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Charles Walker (British politician)

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Sir
Charles Walker
KBE
Official portrait, 2020
Chair of the Administration Committee
In office
18 March 2020 – 30 May 2024
Preceded byPaul Beresford
Succeeded byTBC
Chair of the House of Commons Procedure Committee
In office
17 October 2012 – 5 November 2019
Preceded byGreg Knight
Succeeded byKaren Bradley
Chairman of the 1922 Committee
Acting
24 May 2019 – 3 September 2019
Serving with Cheryl Gillan
LeaderTheresa May
Boris Johnson
Preceded byGraham Brady
Succeeded byGraham Brady
Member of Parliament
for Broxbourne
In office
5 May 2005 – 30 May 2024
Preceded byMarion Roe
Succeeded byLewis Cocking
Personal details
Born
Charles Ashley Rupert Walker

(1967-09-11) 11 September 1967 (age 57)
Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England
Political partyConservative
Children3
EducationThe American School in London
Alma materUniversity of Oregon (BS)

Sir Charles Ashley Rupert Walker KBE (born 11 September 1967) is a British politician who served as chair of the House of Commons Procedure Committee from 2012 to 2019. A member of the Conservative Party, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Broxbourne in Hertfordshire from 2005 to 2024.

Walker was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2015 New Year Honours for political service, and was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in Theresa May's resignation honours on 10 September 2019, "for political and public service".

Early life and career

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Born in Henley-on-Thames in September 1967, Walker was privately educated at The American School in London, followed by the University of Oregon in the United States, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Political Science in 1990.[1][2][3]

Walker pursued a career in marketing and communications and held senior positions within a number of businesses. He was on the board of directors of Blue Arrow.[4] He belonged to the trade union Amicus.[5] Walker was a member of Wandsworth Council from 2002 to 2006.[4] He had previously stood unsuccessfully in Ealing North at the 2001 general election.[6]

Parliamentary career

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Early parliamentary career: 2005–2012

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At the 2005 general election, Walker was elected as Member of Parliament for Broxbourne.[7] Notably, given his subsequent criticisms of the government led by Liz Truss (see "Retirement", below), in the Conservative Party's initial prospective candidate selection process Walker defeated the future prime minister, who had also made the party's shortlist for the Broxbourne seat.[8] Upon election, he sat on the Scottish Select Committee from 2005 to 2010 and was also a member of the Public Administration Select Committee from 2007 to 2010. He is currently a member of the House of Commons Privileges Committee.[9]

Walker was one of the 23 MPs to sign the motion of no confidence in Speaker Michael Martin.[10]

In 2011, Walker made what is believed by some to be the shortest Parliamentary speech in history, when he made a four-word contribution in a European Union debate on membership: "If not now, when?"[11] (referring to the option of a referendum on the issue)

He joined the Panel of Chairs in 2010 and was co-chair of the Education Bill that went through committee in 2011. In May 2010, he was elected vice-chairman of the 1922 Committee and in the same year was elected to the Conservative Party Board.

House of Commons Procedure Committee: 2012–2019

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In October 2012, Walker was elected as chair of the Procedure Committee, which decides on the process for election of a new Speaker of the House of Commons. In addition to his chairing duties, Walker is a member of the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (SCIPSA) and answers parliamentary questions on behalf of the committee.[12]

In July 2013, Walker voted in favour of extending same-sex marriage to England and Wales.[13]

In December 2013, Walker was the only MP to confirm he would accept an 11% pay increase.[14] His championship of the pay rise and membership of the committee led to him being described by The Daily Telegraph as being in with an outside chance of becoming speaker when John Bercow stood down.[12]

In the last parliamentary session before the 2015 general election, Walker explained what he knew about the Government decision to force a vote on changing the rules for electing a speaker for the next Parliament, in order to remove the then-Speaker John Bercow.

