Peter Bone
Encyclopedia
Peter William Bone is a British
Conservative Party
politician
and Member of Parliament
(MP) for Wellingborough and Rushden
.
and was educated at Westcliff-on-Sea
High School for Boys
. Bone plays cricket as a left arm bowler for Cambridge Methodists Cricket Club in Leeds, West Yorkshire, and Wellingborough Old Grammarians 3rd XI.
and became the Finance Director of the Essex
Electronics and Precision Engineering Group.
In 1982, he became press secretary
to Paul Channon
MP. Bone became the Chief Executive
of the High Tech Electronics Company in 1983 until 1990.
In 1995 Bone was described as Britain's "meanest boss" by the Daily Mirror when he defended paying a 17-year-old trainee 87p an hour. Bone is a former member of the Southern Airport Management Committee.
Borough Council, where he served for eight years until 1986.
He was elected as the Deputy Chairman of the Southend West
Conservative Association in 1977 and continued in the position until 1984.
He contested the parliamentary
seat of Islwyn
in the South Wales
industrial valleys at the 1992 general election
against the Leader of the Opposition Neil Kinnock
. Bone's 6,180 votes remains the best Conservative result in this Labour stronghold. He subsequently fought the European Parliament
election in 1994 for Mid and West Wales
coming third.
Bone was a member of the National Union Executive Committee between 1993 until 1996. He was chosen for the seemingly safe Conservative seat of Pudsey
following the retirement of the veteran MP Giles Shaw
at the 1997 general election
but lost following a swing of 13.20% to the Labour
's Paul Truswell
, compared to a national swing of 10% from Conservative to Labour.
In the 2001 general election
he fought the ultra marginal of Wellingborough
, where the sitting Labour MP Paul Stinchcombe
was holding on with a majority of just 187, having defeated the veteran Tory MP Peter Fry
in 1997. Stinchcombe held on to his seat by 2,355, a swing of 2.1% to Labour compared with a national swing of 1.75 to the Conservatives. However, four years later, in the 2005 general election
, Bone ousted Stinchcombe in Wellingborough with a majority of 687 votes, a swing of 2.9% compared to a national swing of 3.1% to the Conservatives. He made his maiden speech
on 7 June 2005.
Bone is regularly one of the ten most active MPs in Parliament, in terms of Questions asked and other contributions.
However the quality of those interventions was questioned in a 2006 Times article about the Theyworkforyou
website. Bone was one of 3 new MPs specifically mentioned who boosted “their ratings on the internet by saying very little, very often.” Amongst his 109 “speeches” was one which ran to three short sentences in which he told fellow MPs that the sub-postmaster in Little Irchester had “the only business in the village”.
He is a member of the socially conservative
Cornerstone Group
and in a 2007 report, he argued that the NHS "would not be out of place in Stalin's Russia". Bone has signed several Early Day Motion
s supporting Homoeopathy. He has voted to lower the abortion time limit to twelve weeks and voted against abolishing the offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel. The abortion time limit vote failed and the blasphemy vote passed.
Bone is also a Member of the 1922 Committee
and has been an Executive Member since 2007. He has campaigned on a number of issues including road traffic deaths, white slavery and underfunding of the NHS in Northamptonshire.
In March 2009 Bone was a key speaker opposing the use of the House of Commons by the UK Youth Parliament
.
Bone was a member of the Trade and Industry Select Committee from 2005-07. He has been a member of the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments
and the Commons Committee on Statutory Instruments since 2005 and the Health Select Committee
from 2007 to 2010.
In 2010, having unsuccessfully contesting the Chairmanship for the Health Select Committee
, he was elected to Speakers Chairman Panel and the Backbench Business Committee.. Further to this Bone has served as Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Human Trafficking, Treasurer of the APPG on Human Trafficking of Women and Children and APPG on Road Trafficking.
Bone is rated as one of the Conservatives' most rebellious MPs.
In 2007-2008 he paid her "in the top bracket of up to £40,000" per annum and was also one of 32 MPs who claimed the maximum allowance of £4,800 a year for food. His expenses for 2007-2008 were ranked 115 out of 645 MPs.
His expenses for 2008-2009 were ranked 84th. He was not mentioned in the 2009 Legg Report and therefore was not one of the 343 MPs required to pay back any money.
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...
Conservative Party
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
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and 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 Wellingborough and Rushden
Wellingborough (UK Parliament constituency)
Wellingborough 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...
.
