - Times - October 2005 [3]
7. ^ Swaine, Jon (12 May 2009). "Chris Grayling to stop claiming second home allowances: MPs' expenses". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5315228/Chris-Grayling-to-stop-claiming-second-home-allowances-MPs-expenses.html. Retrieved 2009-08-01. 
8. ^ Watt, Holly (2006-02-22). "Daily Telegraph: Chris Grayling (11 May 2009)". Telegraph.co.uk. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5305242/Chris-Grayling-claimed-for-London-flat-despite-nearby-constituency-home-MPs-expenses.html. Retrieved 2009-05-13. 
9. ^ ^{a b} Grayling, Chris (May 2009). "MPs Expenses - May 2009". Grayling's website. http://www.chrisgrayling.net/speech/200905-expenses.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-01. ^{[dead link]}
10. ^ Grayling, Chris (January 2008). "MPs Expenses - January 2008". Grayling's website. http://www.chrisgrayling.net/speech/200801-expenses.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-01. ^{[dead link]}
11. ^ ^{a b c d} Osuh, Chris (2009-08-26). "Grayling's comments on Moss Side condemned". Manchester Evening News (Manchester Evening News). http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1133692_graylings_comments_on_moss_side_condemned. Retrieved 2009-12-12. 
12. ^ No, author (2009-08-25). BBC "Anger at Tory's Wire comparison". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/8221231.stm=BBC. Retrieved 2009-12-12. ^{[dead link]}
13. ^ McSmith, Andy (5 February 2010). "Lies, damn lies and Tory crime statistics". The Independent (London). http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/lies-damn-lies-and-tory-crime-statistics-1889927.html. Retrieved 7 April 2010. 
14. ^ Doughty, Steve (5 February 2010). "Tories accused of fiddling violent crime statistics to show increase under Labour". Daily Mail (London). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1248172/Conservatives-accused-fiddling-violent-crime-statistics.html. Retrieved 7 April 2010. 
15. ^ "Political row over violent crime figures 'damaging public trust'". Daily Mail (London). 5 February 2010. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1248556/Tory-Chris-Grayling-sparks-political-row-violent-crime-figures.html. Retrieved 7 April 2010. 
16. ^ Full scale of violent crime revealed - March 2010 [4]
17. ^ Appearing alongside David Cameron and Brooke Kinsella [5]
18. ^ Right wing commentators on the Wire speech [6]
19. ^ BBC News, 4 April 2010, Grayling suggests B&Bs should be able to bar gay guests
20. ^ The Observer, 3 April 2010, Secret tape reveals Tory backing for ban on gays
21. ^ The Observer, 3 April 2010, Listen to the secret recording: Top Tory backs bar on gays
22. ^ ^{a b} The Guardian, 3 April 2010, Secret tape reveals Tory backing for ban on gays
23. ^ The Times, 4 April 2010, Senior Tory Chris Grayling attacked for gaffe over gays in B&Bs
24. ^ The Daily Mail, 4 April 2010, Top Tory Chris Grayling urged to resign after backing B&B ban for gays on secret tape
25. ^ The Morning Star, 4 April 2010, Pressure grows on gay-bashing Tory
26. ^ Daily Telegraph, 4 April 2010, David Cameron urged to act over Chris Grayling's 'anti-gay' comments
27. ^ The Guardian, 4 April 2010, Chris Grayling reveals the real Tories
28. ^ Pink News, 5 April 2010, Exclusive: Cameron and Grayling gay gaffes cause Conservative popularity among LGBT community to plunge
29. ^ Pink News, 5 April 2010, Chris Grayling: Support for Conservatives among gays drops sharply after B&B row
30. ^ The Telegraph, 6 April 2010, Chris Grayling is a political buffoon. What if a B&B turned away black African Christians?
31. ^ The Independent, 8 April 2010, I'm voting Labour, founder of Tory gay rights group says
32. ^ Pink News, 14 April 2010, David Miliband welcomes former Tories who have quit party over gay rights
33. ^ [7]
34. ^ "". Andrew Neil. The Daily Politics. The BBC. 12 April 2010.
35. ^ The Daily Mail, 9 April 2010, Has Calamity Chris been cast into the cold?
36. ^ The Observer, 11 April 2010, They seek Chris here, they seek Chris there...
37. ^ The Telegraph, 13 April 2010, Chris Grayling finally makes an appearance at Conservative manifesto launch
38. ^ The Daily Mail, 14 April 2010, Chris Grayling's gaffe over gays comes back to bite Tories as Labour unveils defectors
39. ^ Pink News, 16 April 2010, Harman calls for sacking of Chris Grayling as she launches gay manifesto
40. ^ The Guardian, 14 April 2010, David Cameron's cabinet: who's in and who's out?
41. ^ "Privy Council appointments, 9 June 2010". Privy Council. http://www.privy-council.org.uk/files/word/LIST%209%20June%202010.doc. Retrieved 26 July 2010. 
42. ^ The Daily Politics, BBC show

External links

• Chris Grayling MP official constituency website
• Epsom and Ewell Conservatives
• Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005
• Current session contributions in Parliament at Hansard
• Electoral history and profile at The Guardian
• Voting record at PublicWhip.org
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou.com
• Profile at Westminster Parliamentary Record
• Profile at BBC News Democracy Live
• Articles authored at Journalisted
• Article archive at The Guardian
• Speaking to Wirral Conservatives

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Archie Hamilton	Member of Parliament for Epsom and Ewell 2001–present	Incumbent

Persondata
Name	Grayling, Chris
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1 April 1962
Place of birth	Marylebone, London
Date of death
Place of death