Bill Grant (politician)

Bill Grant
MP
Member of Parliament
for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock
Assumed office
8 June 2017
Preceded by Corri Wilson
Majority 2,774 (6.0%)
Councillor
for Ayr West, South Ayrshire
In office
3 May 2007 – 4 May 2017
Personal details
Born William Grant
(1951-08-14) 14 August 1951
Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Political party Conservative
Spouse(s) Agnes Grant
Children 2
Alma mater University of Edinburgh

William Grant (born 14 August 1951) is a Scottish Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock UK Parliamentary constituency since June 2017.[1]

Early life

A miner's son, Grant was raised in Rankinston in Cumnock and Doon Valley, East Ayrshire, and educated at Littlemill Primary in northern Rankinston and Cumnock Academy.

After his education, Grant moved to Ayr and worked in the fire brigade for 31 years, retiring as a deputy commander in the Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service. He served as a justice of the peace for ten years on Ayr District Court.

Political career

Bill Grant was first elected as a Conservative councillor on South Ayrshire Council at the 2007 Council elections, being elected to serve as one of four councillors in the Ayr West ward with more First Preference votes than any other candidate in the ward at 2,176 votes (30.3%), taking more votes than fellow Conservatives Robin Reid and Alistair Kerr.[2] He was re-elected in the 2012 Council elections with 1,992 First Preference votes (33.8%), again with more First Preference votes than any other candidate, including fellow Conservative Robin Reid.[3]

Grant stood as the Conservative Party candidate in Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock at the 2010 UK general election, coming in second place behind Labour's Sandra Osborne with a total of 11,721 votes (25.5%), an increase of 2.4% from the previous election of 2005.[4] He successfully gained the seat for the Conservatives at the 2017 general election from the SNP's Corri Wilson, taking 18,550 votes (40.1%) ahead of the SNP's Corri Wilson on 15,776 votes (34.1%), with a 2,774 vote (6.0%) majority, on a 17.5% swing from the SNP to the Conservatives.[5]

Grant made his maiden speech to the UK House of Commons on 3 July 2017.[6]

Personal life

Grant is a member of the Kyle and Carrick Civic Society, the Alloway Rotary, the Ayr Classic Motorcycle Club and the Ayr Building Preservation Trust. He is a keen DIY, gardening and motorcycling enthusiast.[7][8]

References

  1. ↑ Grant, Bill. ukwhoswho.com. Who's Who. 2018 (February 2018 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  2. ↑ "South Ayrshire Council – Elections 2007 – Results". south-ayrshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  3. ↑ "Election 2012 for South Ayrshire Council Ward 5 Ayr West". south-ayrshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  4. ↑ "Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock". BBC. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  5. ↑ "Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock parliamentary constituency – Election 2017". BBC News. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  6. ↑ "Bill Grant MP makes maiden speech". South Ayrshire. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  7. ↑ "Who are Scotland's new MPs?". BBC. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  8. ↑ "Councillor Bill Grant". southayrshireconservatives.org.uk. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  • Profile on South Ayrshire Conservatives website
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Corri Wilson		 Member of Parliament
for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock
2017–present		 Incumbent
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