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Graham Evans, Baron Evans of Rainow

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The Right Honourable
The Lord Evans of Rainow
Official portrait, 2023
Lord-in-waiting
Government Whip
In office
1 January 2023 – 4 July 2024
Prime MinisterRishi Sunak
Preceded byThe Viscount Younger of Leckie
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office
9 November 2022
Life Peerage
Member of Parliament
for Weaver Vale
In office
6 May 2010 – 3 May 2017
Preceded byMike Hall
Succeeded byMike Amesbury
Personal details
Born (1963-11-10) 10 November 1963 (age 61)[1]
Poynton, Cheshire, England[2]
Political partyConservative
SpouseCheryl Evans[3]
Children3
Alma materManchester Metropolitan University
Websitewww.grahamevans.org.uk

Graham Thomas Evans, Baron Evans of Rainow[4] (born 10 November 1963) is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Weaver Vale in Cheshire from 2010 until 2017. A member of the Conservative Party, he was appointed to the House of Lords in 2022.

Early life and career

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Evans was born on a council house estate in Poynton, Cheshire. After attending Poynton High School, then a comprehensive school, he left with few qualifications.[5] He worked as a shelf stacker at a local supermarket. Graham went on to study at night school, and graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a Business Degree and Diploma in Marketing Management. He then completed an MA from King's College London. He had a successful twenty year business career in manufacturing, working for companies such as BAE Systems and Hewlett Packard.[5] He spent four years as a Special Constable in the Cheshire Constabulary.[5]

Political career

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Evans served ten years as a local councillor at Macclesfield Borough Council, until the council's abolition in 2009.[6]

Evans unsuccessfully contested the 2005 general election for the Worsley constituency.[7] In July 2007, he was selected by an open primary as the Conservative candidate for Weaver Vale. He was elected at the 2010 general election with an 8.1% swing - the highest swing in the country. Graham was re-elected as Member of Parliament for Weaver Vale in 2015.

Evans sat on the Work and Pensions Select Committee after being elected in November 2012.[8] He sat on the backbench 1922 Executive Committee between Autumn 2012 and January 2014.

In January 2014 Evans was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Rt Hon Greg Barker MP, Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change. From July 2014 until he lost his seat, he served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Rt Hon Sir Michael Fallon MP, Secretary of State for Defence.

As MP Evans ran a campaign to reinstate the Halton Curve railway line to connect the villages of Helsby and Frodsham to Halton and Liverpool.[9] The line reopened in 2019. In Parliament he led a Back Bench Business debate for Holocaust Memorial Day on 23 January 2013.,[10] introduced a Ten Minute Rule Bill in April 2013 for a National Commonwealth Military Day,[11] and a Private Members' Bill in October 2013 about Drug Driving.[12]

Evans was opposed to Brexit prior to the 2016 referendum.[13]

In May 2016 Graham Evans was among a number of Conservative MPs who were under investigation for possible election fraud by police forces across Britain. Investigations began after evidence was uncovered by Channel 4 News.[14] No charges were brought.[15]

In the snap general election held on 8 June 2017 Evans lost his seat to Labour opponent Mike Amesbury.

It was announced on 14 October 2022, that as part of Boris Johnson's 2022 Political Honours, Evans would be appointed a life peer.[16] On 9 November 2022, he was created Baron Evans of Rainow, of Macclesfield in the County of Cheshire.[17]

It was announced on 11th September 2024 that Evans was appointed honorary president of the National Pubwatch, a position formerly held by Roy Kennedy, Baron Kennedy of Southwark.

All-Party Parliamentary Group Memberships

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  • Beer Group - Chairman[18]
  • Running - Chairman[19] - Encouraging a record 16 Members of Parliament to run the London Marathon
  • Chemical Industry Group - Chairman (re-elected May 2013)[20]
  • Energy Intensive Industries Group- Co-Chair (elected February 2014)[21]
  • Armed Forces Group - Co-Secretary (elected June 2013) and member of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme.
  • Muscular Dystrophy Group
  • Emergency Services Group,
  • Young Disabled People Group
  • Justice for Equitable Life Policy Holders Group
  • Interest Rate Swap Mis-Selling Group

Personal life

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Evans is married to Cheryl, and the couple have three children: George, Tom and Sophie.[5] He has an interest in British social, economic and political history. He enjoys military history. Evans is a keen sportsman, regularly playing cricket, football and rugby on the Parliamentary teams. He is also a keen runner and has completed the London Marathon six consecutive times.

References

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  1. ^ "Graham Evans". BBC Democracy Live. BBC. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  2. ^ "EVANS, Graham : Who's Who". Ukwhoswho.com. 10 November 1963. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  3. ^ "House of Commons – The Register of Members' Financial Interests – Part 2: Part 2". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  4. ^ "No. 59418". The London Gazette. 13 May 2010. p. 8740.
  5. ^ a b c d "About Graham". Graham Evans.
  6. ^ "Introduction to Graham Evans Political biography". Cllr Graham Evans website. Archived from the original on 9 December 2008. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
  7. ^ "Graham Evans, Member of Parliament for Weaver Vale". Conservative Party website. Archived from the original on 18 May 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
  8. ^ "Work and Pensions Committee – UK Parliament". Parliament.uk. 29 April 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  9. ^ "The Halton Curve: Connecting Weaver Vale". Graham Evans. 19 April 2016.
  10. ^ "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 24 Jan 2013 (pt 0003)". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  11. ^ "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 12 Mar 2013 (pt 0001)". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  12. ^ "Drug Driving Private Members' Bill". Graham Evans. 19 June 2013.
  13. ^ Goodenough, Tom (16 February 2016). "Which Tory MPs back Brexit, who doesn't and who is still on the fence?". The Spectator. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  14. ^ "Tory Election expenses scandal". prettybluefox. 6 May 2016.
  15. ^ "No charges over 2015 Conservative battle bus cases". BBC News. 9 May 2017.
  16. ^ "Political Peerages 2022". GOV.UK. 14 October 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  17. ^ "Lord Evans of Rainow". MPs and Lords. UK Parliament. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  18. ^ "House of Commons – Register of All-Party Groups as at 2 May 2017: Beer". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  19. ^ The Committee Office, House of Commons. "House of Commons - Register Of All-Party Parliamentary Groups as at 2 May 2017: Contents". www.publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  20. ^ "House of Commons – Register of All-Party Groups as at 30 March 2015: Chemical Industry". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  21. ^ "House of Commons – Register of All-Party Groups as at 30 March 2015: Energy Intensive Industries". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
[edit]
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Weaver Vale
2010 – 2017 		Succeeded by
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by Gentlemen
Baron Evans of Rainow 		Followed by
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