David Warburton
FRSA
Official portrait, 2019
Member of Parliament
for Somerton and Frome
In office
7 May 2015 – 19 June 2023
Preceded byDavid Heath
Succeeded bySarah Dyke
Personal details
Born (1965-10-28) 28 October 1965
Reading, Berkshire, England
Political partyConservative (suspended 2022)
Spouse
Harriet Baker-Bates
​
​
(m. 2002; div. 2023)​
Children2
EducationRoyal College of Music (Dip.RCM)
King's College London (MMus)
WebsiteOfficial website

David John Warburton FRSA (born 28 October 1965)[1] is a British former politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Somerton and Frome from 2015 until his resignation in 2023.[2] On his election in the 2015 general election he represented the Conservative Party, but was suspended from the party in April 2022 pending the outcome of an Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) investigation into allegations of harassment and class A drug use. Prior to entering politics, he was the founder, chief executive and chairman of Pitch Entertainment Group. On 17 June 2023, Warburton announced his resignation as an MP, triggering a by-election.[3]

Early life

Warburton was born on 28 October 1965[1] in Reading, Berkshire.[4] He was educated at the state grammar Reading School, and the co-educational comprehensive secondary, Waingels College.[5]

After a variety of jobs, including several years as a shop assistant, a cleaner and a van driver[6] while singing, playing lead guitar and keyboards in a succession of rock bands, he studied at the Royal College of Music, where he was a recipient of the Octavia Scholarship. He graduated with a diploma in music composition. While there, he studied under Edwin Roxburgh and Jeremy Dale Roberts, and also with George Benjamin. He was the composition faculty representative on the Student Association Committee. He gained a M.Mus. degree at King's College London.[1]

He then studied towards an M.Phil. and Ph.D. at King's College, London as a Ralph Vaughan Williams Trust Scholar, under the supervision of Sir Harrison Birtwistle. Though also a Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust Scholar, he eventually left the course early due to a lack of funding.

Warburton taught for five years at an inner-city mixed community school, Hurlingham and Chelsea Secondary School, as a classroom and peripatetic teacher of music.[5]

Business career

Warburton founded The Music Solution Ltd (TMS) in 1999, initially providing downloadable music content to mobile phone networks and brands. As chief executive, he expanded TMS to become a service provider, offering website and mobile website branding and design, mobile content and its associated delivery, integrated payment systems and customer service on behalf of brands including the BBC, Celador, News International, Motorola,[7] Real Networks, MTV Europe,[8] and Kazaa.

Following a trademark battle in 2001, where British Telecom prevented TMS from using the brand Yellphone.com by claiming ownership of the name, Warburton was forced to change TMS's primary consumer brand to SplashMobile.com.[9][10]

By 2005, TMS had become Pitch Entertainment Group, headquartered in Covent Garden, with operations in Australasia, Asia, South Africa, the US and across Europe. With Warburton as executive chairman, Pitch launched the first example of a mobile social network with ancillary content, and in 2007 was listed by The Sunday Times as the UK's 6th fastest growing technology company, having achieved sales growth of 326% a year.[11][12][13][14]

Pitch partnered with Third Screen Media in 2006 to expand into the new arena of mobile advertising and expanded the service across its network. Warburton featured both on the front cover of the business newspaper City A.M. in August 2006 under the heading "The musician who became lord of the ringtones" and in its "Job of the Week" section.[15] In 2008, after continued growth it was announced that Pitch had been acquired for an undisclosed sum by US mobile content provider PlayPhone Inc.[16][17][18][19]

In 2009, Warburton set up the listed building property restoration and development companies Oflang Ltd. and Oflang Partners LLP,[20] and with Loaye Agabani and Tim Lewis launched the online business MyHigh.St in Somerset in 2012.[21][22][23] MyHigh.St allows local independent retailers to offer their products online, organised by local high street areas.[24]

Political career

Warburton was Treasurer of Wells Conservative Association from 2009 to 2010 and its Political Deputy Chairman and Constituency Spokesperson from 2010 to 2012.[25]

In February 2013 he was selected as a parliamentary candidate for Somerton and Frome. He was a candidate during the winter flooding of 2013–14 on the Somerset Levels,[26] and campaigned for flood alleviation works.[27] As candidate, he campaigned for improved broadband,[28] local charities,[29] rail connectivity,[30] new schools,[31] dualling of the arterial A303 road through Somerset,[32] and reduced duty, regulation and VAT on pub sales.[33]

At the 2015 general election, he was elected with 53% of the vote and, at 18.3%, the largest constituency swing to the Conservative Party after David Heath, who held the seat for the Liberal Democrats since 1997, stepped down. As an MP, he has petitioned Downing Street to prevent the EU imposing excise duty on sales of small-scale cider producers.[34]

