Stephen Crabb
Encyclopedia
Stephen Crabb is a British
Conservative Party
politician
. He is the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Preseli Pembrokeshire
.
and brought up in council housing in Pembrokeshire
. He was educated at the Fenton Infants School, Barn Street Junior School (now both called Fenton Community Primary School) on Portfield and Tasker Milward V.C. School in Haverfordwest
from 1984-91. He was awarded a BSc
(1st) in Politics at the University of Bristol
in 1995 and a Master of Business Administration
from the London Business School
.
officer for the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services, before working at the London Chamber of Commerce
in 1998: he left them in 2002 as the policy and campaigns manager. He has been a business consultant
since.
He was elected as the chairman of the Southwark North and Bermondsey Conservative Association for two years in 1998 and in the same year was an election monitor
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
.
He unsuccessfully contested the House of Commons seat of Preseli Pembrokeshire at the 2001 General Election
but fell 2,946 votes short of removing the sitting Labour
MP Jackie Lawrence. He contested the seat again at the 2005 General Election
against a new candidate, Sue Hayman, as Lawrence had chosen to retire. Stephen Crabb was elected as the Conservative MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire with a majority of just 607 votes. He made his maiden speech
on 25 May 2005.
Since his election to parliament he has been a member of the Welsh Affairs
Select Committee. His constituency includes St David's
, the smallest city in Britain.
He spoke in favour of government plans to replace Trident in the debate on 14 March 2007.
Crabb is a patron of the Burma Campaign UK
, the London based group campaigning for human rights and democracy in Burma
In May 2009 it was revealed that Stephen Crabb claimed £8,049 on his second home expenses in order to refurbish a flat in London. After selling the flat for a profit, he "flipped" his expenses to cover a house that was being purchased for his family in Pembrokeshire. A room in another flat was then designated as his main home.
In the 2010 elections on May 6th Stephen Crabb retained his seat with a majority of 4,605 and 42.79% of the vote.
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...
. He is 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 Preseli Pembrokeshire
Preseli Pembrokeshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Preseli Pembrokeshire is a constituency of 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....
.
Background
Crabb was born in InvernessInverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
and brought up in council housing in Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
. He was educated at the Fenton Infants School, Barn Street Junior School (now both called Fenton Community Primary School) on Portfield and Tasker Milward V.C. School in Haverfordwest
Haverfordwest
Haverfordwest is the county town of Pembrokeshire, Wales and serves as the County's principal commercial and administrative centre. Haverfordwest is the most populous urban area in Pembrokeshire, with a population of 13,367 in 2001; though its community boundaries make it the second most populous...
from 1984-91. He was awarded a BSc
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
(1st) in Politics at the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
in 1995 and a Master of Business Administration
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...
from the London Business School
London Business School
London Business School is an international business school and a constituent college of the federal University of London, located in central London, beside Regent's Park...
.
Professional career
In 1996 he became a parliamentary affairsParliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
officer for the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services, before working at the London Chamber of Commerce
London Chamber of Commerce & Industry
The London Chamber of Commerce & Industry was established on 25 July 1881 at Mansion House in the City of London with 130 members. The London Chamber represented the London Metropolis and not just the City of London. Many of the original 130 members still play a role in London Chamber today...
in 1998: he left them in 2002 as the policy and campaigns manager. He has been a business consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
since.
Political career
From 1995 to 1996 he was a Christian Action Research and Education parliamentary intern.He was elected as the chairman of the Southwark North and Bermondsey Conservative Association for two years in 1998 and in the same year was an election monitor
Election monitoring
Election monitoring is the observation of an election by one or more independent parties, typically from another country or a non-governmental organization , primarily to assess the conduct of an election process on the basis of national legislation and international standards. There are national...
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
.
He unsuccessfully contested the House of Commons seat of Preseli Pembrokeshire at 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 fell 2,946 votes short of removing the sitting 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...
MP Jackie Lawrence. He contested the seat again at 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....
against a new candidate, Sue Hayman, as Lawrence had chosen to retire. Stephen Crabb was elected as the Conservative MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire with a majority of just 607 votes. 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 25 May 2005.
Since his election to parliament he has been a member of the Welsh Affairs
Wales Office
The Wales Office / Swyddfa Cymru is a United Kingdom government department. It replaced the former Welsh Office, which had extensive responsibility for governing Wales prior to Welsh devolution in 1999....
Select Committee. His constituency includes St David's
St David's
St Davids , is a city and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Lying on the River Alun on St David's Peninsula, it is Britain's smallest city in terms of both size and population, the final resting place of Saint David, the country's patron saint, and the de facto ecclesiastical capital of...
, the smallest city in Britain.
He spoke in favour of government plans to replace Trident in the debate on 14 March 2007.
Crabb is a patron of the Burma Campaign UK
Burma Campaign UK
Burma Campaign UK founded in 1991 is a London based Non Governmental Organisation that aims to achieve the 'restoration of human rights and democracy in Burma . BCUK campaigns on behalf of the Burmese pro-democracy movement and is the largest campaigning organisation for Burma in Europe...
, the London based group campaigning for human rights and democracy in Burma
In May 2009 it was revealed that Stephen Crabb claimed £8,049 on his second home expenses in order to refurbish a flat in London. After selling the flat for a profit, he "flipped" his expenses to cover a house that was being purchased for his family in Pembrokeshire. A room in another flat was then designated as his main home.
In the 2010 elections on May 6th Stephen Crabb retained his seat with a majority of 4,605 and 42.79% of the vote.
Personal life
He married Béatrice Monnier. They have a son (born January 2002) and daughter (born October 2004). He plays rugby for Commons and Lords RFC.External links
- Stephen Crabb MP official constituency website
- Stephen Crabb MP Conservative Party profile
- Stephen Crabb MP Welsh Conservative Party profile
- Preseli Pembrokeshire Conservatives
- Meet the MP: Stephen Crabb 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...
, 20 December 2005