Tobias Ellwood

Infobox MP
honorific-prefix =
name = Tobias Ellwood
honorific-suffix =

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caption =
constituency_MP = Bournemouth East
parliament =
term_start = 5 May 2005
term_end =
majority = 5,244 (13.9%)
predecessor = David Atkinson
successor =
birth_date = Birth date and age|1966|08|12|df=yes
birth_place = New York City, New York, United States
death_date =
death_place =
nationality = British
spouse = Hannah Ryan
party = Conservative
relations =
children =
residence =
alma_mater = Loughborough University, London Business School
occupation =
profession =
religion =


website =
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Tobias Martin Ellwood (born 12 August 1966) is a British politician. He is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Bournemouth East.

Early life

Ellwood was born in New York City and educated at schools in Bonn and Vienna. He went to Loughborough University from 1986-90, where he received a BA (Hons) degree, and the Cass Business School at City University from 1997-8, where he was awarded an MBA. On leaving education he joined the British Army and the Royal Green Jackets in 1991. He left the army with the rank of captain in 1996. After resigning his commission he became a researcher to the Conservative MP Tom King. He was elected as the chairman of the Hertfordshire South West Conservative Association for a year in 1998, and has been a senior business manager with the London Stock Exchange since 1999.

Parliamentary career

He was elected as a councillor to the Dacorum Borough Council in 1999, and unsuccessfully contested the parliamentary seat of Worsley at the 2001 General Election when he was defeated by the sitting Labour MP Terry Lewis by 11,787 votes. He was successful at the 2005 general election, when he was selected to contest the safe Conservative seat of Bournemouth East when he succeeded the retiring David Atkinson. Ellwood held Bournemouth East with a majority of 5,244 votes and remains the MP there. He made his maiden speech on May 19, 2005. [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm050519/debtext/50519-20.htm#50519-20_spnew1]

A vocal supporter of David Cameron's campaign for the leadership of the Conservative Party, Ellwood was appointed to the Opposition Whips Office in December 2005. In the July 2007 reshuffle, Cameron promoted Ellwood to his frontbench team as Shadow Minister for Culture, Media and Sport, with specific responsibilities for gambling, licensing and tourism. Ellwood has since stated that these responsibilities are also of specific interest to his Bournemouth constituents, a town of seaside tourism, numerous bars and nightclubs, and the site of a proposed casino development.

Personal life

Ellwood married Hannah Ryan, a corporate lawyer at Clifford Chance, in July 2005 in East Yorkshire.

His brother, Jonathan, was killed in the 2002 Bali bombing, who was the Director of Studies at the International School Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

External links

* [http://www.tobiasellwood.com His website]
* [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-6194,00.html Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Tobias Ellwood MP]
* [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/tobias_ellwood/bournemouth_east TheyWorkForYou.com - Tobias Ellwood MP]
* [http://www.bournemoutheastconservatives.com Bournemouth East Conservatives]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/mpdb/html/79.stm BBC Politics page]

News items

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6081162.stm Calling for the licensing of opium in October 2006]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/4703548.stm Binge drinking in Bournemouth in February 2006]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/4436236.stm David Cameron's election plans stolen by a car thief in November 2005]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4306692.stm BBC article on Bali bombing]