Walker said he had written a report on the subject "years ago" but although he had talked to William Hague and Michael Gove that week, neither had told him their objectives. He had only found out via the grapevine, and stated that he would rather be "an honourable fool" than part of a plot. The government lost the vote and Walker received a standing ovation from Labour MPs.[15][16]

Following the 2015 general election, Walker was returned unopposed as chair of the Procedure Committee.[17]

Walker was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2015 New Year Honours for political service,[18][19] and was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in Theresa May's resignation honours on 10 September 2019, "for political and public service".[20]

In May 2019, Walker and Cheryl Gillan became acting chairs of the 1922 Committee after Graham Brady resigned to consider standing in the leadership contest to succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader. They stood down when Brady returned to the role in September of that year.[21]

Criticisms of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions: 2020–2021

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In response to the Johnson government's attempt to control COVID-19 through a three tier system, Walker said in October 2020 that the government seemed to think it could "abolish death". He also accused the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies of choosing to "ramp up" the "fear factor" regarding the disease.[22] Regarding the second tier regulations in November, Walker said "As we drift further into an authoritarian coercive state, the only legal mechanism left open to me is to vote against that legislation. The people of this country will never, ever forgive the political class for criminalising parents seeing children."[23]

In November 2020, Walker called police officers a "disgrace" for enforcing government laws surrounding COVID-19 by arresting a 72-year-old woman who was "peacefully protesting" and who was charged under the Coronavirus Act.[24] At the time, Walker called for the Constitution of the United Kingdom to be codified into a single written document (it is currently uncodified) to prevent further curbs on civil liberties.[25]

On 25 March 2021, following a debate on the six-month extension of emergency powers during the COVID-19 lockdown, Walker made a widely reported speech in which he said:

For the next few days, I will walk around London with a pint of milk on my person because that pint will represent my protest. And there may be others who will choose too to walk around London with a pint of milk on their person as well and, perhaps, as we walk past each other in the street, our eyes might meet. We might even stop for a chat.

The speech was described as "surreal" by The Guardian,[26] "bizarre" by The Independent,[27] "astonishing" by Yahoo,[28] and "odd" by indy100.[29]

On 18 April 2021, Walker published an op-ed in The Daily Telegraph in which he stated his concern about the rumoured COVID vaccine passports, specifically by drawing parallels to other public health concerns not managed in the same way, such as obesity.[30]

Retirement from the House of Commons: 2022–present

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I think it's a shambles and a disgrace ... I hope all those people that put Liz Truss into Number 10, I hope it was worth it ... because the damage they have done to our party is extraordinary.

Charles Walker's remarks on the market fallout, subsequent government crisis and Conservative unpopularity.[31]

On 1 February 2022, Walker announced he would be standing down at the 2024 general election, saying there had been "a lot of grief and pain" in the country which had meant politics had become a "pretty toxic environment".[32]

Walker endorsed Penny Mordaunt during the July 2022 Conservative Party leadership election.[33] He became the fifth Conservative MP to publicly call for the Prime Minister Liz Truss to resign.[34] During the government crisis on 19 October 2022, Walker called the Truss ministry "a shambles and a disgrace... utterly appalling", commenting of its supporters that he had "had enough of talentless people" for whom "it’s in their own personal interest to achieve a ministerial position".[35][36]

Recognition

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In 2012, in a debate in Parliament on mental health issues and their "taboo", Walker spoke about his 30-year experience of obsessive–compulsive disorder, alongside the Labour MP Kevan Jones, who spoke about his own experience of having depression. Walker and Jones were both later praised for their speeches by Time to Change, a mental health anti-stigma campaign run by charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness.[37]

Walker has twice won The Spectator Speech of the Year at its annual Parliamentarian of the Year Awards: the first time in 2011 and the second time in 2012 when he shared the award with Kevan Jones. He was also one of The Spectator's Parliamentarians of the Year in 2013. In 2012, he was chosen as one of the Telegraph's "50 Great Britons" for that year and was also one of The Guardian's "Stories of 2012".[38] He was awarded the President's Medal by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in November 2013.[39]

Personal life

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Walker is the stepson of middle-distance runner and former Conservative MP Sir Christopher Chataway. He is married and has three children.[4]

