Chris Clarkson
MP
Official portrait, 2020
Member of Parliament
for Heywood and Middleton
Assumed office
12 December 2019
Preceded byLiz McInnes
Majority663 (1.4%)
Personal details
Born
Christopher Mark Clarkson[1]

(1982-11-12) 12 November 1982
Wegberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany[2]
Political partyConservative
Alma materUniversity of Dundee

Christopher Mark Clarkson (born 12 November 1982) is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Heywood & Middleton since the 2019 general election. Prior to entering Parliament, Clarkson was a Salford City Councilor for Worsley.

Early life and career

Clarkson was born to Terence Clarkson and Alison Clarkson (née Parker) in Wegberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany.[2] He grew up in Blackburn, Lancashire where he attended St Wilfrid's Church of England High School, before studying law at Dundee University. He has worked for IRIS Legal as a corporate development manager, and was a consultant at Virgin from 2010 to 2019.[2]

Political career

Clarkson is a member of the Countryside Alliance and a supporter of Brexit.[3] He identifies as a One Nation Conservative, as well as a member of the Tory Reform Group. Prior to being elected to Parliament, he was a Salford City councillor between 2011 and 2019.[4] Whilst on the council, he was chair of the Audit and Accounts Committee from 2016 to 2018.[2]

He was elected as the MP for Heywood and Middleton in the 2019 general election with a majority of 663 (1.4%). Clarkson had previously unsuccessfully contested the seat in the 2017 general election and the Wallasey seat in the 2015 general election.[5][6][7]

On 22 October 2020, Clarkson criticised Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham in a parliamentary debate over his disagreements with the government concerning financial support for stricter COVID-19 restrictions, accusing Burnham of "opportunism". In response, Clarkson was called "scum" by Deputy Leader of the Labour Party Angela Rayner.[8] She later apologised, stating: "I apologise for the language that I used in a heated debate in Parliament earlier."[9]

On 10 November 2020, Clarkson was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Ministry of Justice.[10]

In November 2022, following the outcome of a coroner's court hearing into the 2020 death of Awaab Ishak (a two-year-old child who died from black mould in his house, which occurred in the constituency of Rochdale, not Clarkson’s constituency of Heywood & Middleton), he called the company who provided the housing (Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, or RBH) "modern day slum lords".[11] He said that he has photographs from his constituents living in RBH properties showing that the poor living conditions seen in Ishak's home were "not an isolated incident".[11]

Clarkson announced in June 2023 that he would stand down at the next general election.[12]

Personal life

Clarkson is openly gay.[13] He is a member of the Carlton Club in London, and St James' Club in Manchester.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "No. 62862". The London Gazette. 20 December 2019. p. 23182.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Clarkson, Christopher Mark, (born 12 Nov. 1982), MP (C) Heywood and Middleton, since 2019". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 2020. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u293948. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  3. ↑ "Class of 2019: Meet the new MPs". PoliticsHome.com. 16 December 2019. Archived from the original on 17 December 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  4. ↑ "Councillor Christopher Clarkson". Salford City Council. Archived from the original on 9 February 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  5. ↑ "Wallasey". UK Parliament.
  6. ↑ "Heywood and Middleton". UK Parliament.
  7. ↑ "Heywood and Middleton". UK Parliament.
  8. ↑ "Chris Clarkson called 'scum' by Deputy Labour leader when speaking in House of Commons". Rochdale Online. 22 October 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  9. ↑ "Angela Rayner apologises for 'scum' remark in Commons". BBC News. 21 October 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  10. ↑ Maguire, Patrick [@patrickkmaguire] (10 November 2020). "Flurry of new government PPS moves tonight" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  11. 1 2 "Rochdale Boroughwide Housing 'are modern day slum lords', says Heywood and Middleton MP Chris Clarkson". Manchester Evening News. 16 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  12. ↑ "Conservative MP Chris Clarkson to stand down at general election". BBC News. 28 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  13. ↑ "The new UK Parliament reportedly has the highest number of LGBTQ MPs in the world". Attitude. 16 December 2019. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
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