Andrew Selous

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Andrew Selous
MP
Official portrait, 2019
Second Church Estates Commissioner
Assumed office
10 January 2020
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Liz Truss
Rishi Sunak
Preceded byDame Caroline Spelman
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice
In office
15 July 2014 – 17 July 2016
Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
Preceded byJeremy Wright
Succeeded bySam Gyimah
Member of Parliament
for South West Bedfordshire
Assumed office
7 June 2001
Preceded byDavid Madel
Majority18,583 (34.9%)
Personal details
Born (1962-04-27) 27 April 1962 (age 61)
Marylebone, London, England
Political partyConservative
SpouseHarriet Marston
Children3
EducationEton College
Alma materLondon School of Economics
OccupationMP
ProfessionBusiness, Industry, Trade
Websiteandrewselous.org.uk
Military career
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Years of service1981-1996
RankLieutenant
Service number533612
UnitHonourable Artillery Company
Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

Andrew Edmund Armstrong Selous (/səˈluː/; born 27 April 1962)[1] is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for South West Bedfordshire since the 2001 general election. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as Minister of State for Prisons from 2014 to 2016 in the government of Prime Minister David Cameron. Since 2020, Selous has served as Second Church Estates Commissioner.

Early life[edit]

Selous was born in Marylebone to Gerald and Mary Selous (née Casey).[2] He was privately educated both at West Downs School and Eton College. He then studied at the London School of Economics, receiving a BSc in Industry and Trade in 1984.

In 1981, Selous joined the Honourable Artillery Company as a soldier. On 1 October 1989, he was commissioned in the Queen's Division, Territorial Army, as a second lieutenant (on probation);[3] he then served with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.[4] He was promoted to lieutenant on 1 October 1991.[5] He was transferred to the London Regiment on 20 April 1993.[4] He moved to the Regular Army Reserve of Officers in January 1996, thereby ending his active service.[6]

From 1988 until 1994, he was a director of his family firm CNS Electronics (now CNS Farnell). Then, from 1991 until 2001, he was an underwriter at Great Lakes Reinsurance (UK) PLC.[7]

Parliamentary career[edit]

Selous was first elected to the House of Commons in 2001, and had previously contested the Sunderland North seat in 1997. He is a director and prominent member of the Conservative Christian Fellowship.[8]

In 2006, Selous was promoted to Shadow Minister for Work and Pensions.[9]

In the Coalition government, he was the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Iain Duncan Smith, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, from 28 May 2010 to 16 July 2014.[10] On 16 July 2014, he was appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Ministry of Justice with responsibility for Prisons and Probation and retained this role following the 2015 general election.[11] However he was asked to step down from the government by Theresa May after she became Prime Minister in July 2016.[12]

He attracted criticism in 2014 for reportedly stating at a Centre for Social Justice fringe meeting that "disabled people work harder because they're grateful to have a job". Selous subsequently said that he had simply been trying to convey the message that disabled people were valued by employers, and his observation that disabled people often work harder was supported by a spokesperson for Disability Rights UK.[13]

Selous chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group on Strengthening Couple Relationships, and argues that cross-party efforts to prevent family breakdown can relieve pressure on the care system.[14] He was opposed to the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, arguing that it was directly contrary to what Jesus said.[15]

He was appointed Second Church Estates Commissioner, responsible for representing the Church Commissioners in Parliament and in the General Synod of the Church of England, on 10 January 2020.[16]

References[edit]

  1. ^ The Public Whip (2019). "Andrew Selous compared to 'Homosexuality - Equal rights'". The Public Whip. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  2. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  3. ^ "No. 51942". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 November 1989. p. 13430.
  4. ^ a b "No. 53356". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 June 1993. p. 10973.
  5. ^ "No. 52713". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 November 1991. p. 17249.
  6. ^ "No. 54328". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 February 1996. p. 2933.
  7. ^ Selous, Andrew Edmund Armstrong. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2019. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U41957. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4. Retrieved 14 January 2020. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  8. ^ "Andrew Selous". BBC News. 23 October 2002. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  9. ^ "UK Political Database: Andrew Selous". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 30 April 2010.
  10. ^ "Parliamentary post for SW Beds MP". Bedfordtoday.co.uk. 28 May 2010. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  11. ^ "UK Prime Minister on Twitter". Twitter.
  12. ^ "Andrew Selous asked to step down as Prisons Minister by Theresa May". Bedfordshirenews.co.uk. 18 July 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  13. ^ "Andrew Selous: 'Disabled are grateful so work harder,' says Tory minister". Independent. 19 October 2014. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  14. ^ Selous, Andrew (11 March 2014). "Comment: Silver splitters are putting significant pressure on care system, MP warns". Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  15. ^ "Voices of dissent: Gay marriage opponents attack". Independent. 11 December 2012. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  16. ^ "The Church Commissioners for England have today welcomed the Crown appointment of Mr Andrew Selous MP as Second Estates Commissioner, succeeding the Rt Hon Dame Caroline Spelman". The Church of England. 10 January 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2020.

External links[edit]

News items[edit]

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for South West Bedfordshire
2001–present 		Incumbent
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