Derek Conway MP
Member of Parliament for Old Bexley and Sidcup
Incumbent
Assumed office  7 June 2001
Preceded by	Sir Edward Heath
Majority	9,920 (22.3%)
Member of Parliament for Shrewsbury and Atcham
In office 9 June 1983 – 1 May 1997
Preceded by	New constituency
Succeeded by	Paul Marsden
Born	15 February 1953 (1953-02-15) (age 55) Newcastle upon Tyne
Nationality	British
Political party	Independent Conservative
Spouse	Colette Elizabeth Mary Lamb
Children	2 sons, 1 daughter
Alma mater	Northumbria University

Derek Leslie Conway TD (born 15 February 1953 in Gateshead) is a British politician, and Member of Parliament for Old Bexley and Sidcup. He became involved in controversy in January 2008, after it emerged that he had employed his son, a full-time student at Newcastle University, as a political researcher, with his wages paid from public funds. A Commons standards committee said there was no record of his son doing any work at Westminster.^[1] On 29 January, Conservative party leader David Cameron withdrew the whip from Conway, effectively expelling him from the Parliamentary Conservative group. This article is about the British TV series. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... If you hold the copyright to an image (e. ... Old Bexley and Sidcup is a UK parliamentary constituency situated wholly within the London Borough of Bexley. ... Open seat redirects here. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Sir Edward Richard George Heath, KG, OBE (9 July 1916 – 17 July 2005) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and leader of the Conservative Party from 1965 to 1975. ... Shrewsbury and Atcham is a constituency (and a borough - see Shrewsbury and Atcham) 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). ... Paul William Barry Marsden (born March 18, 1968) is a British politician. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about a city in the United Kingdom. ... 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). ... Northumbria University is a modern university located in Newcastle upon Tyne in North East England. ... The Territorial Decoration (TD) was a United Kingdom military medal, also known as the Territorial Efficiency Decoration, which was given to officers for long service in the Territorial Army. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about Gateshead, England. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Old Bexley and Sidcup is a UK parliamentary constituency situated wholly within the London Borough of Bexley. ... For the Australian university, see University of Newcastle, Australia. ... The Conservative Party, officially though less commonly known as the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... For the Canadian ice hockey player, see Dave Cameron. ... The Chief Whip is a political office in some legislatures assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system that ensures that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires. ...

On 30 January 2008 Conway announced that he would be standing down, as MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup, at the next general election. He has not indicated he will resign, though he has received considerable criticism from the press concerning the alleged misuse of funds.^[2] is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...

Early life

Conway was born in Gateshead and was educated at Beacon Hill Comprehensive School in the town, Gateshead Technical College, and Newcastle upon Tyne Polytechnic. This article is about Gateshead, England. ... This article is about Gateshead, England. ... Northumbria University is a modern university located in Newcastle upon Tyne in North East England. ...

Conway was elected as a councillor on the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead council, aged 21, in 1974 and was the Deputy Conservative Group Leader from 1974 until his election to Westminster in 1983, he remained a councillor at Gateshead, however until 1987. Gateshead is a metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, in north-east England. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... “Houses of Parliament” redirects here. ... For the Jimi Hendrix song, see 1983. ... This article is about the year 1987. ...

In 1977, he was also elected to the Tyne and Wear County Council and was the Conservative group leader from 1979 until 1982, stepping down from the county council in 1983. Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in the North East of England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ...

At the October 1974 General Election, he contested the parliamentary constituency of Durham, but was defeated by the sitting Labour MP Mark Hughes by 18,116 votes. The UK general election of October 1974 took place on October 10, 1974. ... 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... City of Durham is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ...

Conway contested Newcastle-upon-Tyne East at the 1979 General Election and was again defeated, this time by the Labour MP Mike Thomas by 6,176 votes. Newcastle upon Tyne East is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of 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. ...

