Adam Holloway
Encyclopedia
Adam James Harold Holloway (born 29 July 1965) is a British Conservative Party
politician and the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Gravesham
.
, Kent
, a son of the Reverend Roger Holloway OBE (who died 2010), he was educated at Cranleigh School
, Surrey, before going to Magdalene College, Cambridge
, where he took the degree of MA in social and political sciences
and Imperial College London
, graduating with a MBA
degree. Before entering the House of Commons he was commissioned in the British Army
as a Grenadier
. After leaving the army, he worked as an investigative journalist with ITN, World in Action
, Panorama
and the Sunday Times
. During his military service he saw active combat in the Gulf War
and elsewhere, being promoted to the rank of captain.
to represent the Kent constituency of Gravesham
, defeating the Labour
minister Chris Pond
by just 654 votes, while acquiring one of the largest swings from Labour to Conservative in the country at 4.9% in that General Election. This was the first time since the Second World War that Gravesham (or its predecessor, the Gravesend
constituency) had not been held by the party of government.
Holloway made his maiden speech in the House of Commons on 28 June 2005. He also spoke (on 15 September 2006) alongside US Congressman John Shimkus
to students on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
(SIUE).
Holloway sat on the Defence Select Committee
from 2006 to 2010. He serves as Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Middle East Council.
Holloway was returned as MP for Gravesham on 6 May 2010 with 22,956 votes, 48.5% of the vote, and with an increased majority of 9,312.
In October 2010 he was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary
to David Lidington
, the Minister of State
for Europe and NATO in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
. He resigned from this junior Government post, on 24 October 2011, so as to be able to defy a three-line whip
against a Commons motion tabled by a Tory backbencher on the EU and thereby representing what he understands to be the wishes of the majority of his constituents. Holloway's decision to quit his Government post was compounded by prospective legislation to which he is also strongly opposed.
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician and the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Gravesham
Gravesham (UK Parliament constituency)
Gravesham is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
.
Early life
Born in FavershamFaversham
Faversham is a market town and civil parish in the Swale borough of Kent, England. The parish of Faversham grew up around an ancient sea port on Faversham Creek and was the birthplace of the explosives industry in England.-History:...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, a son of the Reverend Roger Holloway OBE (who died 2010), he was educated at Cranleigh School
Cranleigh School
Cranleigh School is an independent English boarding school in the village of Cranleigh, Surrey. It was founded in 1865 as a boys' school and started to admit girls in the early 1970s. It is now co-educational. The current headmaster is Guy de W...
, Surrey, before going to Magdalene College, Cambridge
Magdalene College, Cambridge
Magdalene College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary Magdalene...
, where he took the degree of MA in social and political sciences
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
, graduating with a MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
degree. Before entering the House of Commons he was commissioned in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
as a Grenadier
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
. After leaving the army, he worked as an investigative journalist with ITN, World in Action
World in Action
World in Action was a British investigative current affairs programme made by Granada Television from 1963 until 1998. Its campaigning journalism frequently had a major impact on events of the day. Its production teams often took audacious risks and gained a solid reputation for its often...
, Panorama
Panorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
and the Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
. During his military service he saw active combat in the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
and elsewhere, being promoted to the rank of captain.
Parliamentary career
Holloway was elected in the 2005 General ElectionUnited Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
to represent the Kent constituency of Gravesham
Gravesham (UK Parliament constituency)
Gravesham is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
, defeating the Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
minister Chris Pond
Chris Pond
Christopher Richard Pond, is a former Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was Member of Parliament for Gravesham in Kent, from 1997 to 2005.-Early life:...
by just 654 votes, while acquiring one of the largest swings from Labour to Conservative in the country at 4.9% in that General Election. This was the first time since the Second World War that Gravesham (or its predecessor, the Gravesend
Gravesend (UK Parliament constituency)
Gravesend was a county constituency centred on the town of Gravesend, Kent which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1868 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election....
constituency) had not been held by the party of government.
Holloway made his maiden speech in the House of Commons on 28 June 2005. He also spoke (on 15 September 2006) alongside US Congressman John Shimkus
John Shimkus
John Mondy Shimkus is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He is a member of the Republican Party....
to students on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, commonly abbreviated SIUE, is a four-year coed public university in Edwardsville, Illinois about from St. Louis, Missouri. SIUE was established in 1957 as an extension of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and is the younger of the two largest...
(SIUE).
Holloway sat on the Defence Select Committee
Defence Select Committee
The Defence Select Committee is one of the Select Committees of the British House of Commons, having been established in 1979. It oversees the operations of the Ministry of Defence and its associated public bodies, including the armed forces.-Membership:...
from 2006 to 2010. He serves as Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Middle East Council.
Holloway was returned as MP for Gravesham on 6 May 2010 with 22,956 votes, 48.5% of the vote, and with an increased majority of 9,312.
In October 2010 he was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to David Lidington
David Lidington
David Roy Lidington PC is a British Conservative Party politician, who has been Member of Parliament for Aylesbury since 1992...
, the Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
for Europe and NATO in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
. He resigned from this junior Government post, on 24 October 2011, so as to be able to defy a three-line whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
against a Commons motion tabled by a Tory backbencher on the EU and thereby representing what he understands to be the wishes of the majority of his constituents. Holloway's decision to quit his Government post was compounded by prospective legislation to which he is also strongly opposed.