Richard Ottaway
| Richard Ottaway MP | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Croydon South |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 9 April 1992 |
|
| Preceded by | William Clark |
| Majority | 15,818 (28.1%) |
| Member of Parliament for Nottingham North |
|
| In office 9 June 1983 – 11 June 1987 |
|
| Preceded by | William Whitlock |
| Succeeded by | Graham Allen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 May 1945 Bristol, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Nicola Ottaway[1] |
| Alma mater | Britannia Royal Naval College |
Richard Geoffrey James Ottaway (born 24 May 1945, Bristol) is a British Conservative politician, and Member of Parliament for Croydon South.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
He attended Backwell School in Backwell, North Somerset. He went to the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth and served as Royal Navy officer from 1961-70.
He studied Law at Bristol University, graduating in 1974. He became a solicitor in 1977, becoming a partner of William A. Crump & Son from 1981-87 in London. He was a director of Coastal States Petroleum (UK) Ltd from 1988-95.
[edit] Parliamentary career
He was MP for Nottingham North from 1983 to 1987. This was a long-standing Labour Party seat, and he won it unexpectedly - with a majority of some 362 - in the 1983 landslide victory following the Falklands War. Unsurprisingly the seat reverted to Labour in 1987, when he was defeated by the Labour Party's Graham Allen. He re-entered Parliament in 1992 when he won Croydon South, and has held the seat since.
[edit] 2009 expenses scandal
During the Daily Telegraph expenses scandal it was revealed Ottaway was the only MP in Croydon to claim for a second home, a £467,100 residence located nine miles south of his constituency and that he owned another house minutes from the Houses of Parliament in Westminster. After negative publicity surrounding the claims, Mr Ottaway announced he would let Croydon South party members decide his fate in a vote of confidence.
The association's President, Lord Bowness, chaired the meeting which ended in a secret ballot of members which Ottaway won. Ian Parker, on behalf of the local party, said: "In the past few weeks there has been widespread and justified concern expressed over the system of parliamentary allowances and expenses. Richard Ottaway has apologised to constituents for his part in allowing an indefensible system of allowances to develop. He shares the local party's view that MPs should act honestly and decently. We expect MPs to live by the same rules and standards as those they wish to represent. No MP is above the law." [2][3]
Among his expenses claims between April 2004 and March 2008 were £59.99 on lightbulbs, £50 for repairing a tractor tyre and £48 modifying a scarifier. He paid back £4,050 he had claimed on half of the price of a new bed from Harrods and £1,400 for various homeware and electrical goods.
David Cameron’s Conservative head office scrutiny panel did not ask him to pay back any more.
[edit] Foreign Affairs Select Committee
After the 2010 General Election he was elected the Chairman of the House of Commons Select Committee on Foreign Affairs.
[edit] Personal life
He married in 1982. He is married to Nicky. He enjoys jazz and sailing.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/110124/part2.htm
- ^ Inside Croydon MP Richard Ottaway's make-or-break meeting Croydon Guardian, 1 August 2009
- ^ MP Ottaway wins vote of confidence by South Croydon Conservatives YourLocalGuardian.co.uk, 30 July 2009
[edit] External links
- Richard Ottaway MP Official site
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Richard Ottaway
- ePolitix.com - Richard Ottaway MP
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Richard Ottaway MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Richard Ottaway MP
- The Public Whip - Richard Ottaway MP voting record
- BBC News - Richard Ottaway profile BBC News, 16 March 2006
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William Whitlock |
Member of Parliament for Nottingham North 1983–1987 |
Succeeded by Graham Allen |
| Preceded by William Clark |
Member of Parliament for Croydon South 1992–present |
Incumbent |
