Colin Breed
Encyclopedia
Colin Edward Breed is a British
Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for South East Cornwall from 1997
until he stood down at the 2010 general election.
in north-east Surrey
, the son of a chef
and he was educated at Torquay Boys' Grammar School
. He was appointed as an area manager with the Midland Bank
in 1964. After 17 years with the bank, he became the managing director of Rowan Dartington
& Co Ltd in 1981, before becoming a director with Gemini Abrasives in 1992 until his election to Westminster
.
District Council and to the Saltash
Town Council in 1982. He was twice selected as the Mayor of Saltash. He was selected to contest the constituency
of Cornwall South East at the 1997 general election
, when the sitting Conservative
MP Robert Hicks
was retiring. The 1997 general election saw losses for the Conservatives across the UK and Breed was comfortably elected as the new Liberal Democrat MP for Cornwall South East with a majority of 6,480, and he had held the seat since. He made his maiden speech
on 24 June 1997 on the preservation of plant varieties.
In Parliament, Breed was appointed as a Liberal Democrat spokesman on Trade and Industry by Paddy Ashdown
in 1997. When Charles Kennedy
was elected as the Leader of the Liberal Democrats in 1999, Breed was promoted to the Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet
as the Shadow Agriculture
minister. In the same year he became a member of the General Medical Council
.
Breed was dropped from the Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet following the 2001 general election
, but was appointed as a spokesman on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
, before moving to speak on Defence
in 2002. He returned to be a spokesman on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs following the 2005 General Election
.
He stood down from Parliament in April 2010 and did not seek re-election. His seat was lost to the Conservatives
.
lay preacher and voted conservatively on issues such as homosexuality
. He married Janet Courtiour in 1968 in Torbay
and they have a son and a daughter.
News articles
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Liberal Democrat politician. He was 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 South East Cornwall from 1997
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
until he stood down at the 2010 general election.
Early life
He was born just after the warWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in north-east Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, the son of a chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
and he was educated at Torquay Boys' Grammar School
Torquay Boys' Grammar School
Torquay Boys' Grammar School is a selective boys grammar school in Torquay, Devon, England.-Admissions:, it has approximately 1,058 students. The school was founded in 1904 and celebrated its centenary in 2004...
. He was appointed as an area manager with the Midland Bank
Midland Bank
Midland Bank Plc was one of the Big Four banking groups in the United Kingdom for most of the 20th century. It is now part of HSBC. The bank was founded as the Birmingham and Midland Bank in Union Street, Birmingham, England in August 1836...
in 1964. After 17 years with the bank, he became the managing director of Rowan Dartington
Rowan Dartington
Rowan Dartington is an independent portfolio manager specializing in advisory and discretionary investment management. The company provides personalised investment management to IFAs, private clients, companies, charities and trusts.- Current Overview :...
& Co Ltd in 1981, before becoming a director with Gemini Abrasives in 1992 until his election to Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
.
Political career
Breed was elected as a councillor to both the CaradonCaradon
Caradon was a local government district in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It contained five towns: Callington, Liskeard, Looe, Saltash and Torpoint, and over 80 villages and hamlets within 41 civil parishes...
District Council and to the Saltash
Saltash
Saltash is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a population of 14,964. It lies in the south east of Cornwall, facing Plymouth over the River Tamar. It was in the Caradon district until March 2009 and is known as "the gateway to Cornwall". Saltash means ash tree by...
Town Council in 1982. He was twice selected as the Mayor of Saltash. He was selected to contest the constituency
United Kingdom constituencies
In the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly.Within the United Kingdom there are now five bodies with members elected by constituencies:...
of Cornwall South East at the 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
, when the sitting Conservative
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...
MP Robert Hicks
Robert Hicks (British politician)
Robert Adrian Hicks , was a British conservative Party politician.Hicks contested Aberavon in 1966. He was Member of Parliament for Bodmin from 1970 to February 1974 and from October 1974 to 1983...
was retiring. The 1997 general election saw losses for the Conservatives across the UK and Breed was comfortably elected as the new Liberal Democrat MP for Cornwall South East with a majority of 6,480, and he had held the seat since. He made his maiden speech
Maiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
on 24 June 1997 on the preservation of plant varieties.
In Parliament, Breed was appointed as a Liberal Democrat spokesman on Trade and Industry by Paddy Ashdown
Paddy Ashdown
Jeremy John Durham Ashdown, Baron Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, GCMG, KBE, PC , usually known as Paddy Ashdown, is a British politician and diplomat....
in 1997. When Charles Kennedy
Charles Kennedy
Charles Peter Kennedy is a British Liberal Democrat politician, who led the Liberal Democrats from 9 August 1999 until 7 January 2006 and is currently a Member of Parliament for the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency....
was elected as the Leader of the Liberal Democrats in 1999, Breed was promoted to the Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet
Shadow Cabinet
The Shadow Cabinet is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the government...
as the Shadow Agriculture
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was a United Kingdom government department created by the Board of Agriculture Act 1889 and at that time called the Board of Agriculture, and then from 1903 the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, and from 1919 the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries...
minister. In the same year he became a member of the General Medical Council
General Medical Council
The General Medical Council registers and regulates doctors practising in the United Kingdom. It has the power to revoke or restrict a doctor's registration if it deems them unfit to practise...
.
Breed was dropped from the Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet following the 2001 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
, but was appointed as a spokesman on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom...
, before moving to speak on Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
in 2002. He returned to be a spokesman on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs following the 2005 General Election
United 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....
.
He stood down from Parliament in April 2010 and did not seek re-election. His seat was lost to the Conservatives
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...
.
Personal life
Breed is a MethodistMethodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
lay preacher and voted conservatively on issues such as homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
. He married Janet Courtiour in 1968 in Torbay
Torbay
Torbay is an east-facing bay and natural harbour, at the western most end of Lyme Bay in the south-west of England, situated roughly midway between the cities of Exeter and Plymouth. Part of the ceremonial county of Devon, Torbay was made a unitary authority on 1 April 1998...
and they have a son and a daughter.
External links
- Colin Breed MP profile at the site of Liberal Democrats
- Profile at ePolitix.com
- Profile: Colin Breed at BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, 30 March 2006
News articles