Victoria Prentis
Victoria Prentis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of Parliament for Banbury | |
| Assumed office 7 May 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Tony Baldry |
| Majority | 12,399 (20.1%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 March 1971 Banbury, England, UK |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Sebastian Prentis |
| Alma mater | Royal Holloway, University of London Downing College, Cambridge |
| Website | Official website |
Victoria Mary Boswell Prentis (born 24 March 1971) is a British Conservative politician who was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Banbury at the 2015 general election, and was re-elected at the 2017 general election.[1] She has been Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to junior ministers in the Department for Transport since July 2016.
Early life and career
She was born Victoria Boswell, in Banbury, and grew up on the family farm in nearby Aynho. She was educated at Royal Holloway, University of London and Downing College, Cambridge, from where she has degrees in English and Law.[2] She is the daughter of Tim Boswell, Baron Boswell of Aynho, who was MP for Daventry from 1987 to 2010.[3]
Prentis qualified as a barrister in 1995, she joined the Civil Service in 1997, leaving in November 2014. Her last job for the government was leading the "Justice and Security team" at the Treasury Solicitor's Department.[4]
Parliamentary career
In November 2014, Prentis was selected as the Conservative candidate for the Banbury constituency at the 2015 general election. She retained the safe seat for the Conservatives (held by them since 1922). In Parliament she sits on the Justice Select Committee and the Select Committee on Statutory Instruments. Prentis is an opponent of High Speed 2, believing it will affect her constituency.[5] She rebelled against the Conservative government when the HS2 Bill received its second reading in the House of Commons in March 2016.[6]
Prentis was a founding supporter of Conservatives for Reform in Europe, a group which campaigned in support of the UK’s membership of a reformed European Union. Accordingly, she declared that she would vote remain in the 2016 referendum on the UK's membership of the EU.[7][8]
Prentis supported Theresa May's candidacy during the 2016 Conservative leadership contest.[9] She was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to junior ministers in the Department for Transport in July 2016.
She was re-elected as the MP for Banbury in the 2017 general election.[10]
Personal life
She is married to Sebastian Prentis, a barrister, whom she met when they were both students at the University of Cambridge. The couple have two daughters and live in Somerton, Oxfordshire.[2][11]
References
- ^ "Banbury parliamentary constituency 2015". BBC News Online. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- ^ a b "About Victoria". Victoriaprentis.com. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
- ^ Wallace, Mark (8 November 2014). "Victoria Prentis selected in Banbury". ConservativeHome.com. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
- ^ "Banbury Guardian: Top government lawyer chosen as Conservative candidate for Banbury". North Oxfordshire Conservatives. 8 November 2014. Archived from the original on 6 May 2015.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Victoria's views". victoriaprentis.com. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
- ^ "Victoria Prentis to vote against HS2". victoriaprentis.com. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ^ "Victoria's Views | Victoria Prentis". victoriaprentis.com. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
- ^ Goodenough, Tom (16 February 2016). "Which Tory MPs back Brexit, who doesn't and who is still on the fence?". The Spectator. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
- ^ "Victoria back Theresa May". victoriaprentis.com. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ^ "Banbury parliamentary constituency 2017". BBC News Online. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ^ "General election update: Prentis says Banbury MP role is an 'extraordinary privilege'". Banbury Guardian. 8 May 2015. Archived from the original on 15 May 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
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External links
- 1971 births
- Living people
- Alumni of Royal Holloway, University of London
- Alumni of Downing College, Cambridge
- British civil servants
- Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
- Daughters of barons
- Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies
- People from Banbury
- UK MPs 2015–17
- UK MPs 2017–
- 21st-century women politicians
- People from Aynho