Julie Kirkbride | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Shadow Minister for the Olympics (from 2005) | |
| In office 6 November 2003 – 8 December 2005 | |
| Leader | Michael Howard David Cameron |
| Preceded by | John Whittingdale |
| Succeeded by | Hugo Swire |
| Member of Parliament for Bromsgrove | |
| Assumed office 1 May 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Roy Thomason |
| Majority | 10,080 (21.1%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 June 1960 Halifax, West Yorkshire |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Andrew MacKay |
| Alma mater | Girton College, Cambridge |
Julie Kirkbride (born 5 June 1960, Halifax, West Yorkshire) is a British politician. She has been Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the Conservative stronghold of Bromsgrove since 1997.
Early life
Her father was a lorry driver who died when she was seven. Her mother was a secretary at Rowntree Mackintosh (now owned by Nestlé). She went to the Highlands School (now North Halifax Grammar School) in Illingworth, Halifax. She studied at Girton College, Cambridge, receiving a MA in Economics and History in 1981. From 1981-2, she worked as a journalist for the Parliamentary Weekly House Magazine. She went to the Graduate School of Journalism of the University of California Berkeley from 1982-3. She was researcher for Yorkshire Television from 1983-6, then a producer for BBC News and Current Affairs from 1986-9, then worked as a producer at the ITN Parliamentary Unit from 1989-92. She was the political correspondent of the Daily Telegraph from 1992-6 and social affairs editor of the Sunday Telegraph from 1996 until 1997.
Parliamentary career
Julie Kirkbride was the Conservative spokesman on Culture, Media and Sport from 2003 to 2004, but was replaced in a reshuffle by the party leader at that time, Michael Howard.
On 10 November 2006, it was revealed that she had previously undisclosed links with the Midlands Industrial Council, which has donated millions of pounds to the Conservative Party.[1]
Expenses claims
On May 14th, 2009, her husband Andrew MacKay, the Conservative Member for Bracknell, resigned from his position as parliamentary aide to David Cameron, in the wake of the furore over Parliamentary expenses after what was described as an "unacceptable" expenses claim.[2]
MacKay and Kirkbride]], own two homes: one in her constituency of Bromsgrove; and a flat close to Parliament in Westminster. In a case of so called "double-dipping," according to the Daily Telegraph, Mackay had used his Additional Costs Allowance to claim more than £1,000 a month in mortgage interest payments on their joint Westminster flat, while Kirkbrde used her Additional Costs Allowance to claim over £900 a month on paying off the mortgage for their family home near her constituency. This means they effectively had no main home but two second homes – and were using public funds to pay for both of them. In 2008/9, MacKay claimed a total of £23,083 under Additional Costs Allowance, while Kirkbride claimed £22,575. They also claimed for each other's travel costs, with Kirkbride claiming £1,392 to meet spouse travel, while MacKay claimed £408.[3]
In interview with Matthew Amroliwala on BBC News the following morning, Mackay apologised for his error of judgement. In what he claimed was an agreed procedure with the Parliamentary Claims office, he had designated their Westminster home as his secondary home, while Kirkbride has designated the Bromsgrove house as her second home. MacKay announced that the procedure had been ongoing for eight or nine years, and that he would be repaying the monies after taking advice from the Conservatives scrutiny committee.
Personal life
She was engaged to Conservative MP Stephen Milligan before his death by auto-erotic asphyxiation in 1994. In August 1997, she married Andrew MacKay MP, the Conservative Member for Bracknell, and they have a son, Angus Robert (born October 2000).
References
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/politics_show/6135858.stm
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8049614.stm
- ^ "Andrew Mackay resigns over 'unacceptable' claims: MPs' expenses". Daily Telegraph. 2009-05-14. Retrieved 2009-05-14.
External links
- Julie Kirkbride Official Website
- Conservative Party - Julie Kirkbride MP The Official Conservative Website on Julie Kirkbride
- Bromsgrove Conservatives Constituency Homepage
- Bromsgrove Conservative Future -Constituency Youth Homepage
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Julie Kirkbride MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Julie Kirkbride MP
- The Public Whip - Julie Kirkbride MP voting record
- BBC News - Julie Kirkbride BBC profile
- The Politics Show
- Interview by BBC in October 2004
- Discussing Page 3 of The Sun
- Open Directory Project - Julie Kirkbride directory category
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