Philip Bradbourn
Encyclopedia
Philip Bradbourn OBE
MEP (born 9 August 1951, Tipton
, Staffordshire
) is a British
politician, and Member of the European Parliament
for the West Midlands
, for the Conservative Party
. He has been a member of the European Parliament
since 1999.
He was a parliamentary candidate for Wolverhampton South East in the 1992 general election
and stood for the European Parliament in County Durham
in 1994.
Until his election he was adviser to the Conservative Group Leader on Wolverhampton City Council. He held various local authority posts mainly based around planning. He was also the Chairman of the West Midlands Region Conservatives.
In the 1992 General Election he stood as Conservative Candidate in the Wolverhampton South-East Parliamentary Constituency and in the 1994 European Elections was European Conservative Candidate for the County Durham European Constituency.
Born in Tipton in 1951, Philip Bradbourn was educated at Tipton
Grammar School and then at Wulfrun College and Worcester College where he obtained a post-graduate Diploma in Municipal Administration in 1972. Raised in the Black Country
, he still lives in the area.
He was awarded the OBE
for public and political service in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 1994.
Bradbourn pursued a complaint against the News of the World
with the Press Complaints Commission
. The News of the World then issued this apology "Contrary to the claim in our article "EU blows millions on fact finding freebies for MEPs" (18.5.08), Philip Bradbourn MEP did not visit Table Mountain or a wine estate during a South Africa trip. We apologise for any embarrassment."
instead of Birmingham
, England
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
MEP (born 9 August 1951, Tipton
Tipton
Tipton is a town in the Sandwell borough of the West Midlands, England, with a population of around 47,000. Tipton is located about halfway between Birmingham and Wolverhampton. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is a part of the Black Country....
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
) is a British
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...
politician, and Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
for the West Midlands
West Midlands (European Parliament constituency)
West Midlands is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elected 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation. The constituency will also elect a "virtual MEP" who will be able to sit in the Parliament if the Treaty of Lisbon comes into effect...
, for the 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...
. He has been a member of 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...
since 1999.
He was a parliamentary candidate for Wolverhampton South East in 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...
and stood for the European Parliament in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
in 1994.
Until his election he was adviser to the Conservative Group Leader on Wolverhampton City Council. He held various local authority posts mainly based around planning. He was also the Chairman of the West Midlands Region Conservatives.
In the 1992 General Election he stood as Conservative Candidate in the Wolverhampton South-East Parliamentary Constituency and in the 1994 European Elections was European Conservative Candidate for the County Durham European Constituency.
Born in Tipton in 1951, Philip Bradbourn was educated at Tipton
Tipton
Tipton is a town in the Sandwell borough of the West Midlands, England, with a population of around 47,000. Tipton is located about halfway between Birmingham and Wolverhampton. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is a part of the Black Country....
Grammar School and then at Wulfrun College and Worcester College where he obtained a post-graduate Diploma in Municipal Administration in 1972. Raised in the Black Country
Black Country
The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation...
, he still lives in the area.
He was awarded the OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for public and political service in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 1994.
Expenses claims
In May 2008 it was reported Philip Bradbourn has used tax-payers' money to fund lavish trips across the world, including a visit to Table Mountain in South Africa and a wine route tour of the Neethlingshof Wine Estate in 2007. The six-day excursion is estimated to have cost £30,000.Bradbourn pursued a complaint against the News of the World
News of the World
The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
with the Press Complaints Commission
Press Complaints Commission
The Press Complaints Commission is a voluntary regulatory body for British printed newspapers and magazines, consisting of representatives of the major publishers. The PCC is funded by the annual levy it charges newspapers and magazines...
. The News of the World then issued this apology "Contrary to the claim in our article "EU blows millions on fact finding freebies for MEPs" (18.5.08), Philip Bradbourn MEP did not visit Table Mountain or a wine estate during a South Africa trip. We apologise for any embarrassment."
Smoking incident
On 12 September 2007, an article appeared in the Times referring to an incident which occurred in the European Parliament (a non-smoking building), where he was found smoking in a corridor. When it was pointed out to him that he was not permitted to smoke inside the Parliament, he reportedly responded "I'm a member. I make the rules." Bradbourn, however, denied this, saying that his exact words were, "Elected members make the rules in Parliament, not staff.”Birmingham confusion
Philip Bradbourn also came under fire last year when it was discovered that the website of the West Midlands Conservative MEPs showed a photo of Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
instead of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.