Personal life
Bone was born in 1952 in BillericayBillericay
Billericay is a town and civil parish in the Basildon borough of Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin, has a population of 40,000, and constitutes a commuter town east of central London. The town has three secondary schools and a variety of open spaces...
and was educated at Westcliff-on-Sea
Westcliff-on-Sea
Westcliff-on-Sea is a suburb of Southend-on-Sea, a seaside resort in the East of England and unitary authority in Essex. It is situated on the northern bank of the Thames Estuary and about 34 miles east of London.-Geography:...
High School for Boys
Westcliff High School for Boys
Westcliff High School for Boys is a selective academy grammar school for boys aged 11 to 18 in Westcliff-on-Sea, near Southend-on-Sea, Essex and surrounding areas. In September 2001 the school was awarded "Beacon" status for its breadth of achievements and quality of work...
. Bone plays cricket as a left arm bowler for Cambridge Methodists Cricket Club in Leeds, West Yorkshire, and Wellingborough Old Grammarians 3rd XI.
Career
He qualified as a chartered accountantChartered Accountant
Chartered Accountants were the first accountants to form a professional body, initially established in Britain in 1854. The Edinburgh Society of Accountants , the Glasgow Institute of Accountants and Actuaries and the Aberdeen Society of Accountants were each granted a royal charter almost from...
and became the Finance Director of the Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
Electronics and Precision Engineering Group.
In 1982, he became press secretary
Press secretary
A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage....
to Paul Channon
Paul Channon
Henry Paul Guinness Channon, Baron Kelvedon, PC , was Conservative MP for Southend West for 38 years, from 1959 until 1997...
MP. Bone became the Chief Executive
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of the High Tech Electronics Company in 1983 until 1990.
In 1995 Bone was described as Britain's "meanest boss" by the Daily Mirror when he defended paying a 17-year-old trainee 87p an hour. Bone is a former member of the Southern Airport Management Committee.
Political career
In 1977 he was elected as a councillor to Southend-on-SeaSouthend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
Borough Council, where he served for eight years until 1986.
He was elected as the Deputy Chairman of the Southend West
Southend West (UK Parliament constituency)
Southend West is a parliamentary 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....
Conservative Association in 1977 and continued in the position until 1984.
He contested the parliamentary
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...
seat of Islwyn
Islwyn (UK Parliament constituency)
Islwyn is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.This area, historically known for coal-mining, is a safe Labour Party seat latterly held by the former Leader of the Opposition Neil Kinnock...
in the South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
industrial valleys at the 1992 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
against the Leader of the Opposition Neil Kinnock
Neil Kinnock
Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock is a Welsh politician belonging to the Labour Party. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995 and as Labour Leader and Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition from 1983 until 1992 - his leadership of the party during nearly nine years making him...
. Bone's 6,180 votes remains the best Conservative result in this Labour stronghold. He subsequently fought the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
election in 1994 for Mid and West Wales
Mid and West Wales (European Parliament constituency)
Mid and West Wales was a European Parliament constituency covering south western Wales.Prior to its uniform adoption of proportional representation in 1999, the United Kingdom used first-past-the-post for the European elections in England, Scotland and Wales...
coming third.
Bone was a member of the National Union Executive Committee between 1993 until 1996. He was chosen for the seemingly safe Conservative seat of Pudsey
Pudsey (UK Parliament constituency)
Pudsey is a 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.- Boundaries :...
following the retirement of the veteran MP Giles Shaw
Giles Shaw
Sir John Giles Dunkerley Shaw, known as Giles Shaw, was a British Conservative Party politician.Shaw was born in York, the son of an engineer. He was educated at Sedbergh School and St...
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...
but lost following a swing of 13.20% to 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...
's Paul Truswell
Paul Truswell
Paul Anthony Truswell is an English Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Pudsey from 1997 to 2010.He is a graduate of the University of Leeds and a former Leeds City Councillor....
, compared to a national swing of 10% from Conservative to Labour.
In 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...
he fought the ultra marginal of Wellingborough
Wellingborough (UK Parliament constituency)
Wellingborough 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...
, where the sitting Labour MP Paul Stinchcombe
Paul Stinchcombe
Paul David Stinchcombe is a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.-Early life:He went to the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe. At Trinity College, Cambridge, he studied Law, gaining an MA. He went to Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, gaining a LLM...
was holding on with a majority of just 187, having defeated the veteran Tory MP Peter Fry
Peter Fry
Sir Peter Derek Fry is a British Conservative Party politician.Born in High Wycombe, Fry was educated at the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe, and Worcester College, Oxford. He became an insurance broker and a director of the family retail clothing business...
in 1997. Stinchcombe held on to his seat by 2,355, a swing of 2.1% to Labour compared with a national swing of 1.75 to the Conservatives. However, four years later, in 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....