Member of Parliament

Derek Conway was elected to parliament at the 1983 General Election for Shrewsbury and Atcham following the retirement of the long serving Conservative MP for Shrewsbury John Langford-Holt. Conway secured a majority of 8,624 and held the seat until he was defeated at the 1997 General Election. 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. ... Shrewsbury and Atcham is a constituency (and a borough - see Shrewsbury and Atcham) represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... For other places with the same name, see Shrewsbury (disambiguation). ... Sir John Anthony Langford-Holt (30 June 1916 - 23 July 1993) was British Conservative Member of Parliament for Shrewsbury from 1945 to 1983. ... The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997. ...

He became a member of the Agriculture Select Committee in 1985, and after the 1987 General Election he joined the Transport Select Committee until 1988 when he was appointed as the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Minister of State at the Wales Office Wyn Roberts until 1991. A Select Committee is a committee made up of a small number of parliamentary members appointed to deal with particular areas or issues originating in the Westminster System of parliamentary democracy. ... This article is about the year. ... 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. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... A Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) is a junior role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament (MP). ... Minister of State is a title borne by officials in certain countries governed under the parliamentary system. ... The Wales Office is a United Kingdom government department. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar. ...

Following the 1992 General Election he became the PPS to Michael Forsyth the Minister of State at the Department for Employment. Conway was promoted to serve in government by John Major in 1993 as an Assistant Government Whip, becoming a Lord Commissioner to the Treasury a 'full whip' in 1994. He was again promoted within the Whips' Office when he became the Vice Chamberlain of HM Household in 1996. The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. ... Michael Bruce Forsyth, Baron Forsyth of Drumlean, PC, is a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom. ... For other persons named John Major, see John Major (disambiguation). ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... In politics, a whip is a member of a political party in a legislature whose task is to ensure that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires. ... The new eastern entrance to HM Treasury HM Treasury, in full Her Majestys Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the UK Governments financial and economic policy. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... A junior whip in the House of Commons and an officer of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...

1997 general election defeat and return

Conway lost his Shrewsbury and Atcham seat at the 1997 General Election to Labour's Paul Marsden by 1,670 votes, after his defeat he became the chief executive at the Cats Protection charity. Conway was out of the commons until the general election, 2001 when he was elected as the MP for the south London seat of Old Bexley and Sidcup previously held by the former Prime Minister and Father of the House of Commons, Edward Heath. Conway defended Heath against accusations of homosexual behaviour.^[3] Paul William Barry Marsden (born March 18, 1968) is a British politician. ... Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the job of having the ultimate executive responsibility or authority within an organization or corporation. ... Cats Protection, formerly The Cats Protection League, is a UK charity dedicated to rescuing and re-homing stray, unwanted or homeless cats. ... Tony Blair William Hague Charles Kennedy The UK general election, 2001 was held on 7 June 2001 and was dubbed the quiet landslide by the media. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is, in practice, the political leader of the United Kingdom. ... There is also the designation of Father of the House of Lords The longest continuously serving member of certain national legislatures, most notably the House of Commons in the United Kingdom, is customarily designated Father of the House. ... Sir Edward Richard George Heath, KG, OBE (9 July 1916 – 17 July 2005) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and leader of the Conservative Party from 1965 to 1975. ... Homosexuality refers to sexual interaction and / or romantic attraction between individuals of the same sex. ...

He retained the seat with a majority of 3,345 in 2005. Since his re-election he has been a member of the Defence Select Committee. He is a Eurosceptic (even voting against the Single European Act that had the backing of Margaret Thatcher's government), and supports the return of capital punishment. The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005. ... The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces. ... Euroscepticism is scepticism about, or disagreement with, the purposes of the European Union, sometimes coupled with a desire to preserve national sovereignty. ... The Single European Act (SEA) was the first major revision of the Treaty of Rome. ... Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (née Roberts; born 13 October 1925) served as British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 and leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 until 1990, being the first and only woman to hold either post. ... Death penalty, death sentence, and execution redirect here. ...

Investigation and withdrawal of whip

Conway employed his son Freddie as a researcher, while Freddie was on a full time degree course at the University of Newcastle. Conway paid his son the part time equivalent of a £25,970 salary, amounting to a sum in excess of £40,000^[4] over three years, including pension contributions. See: University of Newcastle (NSW), a university in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia University of Newcastle upon Tyne, a university in England. ...

