Edward Timpson

Infobox MP
honorific-prefix =
name =Edward Timpson
honorific-suffix = MP


imagesize =
caption =
constituency_MP = Crewe and Nantwich
term_start =22 May 2008
predecessor =Gwyneth Dunwoody
birth_date =Birth date and age|1973|12|26|df=yes
birth_place =Knutsford, Cheshire
death_date =
death_place =
nationality =British
party =Conservative Party
spouse =Julia Timpson
partner =
relations =
children =
residence =
alma_mater =Durham University
occupation =
profession =
majority =7,860 (18.9%)


website = [http://www.edwardtimpsonmp.com/text.aspx?id=1 www.edwardtimpsonmp.com]
footnotes =

(Anthony) Edward Timpson (born Birth date|1973|12|26|df=yesfact|date=June 2008) is a British politician. He is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Crewe and Nantwich.

Biography

Timpson was born in Knutsford, Cheshire in 1973. His father, John, is the head of the [http://www.timpson.co.uk/about-timpson/default.asp Timpson] chain of shoe repair and key-cutting shops, which has been in the family for five generations and has over 550 stores in the UK and Ireland. Timpson grew up with a brother, sister and a number of foster children. [The Times 8-May-08 [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3890098.ece Top hats and tails come out as Tory candidate says ‘I’m no Tarporley toff’] ]

He was educated at Uppingham School and Hatfield College, Durham where he studied politics before converting to law, becoming a barrister in 1998. Since 1999 he has practised in Chester as a family law barrister. [cite web|url=http://www.nicholas-street.com/member-details.cfm?idd=35|title=Profile at Nicholas Street Chambers] In June 2002, he married Julia Still in south Cheshire. Since then he has lived in Cheshire, 13 miles from Crewe, with his wife and three children (including a son born February 2004 and a daughter born November 2005).Timpson has completed six marathons, including the New York marathon in 2007 and the London Marathon in 2008, raising over £4,500. [ [http://www.creweguardian.co.uk/display.var.2178962.0.edwards_marathon_effort_will_aid_families_in_need.php Edward's marathon effort will aid families in need] Crewe Guardian] He plays football, and in 1993, he wrote a travelogue. He has also published an illustrated children's book. [ [http://www.conservative-party.org.uk/tile.do?def=people.person.page&personID=137361 Profile] at Conservative Party website ]

Member of Parliament

In July 2007, Timpson was selected as the Conservative candidate for the Crewe and Nantwich constituency, [cite news |url=http://conservativehome.blogs.com/goldlist/2007/07/edward-timpson-.html |title= Edward Timpson adopted for Crewe and Nantwich|work=Conservative Home|publisher=|location=|date=2007-07-01|accessdate=2008-06-17] an area which had been represented by veteran Labour MP Gwyneth Dunwoody since 1974. Following Dunwoody's death in April 2008, a by-election was called for May 2008. In the run up to the election, Timpson was the target of a "toff" campaign by Labour, trying to paint him as "a rich man" who wouldn't "understand the problems that people face day-to-day" in contrast to their candidate, Gwyneth Dunwoody's daughter Tamsin Dunwoody. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7408464.stm |title= Labour's 'toff' campaign defended|work=BBC News|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|location=London|date=2008-05-19|accessdate=2008-06-17] The Conservative campaign focussed on local issues, such as crime and antisocial behaviour, closure of post offices and problems at Leighton Hospital, where two women in labour were turned away, as well as national issues - referring to Dunwoody as "Gordon Brown's candidate" and capitalising on dissatisfaction with the Labour Government, in particular the removal of the 10p tax rate. [cite news |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/may/05/labour.conservatives |title= Tories train their sights on Crewe
work=The Guardian|publisher=|location=|date=2008-05-05|accessdate=2008-06-17]

On 22 May 2008 Timpson was elected MP, gaining 20,539 votes (49% of the vote), a swing from Labour of 17.6%. [Daily Telegraph [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/by_election_crewe_and_nantwich/2011518/Crewe-and-Nantwich-by-election-Rampant-Tories-crush-Labour.html Crewe and Nantwich by-election: Rampant Tories crush Labour] 23-May-2008] [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7416526.stm |title= Tories snatch Crewe from Labour|work=BBC News|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|location=London|date=2008-05-23|accessdate=2008-05-24] This was the first Conservative gain in a by-election since 1982. He made his maiden speech in the House of Commons on 16 June 2008. [cite news |url=http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/politics/threelinewhip/june2008/edwardtimpsonmakesdebut.htm |title= Edward Timpson makes his debut
work=Daily Telegraph|publisher=|location=|date=2008-06-16|accessdate=2008-06-17]

Notes and references

External links

* [http://www.edwardtimpsonmp.com/text.aspx?id=1 Edward Timpson MP] official website
* [http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.person.page&personID=137361 Edward Timpson] profile on Conservative Party website
* [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/edward_timpson/crewe_and_nantwich They Work For You]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/mpdb/html/167.stm BBC Politics page]