Dan Poulter

Daniel Leonard James Poulter[2][3] (born 30 October 1978) is a British Conservative Party politician, who was elected at the 2010 general election as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich. Poulter is a psychiatrist [4] and served as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department of Health between September 2012 and May 2015 when he returned to the backbenches.[1][5]

Dan Poulter

MP
Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Health Services
In office
4 September 2012 – 12 May 2015
Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
Preceded bySimon Burns
Succeeded byBen Gummer
Member of Parliament
for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
Assumed office
6 May 2010
Preceded byMichael Lord
Majority23,391 (41.6%)
Personal details
Born
Daniel Leonard James Poulter

(1978-10-30) 30 October 1978[1]
Beckenham, Kent, England[2]
NationalityBritish
Political partyConservative
Alma materUniversity of Bristol LLB
King's College London MBBS, AKC
ProfessionPolitician and Psychiatrist
Websitewww.drdanielpoulter.com

Early life and career

Poulter was born in Beckenham in Kent.[2] He was privately educated at Vinehall School and Battle Abbey School before attending the University of Bristol, graduating with a Law degree, before qualifying as a medical doctor at King's College London (MBBS; AKC).[2]

Poulter worked as a junior doctor training in obstetrics and gynaecological medicine and has published articles in the area of women's health.[2] During the 2011 parliamentary summer recesses, Poulter worked at the James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston, in the Accident and Emergency department.[6] At the time of meeting David Cameron in 2006, who inspired him to enter politics, he was working in Mental Health.[7] In 2018, Poulter became a Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and continues to work as an NHS mental health Doctor [4]

Poulter was elected as a Conservative member of Hastings Borough Council in 2006, serving until 2007.[2] He was the deputy leader of Reigate and Banstead Council between 2008 and 2010.

Parliamentary career

Poulter was elected as the Member of Parliament for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich at the 2010 general election, receiving 27,125 votes, increasing the Conservative majority of his predecessor, Michael Lord, seeing a vote share of 50.8%.[8]

In 2011, he was credited with a "lifesaving" intervention in Parliament when he persuaded fellow Conservative MP Guy Opperman to seek urgent medical treatment.[9] Opperman subsequently had a brain tumour removed.

Poulter announced he would resign from the British Medical Association in 2012, following an announced doctors' strike.[10] He said he did not believe "striking as a doctor could ever be justified" and defended plans for doctors' pensions.

In September 2012, Poulter became the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health.[1][5] His primary responsibilities as a Health Minister were for workforce issues, NHS estates and IT systems.[11] After the 2015 general election, Poulter returned to the back benches, and to working part-time as a doctor.[12]

In October 2015, Poulter expressed his support for protests by doctors and others against the Conservative government's proposed changes to the junior doctors' contract.[13][14] In April 2016, Poulter widened his criticism of the Conservative government, in a Guardian article.[15] In January 2016, he announced his support for medicinal cannabis saying it should "be used and encouraged".

Poulter was opposed to Brexit prior to the 2016 EU membership referendum.[16]

Despite opposing Brexit prior to 2016, Poulter consistently voted along party lines concerning leaving the EU, including votes to allow no deal and to suppress yellowhammer. He also repeatedly expressed support for the suspension of parliament by Boris Johnson in 2019, which was subsequently found to be unlawful.[17]

The 2019 People-Power Index which ranks MPs (based on participation in Parliament, availability to constituents, and listening to the public) ranked Poulter at 627 in the list of 650. [18]


Sunday Times libel case

In November 2017, the Sunday Times printed accusations made to the newspaper by Andrew Bridgen MP that Poulter had sexually assaulted three female MPs eight years previously. The Conservative Party Panel investigated the matter and exonerated Poulter, confirming that no woman had ever made a complaint about him. It dismissed the Bridgen claims as having "no reliable evidence" to support them.[19]

In February 2019, the Sunday Times apologised in open court to Poulter, acknowledging that the allegations were false, defamatory and should not have been published. The articles were removed from the newspaper's website and Times Newspapers Limited agreed that it would not republish the same or similar allegations about Poulter in the future. The Sunday Times paid substantial damages to him, as well as his legal costs.[20][21][22]

References
  1. "Daniel Poulter MP". BBC Democracy Live. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  2. "POULTER, Dr Daniel Leonard James". Who's Who. A & C Black and Oxford University Press. November 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2012. Login or subscription required.
  3. "No. 59418". The London Gazette. 13 May 2010. p. 8745.
  4. Register of Interests
  5. Daniel Poulter Archived 2 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine, parliament.uk. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  6. "East MPs opt for fresh challenges in their summer break". BBC News Online. 8 August 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  7. Quinn, Ben (14 April 2016). "PM has broken pledges to help disadvantaged, says Tory ex-minister". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  8. "2010 General Election result". BBC News Online. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  9. McGurran, Deborah (17 May 2011). "Dr Dan Poulter MP: Doctor in the House". BBC. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  10. Poulter, Daniel (31 May 2012). "Striking as a doctor can never be justified – I am resigning from the BMA". Guardian. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  11. "Health ministers' portfolios revealed by DH". GPonline.com. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  12. "Poulter out and Gummer in as Tories reshuffle health ministers". nursingtimes.net. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  13. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. Elgot, Jessica (17 October 2015). "Jeremy Hunt: I would protest if I were a 'misled' junior doctor". The Guardian.
  15. Quinn, Ben (14 April 2016). "PM has broken pledges to help disadvantaged, says Tory ex-minister". The Guardian.
  16. Goodenough, Tom (16 February 2016). "Which Tory MPs back Brexit, who doesn't and who is still on the fence?". The Spectator. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  17. "MPS split on party lines over Johnson's bid to cut Parliamentary sittings".
  18. https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/2019-general-election-change-org-list-1-6409419
  19. "MP Dan Poulter wins damages over Sunday Times sex assault claims". BBC News. 25 February 2019.
  20. The Guardian
  21. "Suffolk MP wins damages and apology from Sunday Times over unfounded allegations". East Anglian Daily Times.
  22. PHB
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Michael Lord		 Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
2010–present		 Incumbent
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