Robert Courts
Robert Courts | |
|---|---|
| Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Foreign Office | |
| In office 16 January 2018 – 15 July 2018 | |
| Prime Minister | Theresa May |
| Foreign Secretary | Boris Johnson Jeremy Hunt |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| Member of Parliament for Witney | |
| Assumed office 20 October 2016 | |
| Preceded by | David Cameron |
| Majority | 21,241 (34.8%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 October 1978[1] Stockport, Greater Manchester, England, UK[2] |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Alma mater | University of Sheffield |
| Website | Official website |
Robert Alexander Courts MP (born 21 October 1978) is a British politician and barrister serving as Member of Parliament for Witney since 2016. Courts retained his seat in the 2017 general election with an increased majority.
Early career
Courts was schooled at Berkhamsted School, where he was head of Fry’s House, before reading law at the University of Sheffield.[3][4] Courts was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn in 2003 and practises as a barrister at 3PB Chambers.[5] He worked in Wellington, New Zealand, at the Crown Law Office (Legal Advisors) for the New Zealand Government in 2009.[5]
Political career
Courts was elected a Conservative member of West Oxfordshire District Council in 2014.[6]
He was selected as the Conservative Party candidate to replace David Cameron as Member of Parliament in the Witney by-election, 2016.[6] Although the electorate of Witney voted in favour of 'Remain' in the EU referendum on 23 June 2016,[7] Courts had supported the successful 'Leave' campaign.[8]
Courts retained the seat for the Conservatives in the 20 October by-election, but with a greatly reduced majority of 5,702, down from 25,155 when David Cameron last contested the seat.[9] He was then sworn in on 24 October.[10] He increased his majority to over 21,000 in the 2017 general election.
Courts was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in January 2018,[11] but resigned as a PPS on 15 July 2018 in protest of the White Paper on Exiting the European Union and the Chequers Agreement.[12][13][14]
References
- ^ "MyParliament - Biography for Robert Courts".
- ^ "Search Results - Birth, Marriage, Death - findmypast.co.uk". search.findmypast.co.uk.
- ^ "Whither Witney? The by-election everyone's watching". www1.dehavilland.co.uk. 23 September 2016. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ https://uk.linkedin.com/in/robertcourts
- ^ a b "Robert Courts – 3 Paper Buildings Barristers' Chambers". www.3pb.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Association, Press (22 September 2016). "Robert Courts chosen as Tory candidate for David Cameron's constituency". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Referendum on the United Kingdom's Membership of the European Union" (PDF). West Oxfordshire DC. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Elgot, Jessica (11 October 2016). "Witney byelection: hard Brexit may be key issue in Cameron's former constituency". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Conservatives' Robert Courts wins Witney by-election". The Independent. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
- ^ "Tracy Brabin and Robert Courts sworn in as MPs". BBC News. 24 October 2016. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "List of Parliamentary Private Secretaries (PPS): January 2018".
- ^ https://news.sky.com/story/may-suffers-yet-another-resignation-as-robert-courts-quits-over-her-brexit-plan-11438048
- ^ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/07/15/theresa-may-faces-eighth-resignation-brexit-plans-nine-days/
- ^ https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jul/15/theresa-may-faces-rebellion-from-brexit-hardliners-in-customs-bill-vote