Eddie Hughes (British politician)

Eddie Hughes
MP
Hughes in 2017
Member of Parliament
for Walsall North
Assumed office
8 June 2017
Preceded by David Winnick
Majority 2,601 (6.8%)
Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Assumed office
12 June 2018
Sec. of State James Brokenshire
Personal details
Born (1968-10-03) 3 October 1968
Birmingham, England
Political party Conservative
Alma mater University of Glamorgan

Edmund Francis Hughes[1] (born 3 October 1968) is an English Conservative Party politician. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Walsall North[2] since the general election on 8 June 2017, where he unexpectedly unseated the sitting veteran Labour Party MP David Winnick.[3] Winnick, 83 at the time, had held the seat for the previous 38 years.[4]

Early life and career

Hughes was born in Birmingham. The son of a bus driver, he was educated at Handsworth Grammar School[5] before studying Civil Engineering at the University of Glamorgan.[6] He had previously been Deputy Chief Executive of a local charity which provides accommodation for young people and a trustee of the Walsall Wood Allotment Charity, which helps people in financial need. Hughes served on the West Midlands Police Authority and was Chairman of Walsall Housing Group until June 2018.[7]

He was a councillor on Walsall Council from 1999 to 2018.[8] He has held several positions on the council including the decision-making cabinet, chairman of Children’s Services Scrutiny and Audit committees. Hughes continued to serve as a councillor alongside his role as an MP until his term expired in May 2018.

He was Chairman of WHG, the only MP who at the time who was the chair of a housing association.[9]

Parliamentary career

Hughes introduced a Ten Minute Rule bill into the House of Commons to improve tenant safety around carbon monoxide poisoning. It received a first reading on 13 September 2017.[10]

Hughes spoke in the Commons during a debate on NHS pay in September 2017, stating that the starting salary for a newly qualified nurse was higher than that of the average constituent of Walsall North, in defending not lifting a below inflation cap of 1% on public-sector pay increases. He said it was his job to stick up for everyone, not just people in the public sector, which caused some controversy. Despite his intervention, the opposition motion to lift the cap was passed.[11] The Conservative Government subsequently announced, in March 2018, that they would end the cap on NHS salaries.[12]

Hughes has campaigned for more front line police on the streets and raised the issue with Theresa May in the House of Commons.[13]

He is a supporter of Brexit, campaigning for a leave vote, and was one of 62 Conservative MPs who wrote to the Prime Minister urging support for her Lancaster House speech.[14]

Hughes is a member of the Consolidation Bills Committee and the Women & Equalities Select Committee.[15]

Hughes was made a Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in June 2018.

Other political work

Hughes works with libertarian Conservative think tank Freer UK, with whom he released a report on blockchain technologies, advocating that the UK government appoint a Chief Blockchain Officer.[16][17] The Financial Times criticised the paper at length.[18]

Personal life

He lives in Walsall with his wife, and has two grown-up children.[19] His brother Des was a Labour councillor.[20]

References

  1. ↑ "No. 61961". The London Gazette. 19 June 2017. p. 11779.
  2. ↑ "Eddie Hughes MP". UK Parliament.
  3. ↑ Leather, Harry. "Walsall General Election results: Labour's David Winnick loses seat he had held since 1979". www.expressandstar.com. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  4. ↑ Metro.co.uk, Toby Meyjes for (9 June 2017). "Parliament's oldest MP David Winnick, 83, loses seat he held since 1979".
  5. ↑ Hughes, Edmund Francis. ukwhoswho.com. Who's Who. 2018 (February 2018 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  6. ↑ "Hughes, Edmund Francis, MP (C) Walsall, since 2017." WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 13 Dec. 2017.
  7. ↑ "About Eddie Hughes". Eddie Hughes. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  8. ↑ CMIS. "CMIS > Councillors". cmispublic.walsall.gov.uk.
  9. ↑ Barker, Nathaniel (10 January 2018). "Steady Eddie: the MP who chairs a housing association". Inside Housing. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  10. ↑ "Speech in Hansard".
  11. ↑ Walker, Jonathan (14 September 2017). "MP insists nurses are already well paid compared to the rest of us". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  12. ↑ Cowburn, Ashley (21 March 2018). "NHS staff pay rise of 6.5% 'set to be agreed' after seven year wage cap". Independent. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  13. ↑ Madeley, Peter (21 February 2018). "Tory MP Eddie Hughes launches scathing attack on David Jamieson in Parliament, calling on Theresa May for support over police officer numbers". Express & Star. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  14. ↑ Madeley, Peter (21 February 2018). "Hard Brexit faction demand 'clean break' from EU". Express & Star. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  15. ↑ "UK Parliament".
  16. ↑ McDougall, Mary (2018-07-04). "Tory MP says UK needs a chief blockchain officer". City A.M. Retrieved 2018-07-04.
  17. ↑ Pritchard, Tom. "Walsall MP Declares UK Government Needs a 'Chief Blockchain Officer'". Gizmodo UK. Retrieved 2018-07-04.
  18. ↑ Kelly, Jemima (4 July 2018). "Building a blockchain Britain in Bloxwich, because ...?". Financial Times. Retrieved 2018-07-04.
  19. ↑ "About Eddie Hughes". Eddie Hughes. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  20. ↑ Elkes, Neil (13 May 2010). "Brothers divided by politics in Streetly and Kingstanding". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
David Winnick		 Member of Parliament
for Walsall North
2017–present		 Incumbent
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