Nick Bourne

For the Catholic controversialist, see Nicholas Bourn.

The Right Honourable The Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales
In office 27 October 2017 – 26 July 2019
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	The Lord Duncan of Springbank
In office 12 May 2015 – 17 June 2017
Prime Minister	David Cameron Theresa May
Preceded by	The Baroness Randerson
Succeeded by	The Lord Duncan of Springbank
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
In office 17 July 2016 – 26 July 2019
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	The Baroness Williams of Trafford
Succeeded by	The Viscount Younger of Leckie
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
In office 14 June 2017 – 27 October 2017
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	The Lord Dunlop
Succeeded by	The Lord Duncan of Springbank
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
In office 12 May 2015 – 17 July 2016
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	The Baroness Verma
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Lord-in-waiting Government Whip
In office 13 August 2014 – 17 July 2016
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	The Baroness Northover
Succeeded by	The Baroness Mobarik
Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly for Wales
In office 11 July 2007 – 5 May 2011
Monarch	Elizabeth II
First Minister	Rhodri Morgan Carwyn Jones
Preceded by	Ieuan Wyn Jones
Succeeded by	Andrew RT Davies (Paul Davies Interim)
Leader of the Welsh Conservative Party
In office 18 August 1999 – 6 May 2011
Deputy	Andrew R. T. Davies
Leader	William Hague Iain Duncan Smith Michael Howard David Cameron
Preceded by	Rod Richards
Succeeded by	Andrew RT Davies (Paul Davies Interim)
Member of the Welsh Assembly for Mid and West Wales
In office 6 May 1999 – 6 May 2011
Preceded by	Assembly established
Succeeded by	William Powell
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 September 2013 Life Peerage
Personal details
Born	Nicholas Henry Bourne (1952-01-01) 1 January 1952
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Alma mater	University of Wales, Aberystwyth Trinity College, Cambridge
Occupation	University lecturer, politician

Nicholas Henry Bourne, Baron Bourne of Aberystwyth (born 1 January 1952) is a Welsh Conservative Party politician who served as Leader of the Welsh Conservative Party and Member of the National Assembly for Wales for Mid and West Wales from August 1999 until May 2011.

During the 2011 assembly elections he unexpectedly lost his regional list seat, due to Conservative gains at constituency level. He was elevated to the House of Lords in September 2013, and the following year, became a government whip.

Education

Bourne was the first of two children of John Morgan Bourne and his wife, Joan Edith Mary Bourne. He was educated at King Edward VI School, Chelmsford; University of Wales, Aberystwyth; and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was President of Cambridge University Lawyers and Treasurer of Cambridge University Conservative Association. He is the Honorary President of Aberystwyth University Conservative Future.

Professional career

A former professor of law, Bourne has been Assistant Principal of Swansea Institute of Higher Education, and is a visiting lecturer at Hong Kong University and an author.

Political career

Bourne was the Conservative Party candidate in the 1984 Chesterfield by-election, having stood in the same constituency at the previous year's general election. He was the Conservatives' chief spokesman in Wales, and led the unsuccessful "Just Say NO" campaign against Welsh devolution, during the 1997 referendum. After the referendum. he served on the National Assembly Advisory Group, the body that set up the institution's working arrangements.

It was while he was based in Chester that he became good friends with Peter Morrison, who was the former Conservative MP for Chester and aide to Margaret Thatcher.

First elected to the National Assembly for Wales in 1999, and re-elected in 2003 and 2007, Bourne sat on the Assembly's European and External Affairs committee and was the party's spokesman on constitutional matters. He was the leader of the Welsh Conservatives from August 1999, and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly from July 2007. Following a minor reshuffle in June 2008, Bourne also became the Shadow Minister for Finance and Public Service Delivery remaining in the post until 22 October 2008.

His political interests include the economy, foreign affairs, health and education. Bourne also supports charities and organizations in Wales, including the NSPCC, the National Trust, and the British Heart Foundation.

Bourne has campaigned for rural communities, opposing wind farm developments, the closure of post offices and small schools, and supporting improved health care provision in non-urban areas. He campaigns on issues such as the need for a referendum on plans to give the assembly law making powers, the future of the National Botanic Garden, and on the growing cost of government in Wales. He is a member of the Doctors and Dentists Pay Review Body.

In 2005, he was presented with the Local Campaigner of the Year Award, by BBC show AM.PM; he also won AM of the Year from ITV.

In 2011, he was nominated by the Welsh Conservatives as their representative on the Commission on Devolution in Wales, chaired by Paul Silk.

Bourne was created a life peer on 9 September 2013, taking the title Baron Bourne of Aberystwyth, of Aberystwyth in the County of Ceredigion, and of Wethersfield in the County of Essex.

Lord Bourne was made a whip in the House of Lords on 11 August 2014, replacing Lord Bates who had been promoted as part of a mini-reshuffle following the resignation of Baroness Warsi.

In May 2015, he was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State jointly for DECC and the Wales Office.

Scandals

Bourne has been involved in two notable scandals. In September 2008, the Conservatives in the Welsh Assembly published a dossier that contained personal attacks on Welsh First Minister Rhodri Morgan. Bourne initially disassociated himself from the dossier, claiming Conservative Group staff had issued it without his knowledge or authorisation. He was forced to admit later that he had signed off the dossier for publication.

For a brief period Bourne's future as Leader of the Conservative Group in the National Assembly for Wales was "in the balance" with media reports that Cardiff North Conservative Assembly Member Jonathan Morgan reportedly challenging Bourne for the Leadership. This speculation was heightened by Morgan refusing a change of posts in Bourne's February 2009 reshuffle of the Shadow Cabinet in the Welsh Assembly with Morgan being left without a place on Bourne's front bench. However, Bourne remained leader.