Andrew MacKay
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 9 June 1983 |
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| Preceded by | new constituency |
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| Majority | 12,036 (23.5%) |
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Member of Parliament
for Birmingham Stechford |
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| In office 31 March 1977 – 3 May 1979 |
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| Preceded by | Roy Jenkins |
| Succeeded by | Terry Davis |
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| Born | 27 August 1949 Birmingham |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Julie Kirkbride Diana Joy Kinchin (div. 1996) |
Andrew James MacKay (born 27 August 1949, Birmingham) is a British Conservative Party politician, and currently the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bracknell in Berkshire.
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[edit] Early life
He attended Solihull School, an independent school in Solihull, West Midlands. After leaving school he chaired the Solihull Young Conservatives. He has worked as an estate agent and company director.[citation needed]
[edit] Parliamentary career
Mackay first entered parliament in 1977, after winning the Birmingham Stechford by-election. He lost the seat at the 1979 general election, but re-entered parliament in 1983 as MP for East Berkshire.
He was deputy Chief Whip under John Major, and was shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 1997 to September 2001 during the leadership of William Hague. He has remained on the backbenches since but was appointed a Conservative Deputy Chairman in September 2004 with responsibility for candidates, and upon the election of David Cameron in November 2005 moved to become a Senior Parliamentary & Political Adviser to the new Conservative leader.
On 23 May 2009, it was announced that MacKay would not be standing for re-election at the next election, after a telephone call from David Cameron. At a public meeting in his constituency on 22 May he had been heckled, and called a "thieving toad" according to The Independent.[1] It was later reported the same day that he would receive £105,000 as ' a golden goodbye'. [2][3]
[edit] Expenses claims
On 14 May 2009, he resigned from his position as parliamentary aide to David Cameron, in the wake of the furore over Parliamentary expenses after what was described as an "unacceptable" expenses claim.[4] A hastely called meeting had been arranged on 10 May 2009 with his constituents in Bracknell in an attempt to explain his claims. The meeting was described as a disaster and Mckay was shouted down, jeered and called a "thieving toad" by members of the public. Members of Mckay's local association were also furious to discover he had never lived locally and yet he was claiming a second-home allowance on the London home he shared with his wife and fellow Tory MP Julie Kirkbride, 48. [5]
MacKay and his wife Julie Kirkbride, the Conservative MP for the constituency of Bromsgrove, own two homes: one in her constituency of Bromsgrove; and a flat close to Parliament in Westminster. In a case of so called "double-dipping," according to the Daily Telegraph, Mackay had used his Additional Costs Allowance to claim more than £1,000 a month in mortgage interest payments on their joint Westminster flat. His wife used her Additional Costs Allowance to claim over £900 a month on paying off the mortgage for their family home near her constituency. This means they effectively had no main home but two second homes – and were using public funds to pay for both of them. In 2008/9, MacKay claimed a total of £23,083 under Additional Costs Allowance, while Kirkbride claimed £22,575. They also claimed for each other's travel costs, with Kirkbride claiming £1,392 to meet spouse travel, while MacKay claimed £408.[6]
In interview with Matthew Amroliwala on BBC News the following morning, MacKay apologised for his error of judgement. In what he claimed was an agreed procedure with the Parliamentary Claims office, he had designated their Westminster home as his secondary home, while Kirkbride has designated the Bromsgrove house as her second home. MacKay announced that the procedure had been ongoing for eight or nine years, and that he would be repaying the monies after taking advice from the Conservatives scrutiny committee. Later on The Daily Politics Mackay claimed that he had sought advice from the Parliamentary Claims office and they suggested he should claim as he did.
[edit] Personal life
In 1974 MacKay married Diana Joy Kinchin and they had two children, Hamish and Georgina. They divorced in 1996.((fact}} In August 1997 MacKay married Julie Kirkbride, the Conservative MP for the constituency of Bromsgrove. The couple have a son Angus Robert (born October 2000)[7] .
[edit] References
- ^ Crossley, Lucy; Peck, Tom (2009-05-23). "'I have no wish to be represented by a thief'". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/i-have-no-wish-to-be-represented-by-a-thief-1689834.html. Retrieved on 2009-05-23. "During the 90-minute discussion, few questions were asked by those present. One constituent told him to resign while another commented: "I've no wish to be represented in the next parliament by a thief." One constituent simply called him a "thieving toad"."
- ^ Radio Five Live 23 May 2009 reporting Sunday Mirror 24 May 2009 story
- ^ Moss, Vincent (2009-05-24). "MPs shamed over expenses will receive up to £105,000 in 'golden goodbye'". The Daily Mirror. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/05/24/105-000-for-exes-ex-mps-115875-21384265/. Retrieved on 2009-05-27. "Andrew Mackay (59) £64,766 pay-off plus £40,799 winding up allowance..................£105,565"
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8049614.stm
- ^ "Cameron orders thieving toad mckay to resign". mailonline. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1186951/Cameron-orders-thieving-toad-aide-resign--pressure-mounts-Andrew-MacKays-MP-wife-quit-too.html.
- ^ "Andrew Mackay resigns over 'unacceptable' claims: MPs' expenses". Daily Telegraph. 2009-05-14. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5322961/Andrew-MacKay-resigns-over-unacceptable-claims-MPs-expenses.html. Retrieved on 2009-05-14.
- ^ "kirkbride julie". politics.co.uk. http://www.politics.co.uk/mps/party-politics/conservatives/kirkbride-julie-$451830.htm.
[edit] External links
- Andrew MacKay MP official site
- ePolitix.com - Andrew MacKay MP
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Andrew MacKay MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Andrew MacKay MP
- The Public Whip - Andrew MacKay MP voting record
- BBC News - Andrew MacKay MP BBC profile
[edit] Audio clips
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Roy Jenkins |
Member of Parliament for Birmingham Stechford 1977–1979 |
Succeeded by Terry Davis |
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for East Berkshire 1983–1997 |
Constituency abolished |
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for Bracknell 1997–present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by Hélène Hayman |
Baby of the House 1977–1979 |
Succeeded by David Alton |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Timothy Kirkhope |
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household (Government whip) 1996 |
Succeeded by Derek Conway |
| Preceded by Greg Knight |
Treasurer of the Household 1996-1997 |
Succeeded by George Mudie |
| Preceded by Mo Mowlam |
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 1997–2001 |
Succeeded by Quentin Davies |