, Bone ousted Stinchcombe in Wellingborough with a majority of 687 votes, a swing of 2.9% compared to a national swing of 3.1% to the Conservatives. 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 7 June 2005.
Bone is regularly one of the ten most active MPs in Parliament, in terms of Questions asked and other contributions.
However the quality of those interventions was questioned in a 2006 Times article about the Theyworkforyou
TheyWorkForYou
TheyWorkForYou is a website run by mySociety, a project of registered charity UK Citizens Online Democracy, and is a tool for political campaigners and those interested in the Parliamentary activities of UK MPs, Lords, and Northern Ireland MLAs....
website. Bone was one of 3 new MPs specifically mentioned who boosted “their ratings on the internet by saying very little, very often.” Amongst his 109 “speeches” was one which ran to three short sentences in which he told fellow MPs that the sub-postmaster in Little Irchester had “the only business in the village”.
He is a member of the socially conservative
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
Cornerstone Group
Cornerstone Group
The Cornerstone Group is a socially conservative or traditional conservative political organisation within the British Conservative Party. The group emphasises traditional values, exemplified by the motto: Faith, Flag, and Family. It consists of Members of Parliament with a traditionalist stance,...
and in a 2007 report, he argued that the NHS "would not be out of place in Stalin's Russia". Bone has signed several Early Day Motion
Early day motion
An Early Day Motion , in the Westminster system, is a motion, expressed as a single sentence, tabled by Members of Parliament for debate "on an early day" . Controversial EDMs are not signed by Government Ministers, PPS or the Speaker of the House of Commons and very few are debated on the floor...
s supporting Homoeopathy. He has voted to lower the abortion time limit to twelve weeks and voted against abolishing the offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel. The abortion time limit vote failed and the blasphemy vote passed.
Bone is also a Member of the 1922 Committee
1922 Committee
In British politics, the 1922 Committee is a committee of Conservative Members of Parliament. Voting membership is limited to backbench MPs although frontbench Conservative MPs have an open invitation to attend meetings. While the party was in opposition, frontbench MPs other than the party leader...
and has been an Executive Member since 2007. He has campaigned on a number of issues including road traffic deaths, white slavery and underfunding of the NHS in Northamptonshire.
In March 2009 Bone was a key speaker opposing the use of the House of Commons by the UK Youth Parliament
UK Youth Parliament
The UK Youth Parliament is a youth organisation in the United Kingdom, consisting of democratically elected members aged between 11 and 18....
.
Bone was a member of the Trade and Industry Select Committee from 2005-07. He has been a member of the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments
Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments
The Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments is a select committee of both the House of Commons and House of Lords in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The remit of the committee is to scrutinise all statutory instruments made in exercise of powers granted by Act of Parliament...
and the Commons Committee on Statutory Instruments since 2005 and the Health Select Committee
Health Select Committee
The Health Select Committee is one of the Select Committees of the British House of Commons. It oversees the operations of the Department of Health and its associated bodies.-Membership:...
from 2007 to 2010.
In 2010, having unsuccessfully contesting the Chairmanship for the Health Select Committee
Health Select Committee
The Health Select Committee is one of the Select Committees of the British House of Commons. It oversees the operations of the Department of Health and its associated bodies.-Membership:...
, he was elected to Speakers Chairman Panel and the Backbench Business Committee.. Further to this Bone has served as Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Human Trafficking, Treasurer of the APPG on Human Trafficking of Women and Children and APPG on Road Trafficking.
Bone is rated as one of the Conservatives' most rebellious MPs.
Private Member's Bills
Currently sponsoring European Convention on Human Rights (Withdrawal) Bill 2010-11: a Bill to make provision for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Convention on Human Rights.Expenses
Bone employs his wife, Jennie, as his executive secretary.In 2007-2008 he paid her "in the top bracket of up to £40,000" per annum and was also one of 32 MPs who claimed the maximum allowance of £4,800 a year for food. His expenses for 2007-2008 were ranked 115 out of 645 MPs.
His expenses for 2008-2009 were ranked 84th. He was not mentioned in the 2009 Legg Report and therefore was not one of the 343 MPs required to pay back any money.
External links
- Peter Bone MP biography at the site of the Conservative Party
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Peter Bone MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Peter Bone MP
- Wellingborough Conservatives
- The Public Whip - Peter Bone MP voting record
- BBC Politics page