Helen Whately

Helen Olivia Bicknell Lightwood[6] was born in Norwich on 23 June 1976, and grew up near Redhill, Surrey. Her father was a surgeon and her mother a physician.[7][8] She was educated at Woldingham School, Surrey, a day and boarding schools for girls aged 11–18, before entering the sixth form at the independent Westminster School in London.[7][9] During her school years she undertook work experience in hospitals, with the intention of following her parents into a medical career, but Whately commented in her maiden speech as MP that it instead incentivised her to pursue a career in which she could improve healthcare as a whole.[10]

After leaving school, she taught English in rural Nepal for a year.[8] Lightwood read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford,[7][11] and was a member of debating society the Oxford Union, but she did not have any interest in student politics, later saying that she felt that it "did not seem to be about getting stuff done".[7]

After university, she worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers for two years as a management consultant trainee before working at AOL where Lightwood was involved in setting up their internet film service.[8][12][13] After this she worked as a media policy advisor for the then Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Conservative Party MP Hugo Swire. This experience inspired her to pursue a political career.[7] In 2008, British society magazine Tatler selected Whately as one of ten young rising stars of the Conservative Party and tipped her as a future Health Secretary.[14]

She unsuccessfully contested the 2010 general election in the Kingston and Surbiton constituency for the Conservative Party, losing to the incumbent Liberal Democrat MP Ed Davey by 7,560 votes (13.3%).[15] From 2007 to 2015, Whately worked as an engagement manager for the management consultancy firm McKinsey & Company in their healthcare division.[13][16]

Whately was selected by the Conservative Party in February 2015 to contest the Faversham and Mid Kent seat in an all-women shortlist.[17] The constituency's previous Conservative MP Hugh Robertson had chosen in January not to seek re-election.[18] She had also made the shortlist for the Wealden, North East Hampshire, South Cambridgeshire, Bury St. Edmunds and Banbury constituencies.[17]

She was elected as MP for Faversham and Mid Kent at the 2015 general election with 24,895 votes (54%) and a majority of 16,652 (36.4%).[19] The constituency is considered as a safe seat, and has been represented by Conservative MPs since its creation in 1997.[20] Whately's maiden speech on 2 June focused on the National Health Service.[10] In July, she was chosen to sit on the Commons Health Select Committee.[21] In December, she voted to support Prime Minister David Cameron's plans to carry out airstrikes against ISIL targets in Syria.[22]

Whately supported the United Kingdom (UK) remaining within the European Union (EU) in the June 2016 membership referendum.[23] She stated her reason for this was that British membership of the EU meant greater economic growth, security, standards of living for British people, and British influence in international affairs.[24]

In July 2016, Whately was appointed as the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the International Trade Minister Greg Hands.[13] In October, she was selected as the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Mental Health and of the APPG for Fruit and Vegetable Farmers.[25][26][27] In February 2017, she voted to support the government's motion for the invoking of Article 50 to formally start the process of the UK's withdrawal from the EU. Whately, a "Remain" supporter, explained her decision as honouring the result of the referendum.[28][29]

Whately held her seat in the general election in June 2017, with 30,390 (61.1%) votes and an increased majority of 17,413 (35%).[30] Following the election she became the PPS to the Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities, Justine Greening.[31] She also became the chair of the APPG for Health, and Personalised Medicine and continued to be chair of the APPG for Mental Health, and Fruit and Vegetable Farmers.[32][33][34]

In July 2017, Whately was criticised for accepting several thousand pounds' worth of hospitality from the Saudi Arabian government before going on to defend its record in a parliamentary debate. The debate followed an urgent question by Liberal Democrat MP Tom Brake over fears of the imminent execution of 14 men for protest-related offences, including a number who were children at the time of their alleged offences. Whately had urged parliamentarians to "appreciate that the government of Saudi Arabia are taking to steps to improve their actions on human rights", but was criticised by an opposition Labour Party MP as a "serial apologist for the regime".[35][36]

In January 2018, she was appointed as PPS to Brandon Lewis, the Minister without portfolio and Conservative Party Chair.[37][38] Later in the year, she became Vice Chair of the Conservative Party for Women, after Maria Caulfield stood down in protest at the Government's approach to Brexit.[39][40]

In 2019, Whately voted for the then Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit withdrawal agreement. She also stated her opposition to a referendum on any Brexit withdrawal agreement.[41] On 17 April, Whately was promoted to deputy chair of the Conservative Party.[42][43] On 10 September, she was appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Arts, Heritage and Tourism by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.[44] In the December general election, she was re-elected with an increased majority of 21,976 (43.6%)[2]

In February 2020, Whatley joined the Department for Health and Social Care as the Minister of State for Social Care.[45]

Whately lives in London and in a village near Faversham.[55][56] She has been married to Marcus Whately (whom she met at the University of Oxford) since 2005,[6][8] who is the founder and co-chief executive officer of an energy company.[13][57] They have three children. She has one older brother.[7] Since 2015, she has been a vice-president of the Maidstone branch of the learning disability charity Mencap.[58][59][60]

As a horse rider when young she was a member of the British Junior Eventing Squad, and at university she was captain of the riding team and won two half-blues.[61]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Helen Whately.

• Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
• Voting record at Public Whip
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
• Appearances on C-SPAN