Stephen Lloyd
Stephen Lloyd | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of Parliament for Eastbourne | |
| Assumed office 6 May 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Nigel Waterson |
| Majority | 3,435 (6.6%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 June 1957 Mombasa, Kenya |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Liberal Democrats |
| Alma mater | St. George's College, Weybridge |
| Occupation | Business Development Consultant |
| Website | stephenlloyd.org.uk |
Stephen Anthony Christopher Lloyd[1] (born 15 June 1957) is a British Liberal Democrat politician and business development consultant. He is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Eastbourne.
Early life and career
Lloyd was born and brought up in the coastal city of Mombasa, Kenya, but was educated in the UK from the age of eight[2] at St. George's College, Weybridge. Prior to becoming a Member of Parliament, Lloyd worked in business for over twenty years.[3] From 1998 to 2005, he worked as a business development director at The Grass Roots Group. After departing Grass Roots, Lloyd joined the Federation of Small Businesses as a business development consultant until his election to Parliament in 2010.[4]
Electoral history
Lloyd contested the safe Conservative seat of Beaconsfield at the 2001 general election as the Liberal Democrat Party candidate. During the campaign, the local Labour Party highlighted the fact that one of his leaflets claimed "in the last election in Beaconsfield Lib Dems polled three times the Labour vote!" when the two parties had actually polled almost the same vote in the 1997 general election.[5] Lloyd asserted that "it was a perfectly true statement as at the most recent [council by-]election, the Liberal Democrats did get three times the Labour vote so I am slightly nonplussed at their comments but put it down to political knockabout!."
In 2002, Lloyd was selected to contest the Liberal Democrat target seat of Eastbourne, defeating future Liberal Democrat parliamentary colleagues Duncan Hames and Tessa Munt. In the 2005 general election, despite increasing the Liberal Democrat vote, Lloyd lost to incumbent Conservative Party MP Nigel Waterson by a margin of less than 1%. Lloyd subsequently continued to campaign locally on numerous issues such as leading the fight to oppose plans for a new B&Q megastore to built in Sovereign Harbour, which was subsequently refused by the planning committee of Eastbourne Borough Council in October 2005.[6]
In the 2010 general election, Lloyd's campaign centred on local issues, his record of supporting Eastbourne residents and the Town, and highlighting Nigel Waterson's expenses claims (such as his second home which was sixty miles from the constituency in Beckenham, Kent).[7] Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg hosted his eve of poll rally, at which former Conservative MP Ernle Money, who had moved to Eastbourne, pledged his support to Lloyd.[8] On May 7, Lloyd was elected Member of Parliament for Eastbourne with a majority of 3,435.[9][10]
Nigel Waterson subsequently took legal action over the contents of Lloyd's leaflets distributed during the 2010 election that described Waterson as an "expenses scandal MP."[11] On 9 December 2011 the High Court ruled that Lloyd had defamed his Conservative Party opponent Nigel Waterson. Lloyd appealed, and on 28 February 2013 the Court of Appeal found in his favour, and overturned the original judgment.[12][13]
Member of Parliament
Upon his election to Parliament, Lloyd created the 'MP's Commission' in his Eastbourne constituency. A body composed of local business and community leaders, the Commission was set up as part of a drive to transform Eastbourne's economy. Some of its initiatives have included bringing back the Eastbourne 'Sunshine' Carnival;[14] and organising a procurement conference, encouraging further economic cooperation between the private sector and major public sector bodies in the town.[15] Lloyd also developed a successful local apprenticeship initiative, where he led Eastbourne to recruit 100 apprenticeships in 100 days. The final number of apprenticeships created far exceeded the target, reaching a total of 181 new opportunities, and received praise from Prime Minister David Cameron.[16]
Other successful campaigns have included securing £10.2 million from the Department of Education to ensure the complete buildings refurbishment of the Eastbourne Academy;[17] working in partnership with the Eastbourne Borough Council to secure the final £4.2 million from the Department for Communities and Local Government to enable Eastbourne Homes to complete their Decent Homes Programme,[18] and working closely with Legal and General to secure £70 million to regenerate Eastbourne’s Arndale Shopping Centre.[19] More recently he was involved in bringing a new Morrisons superstore to Eastbourne. This brought 300 new jobs to the town, 30% of which were given to residents who were long term unemployed.[20]
In Westminster, Lloyd was instrumental in gaining concessions from the Department for Work and Pensions in relation to Personal Independence Payment descriptors, ensuring that thousands of people across the country with reduced mobility would still be entitled to their Motability vehicles.[21] Another successful campaign included the lobbying of the government to reconsider its reform to student visa regulations, which threatened the future of English Language Schools across the country, many of which are in Eastbourne.[22]
Lloyd was elected to the House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee in 2010. In December of that year, he was notably thought by the Labour opposition to be wavering about supporting changes to housing benefit presented to the Committee, but declared that he supported the "direction of travel" of the Government.[23] Lloyd serves as Chair of a number of All-party parliamentary groups including for Citizens Advice, Religious Education, Microfinance, Apprenticeships and Further Education and Skills. He is also Vice Chair of the APPGs on Deafness, Mental Health, Dementia, Ageing and Older People, Town Centre Management, Multiple Sclerosis, Trading Standards, Pharmacy, and Justice for Equitable Life Policyholders.[24] In the summer of 2011, Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Democrat Party leader, Nick Clegg, appointed Lloyd as Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party Committee on Northern Ireland.[25] Additionally, the Federation of Small Businesses and City and Guilds of London Institute invited him to be their respective champions in Parliament.
