Chris Clarkson | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2020 | |
| Member of Parliament for Heywood and Middleton | |
| Assumed office 12 December 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Liz McInnes |
| Majority | 663 (1.4%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Christopher Mark Clarkson[1] 12 November 1982 Wegberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany[2] |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Alma mater | University of Dundee |
Christopher Mark Clarkson (born 12 November 1982) is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Heywood & Middleton since the 2019 general election. Prior to entering Parliament, Clarkson was a Salford City Councilor for Worsley.
Clarkson was born to Terence Clarkson and Alison Clarkson (née Parker) in Wegberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany.[2] He grew up in Blackburn, Lancashire where he attended St Wilfrid's Church of England High School, before studying law at Dundee University. He has worked for IRIS Legal as a corporate development manager, and was a consultant at Virgin from 2010 to 2019.[2]
Clarkson is a member of the Countryside Alliance and a supporter of Brexit.[3] He identifies as a One Nation Conservative, as well as a member of the Tory Reform Group. Prior to being elected to Parliament, he was a Salford City councillor between 2011 and 2019.[4] Whilst on the council, he was chair of the Audit and Accounts Committee from 2016 to 2018.[2]
He was elected as the MP for Heywood and Middleton in the 2019 general election with a majority of 663 (1.4%). Clarkson had previously unsuccessfully contested the seat in the 2017 general election and the Wallasey seat in the 2015 general election.[5][6][7]
On 22 October 2020, Clarkson criticised Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham in a parliamentary debate over his disagreements with the government concerning financial support for stricter COVID-19 restrictions, accusing Burnham of "opportunism". In response, Clarkson was called "scum" by Deputy Leader of the Labour Party Angela Rayner.[8] She later apologised, stating: "I apologise for the language that I used in a heated debate in Parliament earlier."[9]
On 10 November 2020, Clarkson was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Ministry of Justice.[10]
In November 2022, following the outcome of a coroner's court hearing into the 2020 death of Awaab Ishak (a two-year-old child who died from black mould in his house, which occurred in the constituency of Rochdale, not Clarkson’s constituency of Heywood & Middleton), he called the company who provided the housing (Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, or RBH) "modern day slum lords".[11] He said that he has photographs from his constituents living in RBH properties showing that the poor living conditions seen in Ishak's home were "not an isolated incident".[11]
Clarkson announced in June 2023 that he would not seek re-election as an MP at the next general election making reference to the Heywood and Middleton consituency being abolished.[12]
Clarkson is a member of the Carlton Club in London, and St James' Club in Manchester.[2]