In April 2016, Warburton was one of five Conservative MPs to rebel by voting against the Government whip in favour of an opposition amendment tabled by Lord Dubs demanding that Britain take in vulnerable children from refugee camps in Calais and Dunkirk,[35][36] which presaged an eventual Government U-turn.[37]

Warburton sat on several all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs). He was elected the Chair of the British Council APPG, Chair of the APPG for Music[38] and vice-chair of both the APPG for Blockchain, the APPG for Small and Micro Business. He was also Secretary of the APPG on Eggs, Pigs and Poultry, and Treasurer of the APPG for Taxation.[39]

He sat on the European Scrutiny Committee,[40] and between 2016 and 2017 chaired the British Council's Building Resilience to Radicalisation Inquiry,[41] exploring the roots of extremism and drivers of radicalisation as set out in the UN Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism. The inquiry report was published in November 2017.[42]

Warburton was re-elected at the 2017 general election with an increased vote share of 57% and an increased majority of 22,906,[43] and in January 2018 he was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Education.[44]

Warburton employed his wife as a personal assistant on a salary up to £25,000.[45] He was listed in Daily Telegraph and Guardian articles in 2015 criticising the practice of MPs employing family members, on the grounds that it promotes nepotism.[46][47] Although MPs who were first elected in 2017 were banned from employing family members, the restriction was not retrospective – meaning that Warburton's employment of his wife was lawful.[48]

In January 2016, the Labour Party unsuccessfully proposed an amendment in Parliament that would have required private landlords to make their homes "fit for human habitation". According to Parliament's register of interests, Warburton was one of 72 Conservative MPs who voted against the amendment who personally derived an income from renting out property. The Conservative Government had responded to the amendment saying they believed homes should be fit for human habitation but did not want to pass the new law that would explicitly require it.[49]

In September 2019, Warburton said,[50] in response to Adam Boyden, his Liberal Democrat opponent, that his family had received death threats over the issue of Brexit.

Withdrawal of whip

In April 2022, he had the Conservative whip withdrawn pending the outcome of an investigation by Parliament's ICGS into allegations that he sexually harassed three women. Following his suspension, he said he had not been notified of the details of the allegations by the ICGS but that he denied them.[51][52][53] Warburton allegedly asked for cocaine to be bought. The woman complainant said he got into bed with her, naked. She alleged that he ground against her and groped her breasts after she stated repeatedly she did not want sex with him.[54]

Warburton was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. His wife said he was suffering from severe shock and stress following the allegations.[53]

In November 2022 the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards found that Warburton had breached the MP's code of conduct after failing to declare a £150,000 loan from a Russian businessman Roman Joukovski. Warburton received the loan in August 2017, through a Seychelles shell company, and said did not declare it because it was "entirely unconnected with either my role as an MP or any parliamentary activities". Warburton insisted that the loan had "in no way … influenced my words or actions as a Member". As the Commissioner, Kathryn Stone, was satisfied the loan had not influenced Warburton, the breach was rectified upon Warburton's formal apology to the commission.[55]

In January 2023, Warburton revealed his intention to seek re-election at the next general election.[56][57] The following month, a Sunday Times investigation claimed Warburton failed to disclose a £25,000 donation from a billionaire, to have used a forged document in an £800,000 mortgage application, and to have concealed an interest in a property firm.[58] In response, Frome Town Council unanimously passed a vote of no confidence in Warburton.[59] Councillors also accused him of failing to hold constituency surgeries since his suspension, which he denied.[56] In April, calls were made for Warburton to resign after a year of absence from parliament.[60]

On 17 June 2023, Warburton announced his intention to resign to the Mail on Sunday, citing his feeling that the parliamentary harassment watchdog denied him a fair hearing over claims he harassed two women.[61][62][3][63] He admitted to taking cocaine after drinking whisky with a third woman. Warburton formally resigned from Parliament on 19 June.[64] After resigning, Warburton said that the MeToo movement's "pendulum has swung too far" and that he wanted it to "swing back" to a "fair place". He apologised for using cocaine, but denied sexual misconduct.[65]

In July 2023, The Independent Expert Panel (IEP) of judges[66] overturned both the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and the ICGS, ruling that “the allegation that the complaint was fabricated” should be investigated by the parliamentary investigative authorities, prompting the claimant to withdraw all allegations against the former MP.

As a result, just 48 hours after former Lord Justice of Appeal Sir Stephen Irwin described the parliamentary watchdog's investigation as “inadequate”, as having “omitted evidence”, and upholding Warburton's appeal that it was “materially flawed” and “procedurally flawed”, the 15-month long investigation was closed by the ICGS with all allegations withdrawn.[67]

In July 2023, Liberal Democrat Sarah Dyke won Warburton's seat in the by-election, replacing a 19,213 Conservative majority with one of 11,008 for her party.[68]

Personal life

He married public relations professional[69] Harriet Baker-Bates (born 1969) in 2002. She is the daughter of the diplomat Merrick Baker-Bates CMG, former Deputy High Commissioner to Malaysia and British Consul General in Los Angeles.[70][71] They divorced in 2023.