Electoral history

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General election 2019: Broxbourne[40]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Walker 30,631 65.6 +3.4
Labour Sean Waters 10,824 23.2 –5.7
Liberal Democrats Julia Bird 3,970 8.5 +5.4
Green Nicholas Cox 1,281 2.7 +0.9
Majority 19,807 42.4 +9.1
Turnout 46,706 63.8 –2.5
Conservative hold Swing +4.6
General election 2017: Broxbourne[41]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Walker 29,515 62.2 +6.1
Labour Selina Norgrove 13,723 28.9 +10.5
UKIP Tony Faulkner 1,918 4.0 –15.7
Liberal Democrats Andy Graham 1,481 3.1 –0.1
Green Tabitha Evans 848 1.8 –0.8
Majority 15,792 33.3 –3.1
Turnout 47,485 66.3 +3.2
Conservative hold Swing –2.2
General election 2015: Broxbourne[42]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Walker 25,797 56.1 –2.7
UKIP David Platt 9,074 19.7 +15.6
Labour Edward Robinson 8,470 18.4 +0.8
Liberal Democrats Anthony Rowlands 1,467 3.2 –10.2
Green Russell Secker 1,216 2.6 New
Majority 16,723 36.4 –4.8
Turnout 46,024 63.1 –0.9
Conservative hold Swing –9.2
General election 2010: Broxbourne[43][44]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Walker 26,844 58.8 +5.0
Labour Michael Watson 8,040 17.6 –7.9
Liberal Democrats Allan Witherick 6,107 13.4 +1.2
BNP Steve McCole 2,159 4.7 0.0
UKIP Martin J. Harvey 1,890 4.1 +0.5
English Democrat Debbie Lemay 618 1.4 New
Majority 18,804 41.2 +12.9
Turnout 45,658 64.0 +4.3
Conservative hold Swing +4.7
General election 2005: Broxbourne[45]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Walker 21,878 53.8 –0.3
Labour Jamie Bolden 10,369 25.5 –4.9
Liberal Democrats Andrew Porrer 4,973 12.2 +1.2
BNP Andrew Emerson 1,929 4.7 +2.5
UKIP Martin J. Harvey 1,479 3.6 +1.3
Majority 11,509 28.3 +4.6
Turnout 40,628 59.7 +4.0
Conservative hold Swing +2.3
General election 2001: Ealing North[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stephen Pound 25,022 55.7 +2.0
Conservative Charles Walker 13,185 29.3 −7.9
Liberal Democrats Francesco R. Fruzza 5,043 11.2 +4.2
UKIP Daniel Moss 668 1.5 +0.2
Green Astra Seibe 1,039 2.3 +1.4
Majority 11,837 26.3 +9.8
Turnout 44,957 58.0 −13.3
Registered electors 77,524
Labour hold Swing +4.9

