James Grundy (politician)

James Nelson Grundy is a British Conservative Party politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Leigh since 2019.

James Grundy

MP
Member of Parliament
for Leigh
Assumed office
12 December 2019
Preceded byJo Platt
Majority1,965 (4.2%)
Councillor for Lowton East
Assumed office
1 May 2008
Preceded byIan Franzen
Personal details
Born
James Nelson Grundy[1]

Lowton, England
Political partyConservative
Websitewww.jamesgrundy.org.uk

Early life

James was born in Warrington, and raised on the family farm in Lowton, where he still resides[2][3] James was also educated locally, having attended both Lowton St Mary's Primary School and Lowton High School. His upbringing and early life spent within the Leigh constituency prompted his involvement in local politics. [4]

Political career

James was elected to represent the Lowton East ward on Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council as a councillor in the 2008 local elections.[5] He was elected to Parliament at the 2019 general election, taking the seat from Labour's Jo Platt.[6][7][8] This made James the first Conservative MP to ever represent the Leigh constituency since its creation. [9]

James' General Election campaign pledges included respecting the leave vote of the Leigh constituency,[10] fighting for vital local transport infrastructure, such as the completion of the Atherleigh Way Bypass,[11] and the re-opening of Golborne and Kenyon Junction stations,[12] as well as securing investment for Leigh's town centres.[13]

In 2020, James put forward two bids to the Government's Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund, progressing his pledge to get Kenyon Junction and Golborne Station reopened, following their closure after the Beeching Report. The outcome of these bids will be announced in Autumn 2020.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, James was actively involved in supporting local people and local businesses. He supported local market traders' calls to open food stalls at Leigh Market as soon as the Government lifted restrictions.[14]

In the Summer of 2020, James launched his "Shop Safe, Shop Local" campaign, which encouraged local people to return to their local high street following the Coronavirus Pandemic. [15] The petition gained hundreds of signatures, and encouraged Wigan Council to deliver 2 hours free parking on weekdays in Leigh's town centres, increased hand sanitization stations on the high street, and free face coverings for shoppers provided to local independent businesses. [16]

As MP for Leigh, James writes regular columns for both the Wigan Observer and Leigh Journal, to update constituents of local issues. [17][18]

Controversies

In February 2020, an old video recording obtained by LBC emerged of Grundy exposing his genitals at a private event in the Rams Head Inn, Lowton, in 2007. He has since apologised.[19][20][21][22][23]

References
  1. "No. 62862". The London Gazette. 20 December 2019. p. 23182.
  2. "About James Grundy". James Grundy. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  3. Grundy, James (24 April 2020). "JAMES GRUNDY - Let's retain spirit of national unity". Wigan Today. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  4. "James Grundy, MP for Leigh". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  5. "Lowton East Election Results 2008". Wigan Council. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  6. "Leigh parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  7. "General Election 2019: Meet the Leigh candidates | Mancunian Matters". Mancunian Matters. 19 November 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  8. Mutch, James (9 May 2017). "'I am up for the fight', vows Leigh's Conservative candidate for General Election". Leigh Journal. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  9. "Leigh (UK Parliament constituency)", Wikipedia, 27 May 2020, retrieved 8 September 2020
  10. "Election 2017 dashboard". Democratic Dashboard. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  11. "MP optimistic on making progress to 'benefit people of Leigh'". Leigh Journal. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  12. "MP believes rail investment in the North can pave the way for stations re-opening". Leigh Journal. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  13. "Councillor hoping to make step up to Commons". www.wigantoday.net. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  14. "Row over Leigh Market's continued closure continues with MP's new letter to council". Leigh Journal. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  15. "JAMES GRUNDY - Support 'shop safe and shop local'". www.wigantoday.net. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  16. "LEIGH MP LAUNCHES 'SHOP SAFE, SHOP LOCAL' CAMPAIGN". James Grundy. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  17. "Politics | Wigan Today". www.wigantoday.net. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  18. "Leigh Journal | News, sport, education, leisure in the Leigh area". www.leighjournal.co.uk. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  19. "Tory MP faces calls to quit after video emerges of him exposing himself in a pub". LBC. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  20. "Tory MP apologises as video of him exposing himself to woman in pub emerges". The Independent. 25 February 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  21. "Tory MP apologises after exposing himself in pub". the Guardian. 25 February 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  22. "Tory MP apologises for exposing himself in pub". BBC News. 25 February 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  23. Brown, Lee (25 February 2020). "British MP apologizes after being filmed exposing himself to a woman in a pub". New York Post. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Joanne Platt		 Member of Parliament for Leigh
2019–present		 Incumbent


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