Warburton is a member of Mensa,[15] and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Until 2017 he was a Trustee of the Down's Syndrome support charity Ups and Downs Southwest,[72] and until 2022 was a Trustee of the national youth music charity Music for Youth.[73] In June 2018 he joined the Board of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and was appointed chair of its Development Board. He was also a Trustee of British Youth Music Theatre.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Warburton, David John". Who's Who. A & C Black. 2022. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U283945. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ↑ "Chancellor of the Exchequer | the Gazette".
  3. 1 2 "David Warburton: Conservative MP suspended over harassment and drugs allegations to stand down and trigger by-election". Sky News. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  4. ↑ Allegretti, Aubrey (3 April 2022). "David Warburton: the varied past of the MP facing sexual harassment claims". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  5. 1 2 "About Me". David Warburton. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  6. ↑ McCormick, Joseph (26 February 2013). "Top gay Tory misses out on seat embroiled in row over equal marriage". PinkNews. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  7. ↑ "Motorola and The Music Solution Offer Downloadable Ring Tones for Mobile Phones". PR Newswire. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  8. ↑ "MTV Plans direct portal to sidestep mobile operators". ringtonia.com. 4 October 2004. Archived from the original on 25 June 2006. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  9. ↑ Vickers, Amy (30 April 2001). "BT wins trademark battle with Yellphone.com". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  10. ↑ "Yellphone.com ceases trading". Campaign. 2 May 2001. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  11. ↑ "2007 Tech Track 100". Fast Track. Archived from the original on 14 June 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  12. ↑ "2007 Sunday Times Microsoft Tech Track 100 league table". Mobile Industry Review. October 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  13. ↑ "Pitch Pitches Into Sunday Times Tech Track 100". RealWire. 30 September 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  14. ↑ "Pitch Pitches In at No.6". Mobile Marketing Magazine. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  15. 1 2 "The ringtone innovator with Perfect Pitch". City A.M. 30 August 2006.
  16. ↑ Takahashi, Dean (7 May 2008). "PlayPhone acquires Pitch Entertainment Group for European mobile expansion". VentureBeat. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  17. ↑ "PlayPhone Inc acquires Pitch Entertainment Group". Dealipedia. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  18. ↑ "PlayPhone merges with Pitch Entertainment". Silicon Valley Business Journal. 7 May 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  19. ↑ "PlayPhone partners Pitch to offer mobile entertainment content globally". Telecompaper. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  20. ↑ "Oflang Partners LLP Company people". DueDil. Archived from the original on 15 June 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  21. ↑ "MyHigh.st – The High Street Revolution". PayPal. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  22. ↑ "Independent retailers from England's smallest city selling through new marketplace MyHigh.St". InternetRetailing. 9 August 2012. Archived from the original on 15 June 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  23. ↑ "Digital high street launches in Somerset". Insider Media. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  24. ↑ O'Connell, Joanne (15 September 2012). "Could virtual high streets save local shops?". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  25. ↑ "Secret affair backlash against Lib Dem MP". Eastern Daily Press. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  26. ↑ Morgan, Sophie (28 January 2014). "Parliamentary candidate shocked by flooding". Western Gazette. Archived from the original on 15 June 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  27. ↑ Morgan, Sophie (20 February 2014). "Locals call for road out of Muchelney to be raised to stop floods turning village into an island". Western Gazette. Archived from the original on 15 June 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  28. ↑ "Superfast broadband campaign launched by Parliament hopeful David Warburton". Frome Standard. 20 February 2014. Archived from the original on 15 June 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  29. ↑ Cork, Tristan (21 November 2014). "First bus sorry to tiny Frome charity". Western Daily Press. Archived from the original on 15 June 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  30. ↑ "Campaign to re-open Langport and Somerton stations closed under Beeching Axe". Somerset County Gazette. 21 January 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  31. ↑ Mumby, David (30 March 2015). "Somerton school suffers 'minor hiccup' with unsuccessful new site funding bid". Western Gazette. Archived from the original on 15 June 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  32. ↑ "David Warburton Brings Chancellor George Osborne MP to Wincanton". Somerset Conservatives. 16 November 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  33. ↑ "Save Our Pubs petition starts in local pubs for presentation to Chancellor George Osborne". The Blackmore Vale. 1 December 2014. Archived from the original on 15 June 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  34. ↑ Cork, Tristan (11 June 2015). "Somerset MP takes 'Save Our Scrumpy' campaign to Number 10". Western Daily Press. Archived from the original on 15 June 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  35. ↑ "The ONE Somerset Tory MP who 'could not leave' child refugees 'to their fate'". Somerset Live. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  36. ↑ Stone, Jon (26 April 2016). "How MPs voted on whether to accept 3,000 unaccompanied Syrian child refugees who travelled to Europe". The Independent. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  37. ↑ Gentleman, Amelia (4 May 2016). "Government U-turn on unaccompanied refugee children welcomed by MPs". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  38. ↑ "Members". All-Party Parliamentary Group On Music. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  39. ↑ "House of Commons - Register Of All-Party Groups as at 30 July 2015 : Contents". parliament.uk. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  40. ↑ "European Scrutiny Committee - Membership". UK Parliament. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  41. ↑ "Building Resilience to Extremism Inquiry". British Council APPG. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  42. ↑ Building Young People's Resilience to Violent Extremism in the Middle East and North Africa (PDF). All-Party Parliamentary Group for the British Council (Report). Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  43. ↑ "Somerton & Frome parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  44. ↑ Mumby, Daniel (22 January 2018). "Somerset MP David Warburton promoted to Department for Education as £100M set aside for new schools and extensions across the county". Somerset Live. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  45. ↑ "David Warburton". IPSA. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  46. ↑ Hope, Christopher; Wilkinson, Michael (29 June 2015). "One in five MPs employs a family member: the full list revealed". The Telegraph. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  47. ↑ Mason, Rowena (29 June 2015). "Keeping it in the family: new MPs continue to hire relatives as staff". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  48. ↑ Cecil, Nicholas (21 April 2017). "MPs banned from employing spouses after election in expenses crackdown". Evening Standard. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  49. ↑ Stone, Jon (13 January 2016). "Tories vote down law requiring landlords make their homes fit for human habitation". The Independent. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  50. ↑ Colwill, Jack (24 September 2019). "Somerset MP David Warburton admits he and his family received death threats over Brexit". Somerset Live. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  51. ↑ Pogrund, Gabriel (2 April 2022). "Tory MP David Warburton in hospital after sex and cocaine claims". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  52. ↑ Bird, Steve; Malnick, Edward (2 April 2022). "Tory MP David Warburton has whip withdrawn during investigation by harassment watchdog". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  53. 1 2 "Tory MP David Warburton admitted to hospital after sexual harassment claims". BBC News. 3 April 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  54. ↑ Savage, Michael (2 April 2022). "Tories suspend David Warburton amid claims over sexual harassment and drug use". The Observer. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  55. ↑ "Suspended Tory MP David Warburton breached code of conduct". BBC News. 21 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  56. 1 2 "No confidence vote in Somerton and Frome MP accused of harassment". BBC News. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  57. ↑ Scott, Geraldine (18 June 2023). "David Warburton, MP in sex and drugs scandal, to seek re-election". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  58. ↑ "First it was sex and drugs. Now David Warburton faces financial claims". The Times. 11 February 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  59. ↑ "Town council's vote of no confidence in MP David Warburton". Frome Times. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  60. ↑ Mumby, Daniel (4 April 2023). "Somerset MP 'should resign' after year's absence from Parliament". SomersetLive. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  61. ↑ "David Warburton resigns as Tory MP after suspension over harassment and drugs claims". The Independent. 17 June 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  62. ↑ "Another Tory MP set to trigger by-election - months after sex and cocaine sting". LBC. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  63. ↑ Badshah, Nadeem (17 June 2023). "David Warburton: Conservative MP suspended over drugs allegations to resign seat". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  64. ↑ "Warburton formally quits as MP over cocaine use and harassment allegations". The Independent. 19 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  65. ↑ "David Warburton: Ex-MP says Me Too's influence too strong". BBC News. 23 June 2023.
  66. ↑ "Independent Expert Panel orders reinvestigation into complaint against David Warburton". UK Parliament, IEP Appeal panel: a former High Court Judge and Lord Justice of Appeal, member of the Privy Council and deputy Lord Justice of Appeal; a barrister and Northern Ireland Commissioner for the Criminal Cases Review Commission; and the Chief Ombudsman and Chief Executive of Ombudsman Services and former CEO of the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission. 4 July 2023.
  67. ↑ "Watchdog closes 'materially flawed' investigation into former Somerset MP David Warburton". ITV News. 16 July 2023.
  68. ↑ "2023 by-elections: Lib Dems win Somerton and Frome after ex-Tory MP stood down following drug scandal". Sky News. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  69. ↑ "Film, theatre and ents specialists form Premier PR". PR Week. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  70. ↑ "British Consul to Talk on Education Issues". Los Angeles Times. 21 October 1997. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  71. ↑ "Brit spreading the news about Utah's economy". Deseret News. 1 September 1994. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  72. ↑ Dart, Fiona (24 March 2014). "David Warburton walks over hot coals for Ups and Downs". The Blackmore Vale. Archived from the original on 15 June 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  73. ↑ "Team Members". Music For Youth. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
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