After an investigation, in January 2008 the Committee on Standards and Privileges found there was "no record" of what work Freddie had done, and said the £1,000-plus a month he was paid was too high. They recommended that the House order him to repay a sum of £13,000 (some £27,000 less than the money which was paid to his son Freddie) and be suspended for 10 sitting days.^[5] However, in a subsequent interview with the Mail on Sunday, Derek Conway disputed the allegation that Freddie Conway had rarely travelled from Newcastle to Westminster, instead stating that Freddie "would go up and down like a fiddler's elbow". ^[6] The Committee on Standards and Privileges of the UK House of Commons was established in 1995 to replace the earlier Committee of Privileges. ...

Following the ruling, Labour MP John Mann said he would make a formal complaint to the Commons Standards Commissioner about similar payments to elder son Henry Conway while he was also a student, the job which Freddie took over.^[7] John Mann (born 10th January 1960, Leeds) is a politician in the United Kingdom. ...

Other newspapers and media sources have since suggested that Conway previously made similar payments to his wife and eldest son, with the whole matter referred to the Metropolitan Police by Duncan Borrowman^[8], the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Old Bexley and Sidcup. In light of the evidence, Conservative party leader David Cameron decided to withdraw the Conservative Party Whip, rendering Conway free of any Parliamentary Conservative constraints, effectively leaving him as an independent MP.^[7] Metropolitan Police redirects here. ... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, is a liberal political party in the United Kingdom formed in 1988 by the merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party; the two parties had already been in an alliance for seven years prior to this, since not long... Old Bexley and Sidcup is a UK parliamentary constituency situated wholly within the London Borough of Bexley. ... For the Canadian ice hockey player, see Dave Cameron. ...

Conway announced on 30 January 2008 that he would not fight the next general election, stating "I have concluded that it's now time to step down." He declared that he did not wish his "personal circumstances to be a distraction" from David Cameron's leadership. is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...

Personal life

Conway has been married to Colette Elizabeth Mary Lamb since 1980 and they have two sons and a daughter. Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ...

Conway was commissioned into the 6th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (Territorial Army) in 1977. He was promoted Lieutenant in 1979 and Captain in 1981. In 1982 he transferred to 5th Battalion, The Light Infantry. He was promoted Major in 1987. was awarded the Territorial Decoration in 1990 and transferred to the Reserve in 1994. He has also been an executive for Granada Television, a Sunday school teacher and a charity organiser for the National Fund for Research into Crippling Diseases (1974-1983) and the Cats Protection League (Chief executive from 1998-2003). He is a Freeman of the City of London. Official name The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Colonel-in-Chief HRH The Duke of Kent Nicknames Motto Anniversaries St Georges Day (23 April) Minden (1 August) Marches Quick: The British Grenadiers Slow: Rule Britnnia Mascot Indian Black Buck named Bobby Description Infantry regiment Creation date 1968 Reason for creation... The Territorial Army (TA) is the principal and Volunteer reserve force of the British Army, the land armed forces branch of the United Kingdom, and composed mostly of part-time soldiers paid at a similar rate, while engaged on military activities, as their Regular equivalents. ... Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service or police officer rank. ... For other uses, see Captain (disambiguation). ... The Light Infantry is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Light Division. ... Major is a military rank of the British Army which is used by both the British Army and Royal Marines. ... The Territorial Decoration (TD) was a United Kingdom military medal, also known as the Territorial Efficiency Decoration, which was given to officers for long service in the Territorial Army. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Sunday school, Indians and whites. ... Freedom of the City is an award made by English towns and cities, to esteemed members of its community; such people may then be termed Freemen or Freewomen of the City. ...

References

2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Books containing references to Derek Conway

"The Political Animal" (2002) by Jeremy Paxman, pub. Michael Joseph/Penguin Books; see Chapter 10 "Being History" pages 259-263 Quote "I miss the pressures. I love living on the edge".

External links

• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Derek Conway MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Derek Conway MP