Richard Ottaway
Encyclopedia
Richard Geoffrey James Ottaway (born 24 May 1945, Bristol
) is a British
Conservative
politician, and Member of Parliament
for Croydon South
.
in Backwell
, North Somerset
. He went to the Britannia Royal Naval College
in Dartmouth
and served as Royal Navy
officer from 1961-70.
He studied Law at Bristol University, graduating in 1974. He became a solicitor in 1977, becoming a partner of William A. Crump & Son from 1981-87 in London. He was a director of Coastal States Petroleum (UK) Ltd from 1988-95.
from 1983 to 1987. This was a long-standing Labour Party
seat, and he won it unexpectedly - with a majority of some 362 - in the 1983 landslide victory following the Falklands War
. Unsurprisingly the seat reverted to Labour in 1987, when he was defeated by the Labour Party's Graham Allen. He re-entered Parliament in 1992 when he won Croydon South, and has held the seat since.
it was revealed Ottaway was the only MP in Croydon to claim for a second home, a £467,100 residence located nine miles south of his constituency and that he owned another house minutes from the Houses of Parliament in Westminster. After negative publicity surrounding the claims, Mr Ottaway announced he would let Croydon South party members decide his fate in a vote of confidence.
The association's President, Lord Bowness, chaired the meeting which ended in a secret ballot of members which Ottaway won. Ian Parker, on behalf of the local party, said: "In the past few weeks there has been widespread and justified concern expressed over the system of parliamentary allowances and expenses. Richard Ottaway has apologised to constituents for his part in allowing an indefensible system of allowances to develop. He shares the local party's view that MPs should act honestly and decently. We expect MPs to live by the same rules and standards as those they wish to represent. No MP is above the law."
Among his expenses claims between April 2004 and March 2008 were £59.99 on lightbulbs, £50 for repairing a tractor tyre and £48 modifying a scarifier. He paid back £4,050 he had claimed on half of the price of a new bed from Harrods
and £1,400 for various homeware and electrical goods.
David Cameron’s
Conservative head office scrutiny panel did not ask him to pay back any more.
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
) 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...
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...
politician, 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,...
for Croydon South
Croydon South (UK Parliament constituency)
Croydon South 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...
.
Early life
He attended Backwell SchoolBackwell School
Backwell School is an academy in Backwell, North Somerset, England. The school, which has had academy status since May 2011, is a specialist Arts College, and includes a sixth form and takes pupils from the age of 11 to the age of 18...
in Backwell
Backwell
Backwell is a suburban village and civil parish in Somerset, England. It falls within the Unitary Authority of North Somerset and has a population of 5,455.It is south west of Bristol, on the A370 to Weston-super-Mare...
, North Somerset
North Somerset
North Somerset is a unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare....
. He went to the Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, and...
in Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...
and served as Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer from 1961-70.
He studied Law at Bristol University, graduating in 1974. He became a solicitor in 1977, becoming a partner of William A. Crump & Son from 1981-87 in London. He was a director of Coastal States Petroleum (UK) Ltd from 1988-95.
Parliamentary career
He was MP for Nottingham NorthNottingham North (UK Parliament constituency)
Nottingham North is a borough 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...
from 1983 to 1987. This was a long-standing Labour Party
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...
seat, and he won it unexpectedly - with a majority of some 362 - in the 1983 landslide victory following the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
. Unsurprisingly the seat reverted to Labour in 1987, when he was defeated by the Labour Party's Graham Allen. He re-entered Parliament in 1992 when he won Croydon South, and has held the seat since.
2009 expenses scandal
During the Daily Telegraph expenses scandalUnited Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal
The United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal was a major political scandal triggered by the leak and subsequent publication by the Telegraph Group in 2009 of expense claims made by members of the United Kingdom Parliament over several years...
it was revealed Ottaway was the only MP in Croydon to claim for a second home, a £467,100 residence located nine miles south of his constituency and that he owned another house minutes from the Houses of Parliament in Westminster. After negative publicity surrounding the claims, Mr Ottaway announced he would let Croydon South party members decide his fate in a vote of confidence.
The association's President, Lord Bowness, chaired the meeting which ended in a secret ballot of members which Ottaway won. Ian Parker, on behalf of the local party, said: "In the past few weeks there has been widespread and justified concern expressed over the system of parliamentary allowances and expenses. Richard Ottaway has apologised to constituents for his part in allowing an indefensible system of allowances to develop. He shares the local party's view that MPs should act honestly and decently. We expect MPs to live by the same rules and standards as those they wish to represent. No MP is above the law."
Among his expenses claims between April 2004 and March 2008 were £59.99 on lightbulbs, £50 for repairing a tractor tyre and £48 modifying a scarifier. He paid back £4,050 he had claimed on half of the price of a new bed from Harrods
Harrods
Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
and £1,400 for various homeware and electrical goods.
David Cameron’s
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
Conservative head office scrutiny panel did not ask him to pay back any more.
Foreign Affairs Select Committee
After the 2010 General Election he was elected the Chairman of the House of Commons Select Committee on Foreign Affairs.External links
- Richard Ottaway MP Official site
- ePolitix.com - Richard Ottaway MP
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Richard Ottaway MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Richard Ottaway MP
- The Public Whip - Richard Ottaway MP voting record
- BBC News - Richard Ottaway profile BBC News, 16 March 2006