Andrew Stephenson

Stephenson was born on 17 February 1981 in Manchester, England to Malcolm and Ann Stephenson.[1][2] His father and grandfather worked for British Rail, in the North East of England, before the family moved to the North West in the 1960s.[3]

He attended Poynton High School, a state comprehensive school. Stephenson was the first in his family to go to university and studied a degree in Management Studies at Royal Holloway, University of London, graduating in 2002.[4][5]

Whilst at school Stephenson had wanted to become a chef and took part in the South Trafford College Super Chef Competition, was awarded a Bronze Medal in the Northern Salon Culinary Competition and was in the North West Regional Finals of BBC Junior Masterchef.

He joined the Conservative Party at the age of 16.[6] Stephenson served two terms on the National Executive of Conservative Future, and was the organisation's national deputy chairman from 2001 to 2002. He was also the chairman of the Royal Holloway's Conservative Future society, from 1999 to 2001.[7] Stephenson climbed the Great Wall of China in September 2008, having raised more than £5,000 for charity.[8]

After graduating from university, Stephenson worked as an insurance broker and later partner at Stephenson & Threader.[4][9]

Stephenson was a councillor for Macclesfield Borough Council from 2003 to 2007.[4] At the age of 25, he became the chair of the Tatton Conservative association, the youngest person to lead a local Conservative association.[10] He was selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate (PPC) for Pendle in September 2006.[4]

He was elected in the general election of 2010, with a majority of 3,585 (8.0%) votes. The seat had been previously held by Labour MP Gordon Prentice since 1992.[11][12] Stephenson delivered his maiden speech in a debate on ‘Building a High-Skilled Economy’ on 17 June 2010.[13]

On the 12th October 2010, less than six months after being first elected Stephenson led a debate in the House of Commons which focused on the murder of three Pendle residents - Mohammed Yousaf, Pervez Yousaf and Tania Yousaf - who were killed in Pakistan on 20 May 2010.  Over 100 Pendle residents travelled to London to watch the debate from the public gallery.[14][15] Stephenson maintains an interest in the case often raising it with the British and Pakistani Authorities.[16] Stephenson served as the Chairman of the Pakistan All Party Parliamentary Group 2010-2015.[17]

On 13 October 2010, Stephenson was one of 37 Conservative MP’s to rebel on a motion to approve Britain’s EU budget contribution, voting for an amendment which read “is concerned at the above-inflation increase being made to Britain's EU budget contribution; believes that, at a time when the Government is poised to make reductions in public spending elsewhere, it is wrong to increase that contribution; and calls on the Government to reduce Britain's EU budget contribution." [18] Stephenson campaigned with Vote Leave and voted for the United Kingdom (UK) to leave the European Union (EU) in the 2016 UK EU membership referendum.[19] 63% of Pendle residents voted to leave the EU.[20]

The first piece of legislation that Stephenson proposed was a Bail (Amendment) Bill on 28 June 2011.  The Private Members Bill sought to create a right of appeal against Crown Court bail decisions and followed the murder of his constituent, Jane Clough, by her partner who was out on bail.  Working with Jane’s parents, John and Penny Clough MBE, Stephenson was successful in getting the law changed and this additional safeguard was introduced in 2012.[21][22][23]

As a former small businessman, Stephenson has put jobs and employment at the top of his agenda. He holds an annual Job Fair at Colne Muni and campaigned for a National Living Wage, which was introduced in 2016. He has long championed the regeneration of Brierfield Mills,[24] helping secure millions of pounds to bring the site into public ownership and enable its £32 million transformation into ‘Northlight’.[25] In 2019 Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Theresa May visited Pendle to open the £4.5 million ‘Leisure Box’ which is part of the redevelopment.[26]

Stephenson has also campaigned for more transport investment in Pendle.  In April 2017 he led a debate on re-opening the Colne to Skipton Railway line[27] and in 2018 secured a government feasibility study into this “missing link”.[28]  Stephenson has also been vocal about traffic congestion in Colne and in 2019 secured another study into looking at possible solutions.[29] Stephenson successfully campaigned for action to be taken to tackle flooding on the M65, work that was undertaken in early 2020 [30] In September 2020, a £1 million scheme to improve congestion through Colne, funded by the Department for Transport’s national productivity infrastructure fund got underway [31]

Stephenson was involved in setting up an All Party Parliamentary Group for Water Safety and Drowning Prevention in September 2014, following the accidental death of one of his constituents.[32]

Stephenson has campaigned for more funding for local NHS services. In 2014 a new Health Centre opened in Colne[33] and a new Accident and Emergency Department at Airedale Hospital.[34] Meanwhile, more than £60 million of improvements have been made at Burnley General Teaching Hospital, including the £15million Phase 8 development which opened in 2019.[35][36] Stephenson, has spoken about how his own health problems, including a gangrenous appendix in 2014 [37] and having his gallbladder removed in 2016 [38] led to him becoming a NHS volunteer with the ambulance service. Since 2014, Stephenson has volunteered as a Community First Responder with the North West Ambulance Service, providing lifesaving care before an ambulance arrives.[39] In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Stephenson spent over 400 hours volunteering with the Ambulance Service.[40][41]

Stephenson has secured the visits of number of high-profile politicians to Pendle during his time as the MP.  As Prime Minister David Cameron visited Hope Technology in Barnoldswick in 2013,[42] ACDC in Barrowford in 2015,[43] and Silentnight in Barnoldswick for a Q&A with the workforce in 2016.[44] He also had Mayor of London Boris Johnson pulling pints in the Alma Inn in Colne in 2015.[45]

In 2019, he took part in a Charity Sleep out on top of Pendle Hill to raise money for a local homelessness charity.[46]

Alongside his constituency work, he served as a Vive Chairman of the Conservative Party 2010-2013 [47] He served as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS), to Robert Halfon Minister without Portfolio and deputy chairman of the Conservative Party in 2015.[48] Stephenson later also became the PPS to Minister of State for Security John Hayes, and Minister of State for Policing Mike Penning. In July 2016, he became the PPS to Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.[49]

Stephenson backed Boris Johnson in the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election[50] and was his North West Regional MP Campaign Co-ordinator.[51]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Andrew Stephenson.

• Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
• Voting record at Public Whip
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou