Bob Neill

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Bob Neill
MP
File:Bob Neill Official.jpg
Bob Neill MP
Vice-Chairman (Local Government) of the Conservative Party
Assumed office
10 September 2012
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for London, Local Government and Planning
In office
14 May 2010 – 4 September 2012
Succeeded by Brandon Lewis
Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party
In office
2008–2009
Succeeded by Lord Ashcroft
Member of Parliament
for Bromley and Chislehurst
Assumed office
29 June 2006
Preceded by Eric Forth
Majority 13,900 (31.6%)
Leader of the London Assembly Conservative Group
In office
2000–2002
Preceded by "Post Created"
Succeeded by Eric Ollerenshaw
Member of the London Assembly
for Bexley and Bromley
In office
4 May 2000 – 3 May 2008
Preceded by New creation
Succeeded by James Cleverly
Personal details
Born (1952-06-24) 24 June 1952 (age 72)
Ilford, Essex, England
Nationality British
Political party Conservative
Spouse(s) Daphne White
Alma mater London School of Economics
Occupation Politician
Profession Barrister
Website www.bobneill.org.uk

Robert James MacGillivray Neill (born 24 June 1952) is a British barrister and Conservative Party politician. He has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bromley and Chislehurst since a by-election on 29 June 2006, following the death of the previous incumbent Eric Forth. He served as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Communities and Local Government from 14 May 2010 to 4 September 2012.[1]

History

Neill attended Abbs Cross Technical High School, Abbs Cross Lane, Hornchurch, and took a degree at the London School of Economics. He was later a councillor in the London Borough of Havering, served as Greater London Council member for Romford 1985-86. He previously stood for the Dagenham parliamentary constituency in 1983, at the age of 30, coming within 2,997 votes of winning the historically Labour seat from Bryan Gould MP. He refought the seat in 1987, but Gould defeated him again. He also stood for election in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in 1994 and 1998.

Neill was first elected to the London Assembly in the 2000 assembly election, and served as the Conservative member for Bexley and Bromley from 2000 until 2008. He served as Leader of the Conservative Group on the Assembly from 2000 to 2002 and again from 2004.

He is also a member of the EU's Committee of the Regions,[2] and a member of the European People's Party - European Democrats. A pro-European, he supported former Conservative Chancellor Kenneth Clarke in both of his bids for the leadership of the Conservative Party.

He is a Freemason,.[3] His wife was a Southend Conservative Councillor and former Mayor, Daphne White.[4] Neill said in a parliamentary debate that his election to Parliament allowed his wife to live "every Essex girl's dream: wake up in Kent".[5]

Bromley and Chislehurst by-election

Following the death of Eric Forth in May 2006, on 3 June 2006 he was adopted as the Conservative candidate for the Bromley and Chislehurst by-election which took place on 29 June 2006. His selection by the local Conservative Association raised eyebrows, as new leader David Cameron had pressed for an "A-List" candidate, to help present Cameron's vision of the new Conservative Party. [6]The Parliamentary constituency forms a part of Neill's London Assembly constituency. He stated at his selection that he would not resign his London Assembly seat as the resultant by-election, which would see around 400,000 voters go to the polls, would be unduly expensive.

A few questions were raised about Neill's position as a non-executive director of the North East London Strategic Health Authority, which fell foul of the House of Commons Disqualification Act of 1975. His response was that, because the body was due to be abolished before he would have had the chance to take his seat in Westminster, any such arguments were immaterial.[7]

Neill won the by-election by just 633 votes, compared to the 13,342 majority achieved by his predecessor at the 2005 general election. Factors contributing to this were assumed by commentators to include a substantial drop in the turnout (down from 64.8 to 40.18%), with the drop disproportionally hitting the Conservative vote; the presence of a high-profile UKIP candidate, Nigel Farage - Labour ended up coming fourth, after UKIP; and a campaign by the Liberal Democrats that heavily focused on Neill personally. In his acceptance speech Neill criticised "a minority of candidates" (which was assumed to be specifically criticising the Liberal Democrat candidate) for their ad hominem attacks on him. These included statements regarding Neill's occupations outside his future parliamentary role (including the nickname "Three Jobs Bob"[6]) and the fact that, at that time, he did not live in the constituency, although he has now purchased a house there.

In parliament

In 2008 Neill was made Shadow Local Government Minister and Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party. In January 2009, he also took over the shadow planning brief.

Neill's approach to statistics and parliamentary privilege has been questioned by Dr Ben Goldacre.[8] Neill claimed local government could save 20% from all services, based on a management consultant's estimate of how much could be saved from mobile phone bills.[8]

On 10 June 2010 Neill answering questions in the House of Commons as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government said, "Those in greatest need ultimately bear the burden of paying off the debt which this country has been left". The Opposition claimed that the north is taking far bigger cuts than the south and this was not challenged by Robert Neill.[9]

Expenses

As of 2008, Neill claims an allowance for a second home outside London, despite his constituency home being only 12 miles from Westminster.[10] A spokesman said that his claims were "in accordance with the rules".[11] He was returned to parliament in the United Kingdom general election, 2010.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.communities.gov.uk/profiles/corporate/bobneill#biography/
  2. ↑ http://cormembers.cor.eu.int/cormembers.aspx?critId=2013974
  3. ↑ London Assembly - Register of Members' Interests
  4. ↑ Senior Tory Selected To Fight Byelection (from Echo)
  5. ↑ Parliament, Govt Support for Southend Borough Council debate, 27 May 2010
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Hansard 10 June 2010
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Political offices
New creation Member of the London Assembly for Bexley and Bromley
2000 – 2008		 Succeeded by
James Cleverly
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Bromley and Chislehurst
2006–present		 Incumbent
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