References

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  1. ^ "Charles Walker, Charles Walker MP talks to Rethink Mental Illness about living with OCD". YouTube. Rethink Mental Illness. 3 June 2013. Archived from the original on 5 January 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  2. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Archived from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  3. ^ "OBE for Broxbourne MP Charles Walker". Hertfordshire Mercury. 30 December 2014. Archived from the original on 26 July 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  4. ^ a b c "Charles Walker". Archived from the original on 5 May 2009. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
  5. ^ "Charles Walker official website". Archived from the original on 22 March 2010.
  6. ^ a b "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  7. ^ Palmer, Ewan (30 October 2015). "Tampon Tax: Full list of MPs who voted against cutting VAT on women's sanitary products". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 21 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  8. ^ Turner, Alwyn (5 January 2022). "'The wrong kind of woman': The early years of Liz Truss". Lion & Unicorn. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  9. ^ "Committee of Privileges - Membership - Committees - UK Parliament".
  10. ^ "MPs' expenses: Speaker Michael Martin no confidence motion signatories". The Daily Telegraph. 19 May 2009. Archived from the original on 26 March 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  11. ^ "National Referendum on the European Union - Hansard - UK Parliament".
  12. ^ a b Hope, Christopher (30 December 2013). "Keith Vaz 'could be next Speaker of the House of Commons'". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 5 January 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
  13. ^ Charles Walker Conservative MP for Broxbourne www.theyworkforyou.com, accessed 11 February 2021
  14. ^ Prynne, Miranda (12 December 2013). "Telegraph database: find out if your MP is planning to take Ipsa's 11 per cent pay hike". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
  15. ^ Treneman, Ann (27 March 2015). "An honourable fool brings the House down". The Times. Archived from the original on 27 March 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  16. ^ Wintour, Patrick (27 March 2015). "Tory backbench rebellion defeats Hague's attempt to unseat Speaker". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 October 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  17. ^ "Winning candidates for select committee Chairs announced". UK Parliament. 18 June 2015. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  18. ^ "No. 61092". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2014. p. N15.
  19. ^ "2015 New Year Honours List" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 January 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  20. ^ "Resignation Honours 2019". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 10 September 2019. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  21. ^ "Sir Graham Brady to return as chairman of the 1922 Committee". ITV News. Greater Manchester. 3 September 2019. Archived from the original on 4 September 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019. A statement from the committee said he would return as chairman "until a new executive is elected in the next session of Parliament".
  22. ^ Simons, Ned (12 October 2020). "Tory MP Charles Walker Says Government Can't Stop Elderly Dying From Coronavirus". HuffPost. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  23. ^ Landler, Mark; Castle, Stephen (2 November 2020). "U.K.'s Johnson Faces a Growing Revolt Over His Coronavirus Policy". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  24. ^ Carpani, Jessica (24 November 2020). "Sir Charles Walker demands PM responds after 'elderly lady peacefully protesting' is arrested". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  25. ^ Casalicchio, Emilio (2 November 2020). "5 things the UK's lockdown-skeptic MPs want from Boris Johnson". POLITICO. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  26. ^ "Tory milkman delivers speech surreal even by Commons' standards | John Crace". The Guardian. 25 March 2021.
  27. ^ "Tory MP carries pint of milk in bizarre protest at Covid restrictions". The Independent. 26 March 2021.
  28. ^ "Astonishing moment Tory MP announces milk protest during COVID law debate". uk.movies.yahoo.com. 25 March 2021.
  29. ^ "MP says he'll stage protest against lockdown laws... with a pint of milk". www.indy100.com. 26 March 2021.
  30. ^ Walker, Sir Charles (18 April 2020). "To understand the dangers of Covid passports, simply imagine an obesity equivalent". Telegraph Media Group Limited.
  31. ^ Cole, Harry; Heale, James (2022). Out of the Blue: The Inside Story of the Unexpected Rise and Rapid Fall of Liz Truss. HarperCollins. p. 308. ISBN 978-0-00-860578-0.
  32. ^ "Broxbourne's Conservative MP to quit at next election". BBC News. 2 February 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  33. ^ Richards, Nicola; Walker, Sir Charles (13 July 2022). "Penny Mordaunt will reset the dial". The Times. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  34. ^ "Conservative MP Sir Charles Walker says he does not think Liz Truss's 'position is recoverable'". Sky News. 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  35. ^ "'I've had enough of talentless people' - Charles Walker". BBC News. 19 October 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  36. ^ "Tory MP Charles Walker deems Government chaos 'an absolute disgrace'". Metro. 19 October 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  37. ^ "MPs Charles Walker and Kevan Jones tell of mental health issues". BBC News. 14 June 2012. Archived from the original on 17 June 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  38. ^ Mulholland, Hélène (26 December 2012). "Charles Walker MP: 'I've made peace with it. I've got it off my chest'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  39. ^ Roll of Honour July 2020 www.rcpsych.ac.uk, accessed 11 February 2021
  40. ^ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED AND NOTICE OF POLL" (PDF). ex.broxbourne.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  41. ^ "UK Parliamentary Election: Broxbourne Constituency: Statement of persons nominated and notice of poll" (PDF). Broxbourne Borough Council. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  42. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  43. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  44. ^ "Election 2010 – Broxbourne". BBC News.
  45. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Broxbourne
2005–2024 		Succeeded by
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