Lloyd was one of twenty one Liberal Democrat MPs to break the whip and vote against government proposals to increase university tuition fees.[26]
In December 2011, The Independent said of Stephen Lloyd "a political system that can produce elected representatives like this may well be as good as it gets."[27]
References
- ^ http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/59418/notices/1118281/from=2010-05-06;to=2010-05-19;all=returned+westminster/
- ^ "The Class of 2010" (Weber Shandwick/Total Politics guide), Biteback Publishing, 2010, p. 175-6.
- ^ http://www.libdems.org.uk/mps_detail.aspx?name=Stephen_Lloyd_MP&pPK=10265749-e11e-4639-9b3b-ed4eb8df9c1d
- ^ Stephen Lloyd, Eastbourne Liberal Democrats, 7 May 2010
- ^ Smith, Margaret (16 July 2001). "Voters misled, says Labour". Bucks Free Press.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Ryan, Siohan (14 October 2005). "Cheers as megastore plan is thrown out". The Argus.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Asthana, Anushka (14 March 2010). "Lib Dems adapt their message to bridge Britain's class divide". The Observer.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Swaine, Jon (6 May 2010). "Lend us your votes, Clegg begs waverers in the key marginal seats". The Daily Telegraph.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Eastbourne result, General Election 2010, BBC Online Network, 7 May 2010
- ^ Lib Dem Lloyd sweeps to victory in Eastbourne, Eastbourne Herald, 7 May 2010
{{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Gardner, Bill (9 December 2011). "Court rules Lib Dem leaflet was defamatory". The Argus.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Eastbourne MP wins appeal over libel case". Eastbourne Herald. 28 February 2013.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Waterson v Lloyd MP & Anor [2013] EWCA Civ 136". 28 February 2013.
- ^ Carnival fever marks Sunshine Carnival, Eastbourne Herald, 6 June 2012
{{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Business event hailed a success, Eastbourne Herald, 21 January 2011
{{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Prime Minister heaps praise on Eastbourne, Eastbourne Herald, 4 November 2011
{{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ New Academy Buildings, The Eastbourne Academy
{{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help), accessed 6 March 2013 - ^ Partners Celebrate £4 Million Funding, Eastbourne Homes, February 2011
{{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Good news for shops development in town, Eastbourne Herald, 25 May 2012
{{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Supermarket to bring jobs boost for Hampden Park, Eastbourne Herald, 22 September 2011
{{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Getting loud about PIP, Multiple Sclerosis Society, 8 February 2013
{{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Visa change threatens Sussex language schools, BBC News, 2 August 2010
{{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Stratton, Allegra (20 December 2010). "Labour courts Lib Dem in benefit vote".
- ^ Register of All-Party Groups (PDF), Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, 1 February 2013
{{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ New Liberal Democrat committee co-chairs announced, Liberal Democrats, 1 November 2012
{{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Tuition fees: How Liberal Democrat MPs voted", BBC News, accessed 14/12/2010
- ^ Patterson, Christina (10 December 2011). "Can British politicians win back our respect?". The Independent.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help)