Alistair Burt is no longer a Member of Parliament. This page has not been updated since 2015.
Biography:
Alistair Burt was re-elected MP for North East Bedfordshire on May 7th 2015 with 34891 votes, taking 59.5% of the vote.
Alistair was born in 1955, is married to Eve and has two adult children and a grand-daughter. They live in Wootton, Bedfordshire. Educated at Bury GS, Lancashire and Oxford University, qualifying as a solicitor in 1980, he worked in practice in London, and became a Councillor in the London Borough of Haringey in 1982.
Alistair and Eve are members of St Mary’s Church, Wootton, and Alistair is on the Board of Patrons of Habitat for Humanity (UK), a low income housing charity, and is on the Council of the Evangelical Alliance, a multi-denominational Christian body with over one million members.
He plays football and runs regularly, competing in nine London Marathons.
He was elected MP for Bury North in 1983, re-elected 1987 and 1992.
He was Parliamentary Private Secretary to Rt Hon Kenneth Baker 1985-90, Junior minister at the Department of Social Security in 1992, Sponsor Minister for Manchester and Salford 1994-95, Minister of State, Minister for Disabled People 1995-97
Losing his marginal seat in 1997, Alistair worked as a headhunter for Whitehead Mann GKR in the sport and not for profit sector finding Chief Executive and Board level candidates. Moving to Bedford as a result of this job change in 1998. He was selected as PPC for North East Bedfordshire in summer 2000.
He was first elected MP in 2001.
His appointments include Parliamentary Private Secretary to two Leaders of the Opposition Nov 02 – May 05, Shadow Minister for Communities & Local Government June 05 – Dec 05, Shadow Minister for Local Government and Regeneration Dec 05 – Jan 08, Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party (Local Government) July 07 – Jan 08, Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party (Development) Jan 08 – 2010, Assistant Chief Whip Jan 08 – 2010. In 2015 he was selected as Minister of State for Care and Support.
Alistair’s newly created role of Assistant Chief Whip and Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party, with responsibility for Development, is a role focusing on the career development of MPs from their induction onwards, candidate mentoring programmes, overseeing the internal communications of the Parliamentary Party, and developing relationships between Westminster and the Party’s MEPs and Councillors.
Alistair interests are centred on his busy constituency workload. He has initiated and contributed to debates on issues affecting NE Bedfordshire – pressures on public services caused by massive house-building; the health gap between Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire; the difficulties of the rural community, and the Government’s failure to understand the countryside; rural crime and policing; commuter issues; manufacturing and agricultural concerns; red tape hitting schools, small business and village halls. The Yarl’s Wood Immigration removal centre also continues to prove problematic.
He has been locally involved with – special schools; Bedfordshire flooding; the 54 Parish and Town Councils in NE Bedfordshire; The Primrose Appeal VAT recovery; saying ‘NO’ to Tesco in Potton; Broadband to North Bedfordshire; the retention of payphones; a variety of charities including Sight Concern, Headway and Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centres; local groups promoting International Development and Fair Trade. Campaigning to keep rural buses running, supporting rural and sub post offices and the Post Office Account card, backing Bedford Hospital in the face of Government cuts, and supporting proposals to enforce weight and speed limits on village roads, and traveller issues.
Constituency: North East Bedfordshire
Constituency Address: Biggleswade Conservative Club, St Andrews Street, Biggleswade, SG18 8BA
Constituency Tel: 01767 313385
Date of Birth: 25 May 1955
Email: alistair.burt.mp@parliament.uk
Party: Conservative
Personal Website: www.alistair-burt.co.uk/
Westminster Address: House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA
Westminster Tel: 020 7219 8132
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlistairBurtMP
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AlistairBurtforNEBedfordshire?fref=ts
