Charles Geoffrey Cox
Biography
Geoffrey Cox was re-elected MP for Torridge and West Devon in May 2010 with a majority of 2,957 votes.
Geoffrey lives in West Devon, near Tavistock, with his wife, Jeanie and his family. They have a daughter and two sons. His younger son attends their local village school. Geoffrey was born and brought up in the West Country, is the son of a soldier (his father was schooled in Tavistock) and his family have been Devonians for generations. His brother is a local solicitor.
Geoffrey has been a barrister for nearly 20 years and some years ago founded his own barristers' chambers. He has developed a successful career as an advocate, appearing in many well publicised trials. For some years, he has been involved in training young people in public speaking. For the past two years he has championed the campaign of hundreds of widowers, many of whom live in Torridge and West Devon, against the injustice of the government's refusal to allow their wives' national insurance contributions to provide them with a pension and has taken up numerous issues for local people, using his legal knowledge and experience to good effect.
He enjoys reading, walking with his dogs, swimming and taking part in the life of the countryside. He is a member of the NFU. He is a practising member of the Church of England.
Geoffrey was selected as the Parliamentary candidate for Torridge and West Devon early in 2000. One of the first things Geoffrey declared after his selection was that whatever the result of the election, he would stay and fight for the interests of the people of Torridge and West Devon.
In the next fifteen months, he set about establishing the themes and issues which he would campaign on and fought for them in the general election of 2001 up and down the length and breadth of the second largest constituency in England. One national commentator later wrote, "this was one of the most closely fought constituencies of 2001".
Many local people warmed to his fight because, while elsewhere most Liberal Democrat MPs increased their majorities, the Liberal Democrat's majority was cut by 40% to just 1,194 votes and Geoffrey significantly increased the Conservative share of the vote. Only the vote for the UKIP (which still lost its deposit) saved the Liberal Democrat MP here from defeat.
In June 2002, with local party membership growing steadily, Geoffrey was overwhelmingly endorsed by local Conservatives to continue as a Parliamentary Spokesman. He was elected as Member of Parliament in May 2005.
His political interests include agriculture, education (particularly special needs provision), defence and legal and constitutional issues.
Constituency
@Geoffrey_Cox
Constituency Address
2 Bridge Chambers, Lower Bridge Street, Bideford, Devon, EX39 2BU
Constituency Tel
01237 459001.
Date of Birth
April 30, 1960
coxg@parliament.uk
Party
Conservative
Personal Website
http://www.GeoffreyCox.co.uk
Westminster Address
House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
Westminster Tel
020 7219 4719
