David Anthony Andrew Amess (born 26 March 1952) is a British politician. He is the current Conservative Member of Parliament for Southend West. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Southend West is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Open seat redirects here. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... The Right Honourable Henry Paul Guinness Channon, Baron Kelvedon, PC (born 1935) was Conservative MP for Southend West from 1959 until 1997. ... Basildon is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... is the 160th day of the year (161st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Jimi Hendrix song, see 1983. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... (Keith) Harvey Proctor (born 16 January 1947) was a British Conservative Member of Parliament. ... Angela Evans Smith (born 7 January United Kingdom. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Plaistow is a place in the London Borough of Newham in East London. ... The Conservative Party, officially though less commonly known as the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see Alma mater (disambiguation). ... Bournemouth University is a university in and around the large south coast town of Bournemouth, UK (although its main campus is actually situated in neighbouring Poole). ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Conservative Party, officially though less commonly known as the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... A parliamentary constituency for the UK comprised of a small part of the West of Southend including Leigh-on-Sea and Westcliffe-on-Sea. ...

Early life

He was born in Plaistow, London to James and Maud Ethel Amess, and raised Roman Catholic. He attended St Anthony's Junior and Infant School, then St. Bonaventure Grammar School (now St Bonaventure's Catholic Comprehensive School) on Boleyn Road in Forest Gate and then Bournemouth College of Technology, where he earned a BSc degree with honours in Economics and Government. Plaistow is a place in the London Borough of Newham in East London. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... St. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... Bournemouth University is a university in and around the large south coast town of Bournemouth, UK (although its main campus is actually situated in neighbouring Poole). ... B.S. redirects here. ...

Amess taught at the St John the Baptist Primary School in Bethnal Green for a year from 1970, and then spent a short time as an underwriter before becoming a recruitment consultant. He became chairman of Accountancy Solutions from 1987-90, then Accountancy Group from 1990-6. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... In banking, underwriting is the detailed credit analysis preceding the granting of a loan, based on credit information furnished by the borrower, such as employment history, salary, and financial statements; publicly available information, such as the borrowers credit history, which is detailed in a credit report; and the lender...

In 1983, he married Julia Monica Margaret Arnold in Westminster. They have five children: one son and four daughters. For the Jimi Hendrix song, see 1983. ...

Political career

He contested the safe Labour Party seat of Newham North West at the 1979 General Election, and the seat was retained by Labour's MP Arthur Lewis. In 1982, Amess was elected as a councillor to the London Borough of Redbridge. The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 and is regarded as a pivotal point in 20th century British politics. ... Arthur William John Lewis (21 February 1917 - 25 June 1998) was a British politician. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... The London Borough of Redbridge is a London borough in North East London, England. ...

The sitting Conservative MP for Basildon, Harvey Proctor, moved to Billericay in the 1983 General Election, and Amess won the nomination to fight the Basildon seat. He was elected as the Member of Parliament for Basildon on June 9, 1983. Basildon is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... (Keith) Harvey Proctor (born 16 January 1947) was a British Conservative Member of Parliament. ... Billericay is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The UK general election, 1983 was held on June 9, 1983 and gave the Conservatives and Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945. ... Type Lower House Speaker Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Leader Harriet Harman, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader Theresa May, (Conservative) since May 5, 2005 Members 659 Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist Party Sinn Féin... is the 160th day of the year (161st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Jimi Hendrix song, see 1983. ...

Amess continued to serve both as an MP and a local councillor until 1986, when he stood down from Redbridge Borough Council to concentrate on his Westminster MP seat. He held his Basildon seat narrowly at the 1987 General Election, in part by capturing a significant personal following element in the vote. During the 1987 campaign, the constituency was visited by future Prime Minister John Major. Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... “Houses of Parliament” redirects here. ... Margaret Thatcher David Steel Election 1987 Titles The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987 and was the third consecutive victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher. ... For other persons named John Major, see John Major (disambiguation). ...

Following the election Amess was appointed a Parliamentary Private Secretary to Michael Portillo, a position he held for ten years throughout Portillo's ministerial career. Amess held his seat again at the 1992 General Election, which was the first but vital sign that the Conservatives would unexpectedly win the 1992 election (Basildon constituency was viewed as the make-or-break milestone). A Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) is a junior role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament (MP). ... Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo (born 26 May 1953) is an English journalist, broadcaster, and former Conservative party politician and Cabinet Minister. ... The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. ...

In 1997, Amess moved to represent Southend West in Essex after the retirement of former Cabinet minister Paul Channon. Amess received the nomination and was returned to Westminster again, in the wake of the landslide Labour victory. His former Basildon fell to the Labour candidate. A parliamentary constituency for the UK comprised of a small part of the West of Southend including Leigh-on-Sea and Westcliffe-on-Sea. ... This article is about the governmental body. ... The Right Honourable Henry Paul Guinness Channon, Baron Kelvedon, PC (born 1935) was Conservative MP for Southend West from 1959 until 1997. ...

Positions

Amess normally adheres to Conservative party policy on votes. However he is very strongly in favour of the ban on fox-hunting. He voted for the 2003 invasion of Iraq but has since been critical of the Labour government's failure to find the weapons of mass destruction with which they justified the action at the time. On foreign policy he is also a leading member of Conservative Friends of Israel. He is one of the few Conservative MPs to support the impeach Blair campaign and is strongly against Labour's proposed anti-terror laws and the erosion of civil liberties. For other uses, see Fox hunting (disambiguation). ... This article is about the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... For the Xzibit album, see Weapons of Mass Destruction (album). ... Conservative Friends of Israel is a UK Parliament based campaign group whose aims include strengthening business and political ties between Britain and Israel and promoting support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Israel recognised and secure within its borders and the establishment of a stable... UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. ... Civil liberties is the name given to freedoms that protect the individual from government. ...

He is in favour of a return to capital punishment,^[3] and this was reinforced after a family member was stabbed to death. Death penalty, death sentence, and execution redirect here. ...

Amess is strongly pro-life.^[3] In June 2005 Amess, who is a Roman Catholic, supported a bill put forth by Laurence Robertson that would almost entirely ban abortion. [1] He has also spoken passionately on the subject of In Vitro Fertilisation.^{[citation needed]} This article is about the social movement. ... Laurence Anthony Robertson (born 29 March 1958, Bolton) is a British politician. ... For the Inter-Varsity Fellowship, see Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship. ...

Trivia

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He appeared in the "Drugs" episode of Brass Eye, filming an elaborate video warning against the dangers of a fictional Eastern European drug called Cake, and went as far as to ask a question about it in Parliament, alongside questions about Khat and GHB. From the Hansard record of the event[2], it is recorded that the minister responding replied that "cake" was a name "we understand refers to 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-benzylamphetamine", a real drug that is not covered by legislation or most anti-drug campaigns, either at the time of the question or as of 2007. Whether Amess knew of this substance or was fooled as the programme implied is not recorded; though it can be assumed he was not aware due to the distance he took the quirey within parliament, and that the show got the better of him. Brass Eye is a UK television series of satirical spoof documentaries which aired on Channel 4 in 1997 and was re-run in 2001. ... Binomial name (Vahl) Forssk. ... Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (4-hydroxybutanoic acid, C4H8O3) is both a drug and a naturally occurring compound found in the mammalian brain, where it might function as a neurotransmitter. ...

References

2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The New Statesman is a left-of-centre political weekly published in London. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• ePolitix - David Amess official site
• Conservative Party - David Amess biography
• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: David Amess MP
• TheyWorkForYou - David Amess MP
• BBC Politics page

News items

• His week in politics in November 1999