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Andrew George MP – MP for St Ives, Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Policy Committee on DECC and DEFRA

MP for St Ives, Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Policy Committee on DECC and DEFRA

About Me

Biography

Andrew George entered Parliament at his second attempt in 1997, gaining this seat from the Conservatives.

After attending Mullion, Cury and Helston Schools, he read cultural and community studies at Sussex University and agricultural economics at University College, Oxford University. After many years working away in what he calls `England', he returned to his native Cornwall in 1985 to work for a local charity, becoming the Deputy Director of the Cornwall Rural Community Council, working to improve and develop community service across a range of voluntary initiatives.

He is an enthusiast for all sports including football (and plays when available for the Commons football teams), cricket (member of Leedstown Cricket Club and Commons team), rugby (member of Lords and Commons Rugby Team), tennis (member of Hayle Tennis Club), swimming, cycling and many other sports.

He is renowned for his commitment to Cornwall, not just for its own sake, but also as an example to other parts of the country which share its history, identity and cultural and linguistic distinctiveness. His maiden speech was acclaimed for drawing attention to his commitment - and because he was the first person to use Cornish in the Commons.

As an MP his work on fisheries issues includes: inshore and low impact fishing, sea safety, surveillance, welfare and working conditions. His enthusiasm for the celebration of diversity has led him to lead and join local campaigns to protect individuals from deportation orders, such as the successful campaign to prevent the separation of Albert Tong from his Cornish wife and child. He is the President of the Council for Racial Equality in Cornwall and a Trustee of the Rural Race Equality Action Project. In the Commons, Andrew has served on the Agriculture Select Committee and was the Shadow Rural Affairs Secretary [2002-05] and Shadow Secretary for International Development [2005-06].

He is Chair of the All Party Group on Asthma, and Vice Chair of the groups on Family Farms Group, Fisheries and Objective One. Amongst others, he is a member of the Groups on Disability, Domestic Violence, Sustainable Energy, Sustainable Waste and Recycling and Voluntary Sector. He has led adjournment debates on 15 subjects so far, including the Cornish language, European structural funds, fishing, regional policy and second home ownership. He has spoken in the Chamber on many matters and put 18 questions to the Prime Minister in the last session, on topics including domestic violence, NHS waiting times and Third World development amongst many other issues. Legislative work has included agricultural and fisheries legislation, disabilities issues in legislation and reform of the Child Support Agency.

Andrew is currently the Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Policy Committee on DECC and DEFRA.

Publications: A View from the Bottom Left-Hand Corner (Penzance, Patten Press, 2002); A Vision of Cornwall (1995); with Bernard Deacon et al: Cornwall at the Crossroads (Redruth: CoSERG, 1989); and The Natives are Revolting Down in the Cornwall Theme Park (1986).

Experience

Parliamentary Experience

Interests

Memberships

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