The subject of this article is standing for re-election to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom on 4 July, and has not been an incumbent MP since Parliament was dissolved on 30 May. Some parts of this article may be out of date during this period. |
Rob Roberts | |
---|---|
Member of Parliament for Delyn | |
In office 12 December 2019 –30 May 2024 | |
Preceded by | David Hanson |
Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
Majority | 865 (2.3%) |
Personal details | |
Born | Flintshire,Wales | 15 October 1979
Nationality | British |
Political party | Independent |
Other political affiliations | Conservative (until 2021) |
Occupation | Politician |
Profession | Former financial planner |
Website | www |
Robert Joseph Roberts [1] (born 15 October 1979) [2] [3] is a British politician who was Member of Parliament for Delyn from 2019 to 2024. He was elected as a member of the Conservative Party,but served as an Independent from October 2021. [4]
In 2020,Roberts reportedly sent sexually suggestive text messages to a female staff member which resulted in his being referred to the British House of Commons' Complaints and Standards Committee. Roberts was also investigated by the Conservative Party;in April 2021,Roberts was "strongly rebuked" by the Conservative Party for his conduct. [5] In May 2021,an independent panel found that Roberts had acted inappropriately after he sought to engage in a relationship with a male member of his staff;he subsequently lost the Conservative party whip in October of the same year. [6]
Roberts is standing for the successor constituency of Clwyd East at the 2024 general election.
Roberts grew up in Northop Hall,a large village near the town of Mold,Flintshire. He attended Ysgol Maes Garmon school in Mold and is a fluent Welsh speaker. [7] Prior to being elected to Parliament,Roberts was a financial planner,working in the industry since 2003. [8]
Roberts defeated the incumbent Labour MP David Hanson at the 2019 general election. Since 2 March 2020,Roberts has been a member of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee and the Procedure Committee. [9]
On 21 July 2020,BBC Wales published text messages attributed to Roberts and sent to a female junior member of parliamentary staff in April 2020. The text messages to the staff member suggested that she "fool around with no strings". Roberts told her he "might be gay but I enjoy …fun times". [10] The text messages continued after the intern reported struggling with her mental health. Roberts apologised for his behaviour. [5]
Roberts was referred to Parliament's Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) in 2020 over allegations of misconduct that resulted in one of the interns being transferred to a different department. [10] [11] [12] In April 2021 the Conservative Party announced that Roberts had been "strongly rebuked",but would not lose the whip. Roberts was instructed to undertake safeguarding and social media protection training. [5]
Roberts apologised after another incident when he sought to engage in an improper relationship with a member of his staff. Roberts reportedly asked a male parliamentary member of staff out to dinner,which the man said had made him feel uncomfortable. [5]
On 25 May 2021 the Independent Expert Panel,after considering the report from the ICGS,recommended that Roberts should be suspended from parliament for six weeks after it found he breached Parliament's sexual misconduct policy. He subsequently lost the Conservative whip [13] and had his membership of the Conservative Party suspended. [14] His six-week parliamentary suspension was confirmed on 27 May,and subsequently Jacob Rees-Mogg and Keir Starmer both called for his resignation. [15] Not long afterwards,the Communities Secretary,Robert Jenrick,called for Roberts to resign his seat. [16]
After his parliamentary suspension expired,Roberts returned to the Commons in July 2021,amid criticism from both Labour and Conservative sources. [17] He was readmitted to the Conservative Party as a member in October 2021,but chose to sit as an independent until the dissolution of parliament in May 2024. [6]
He will contest the 2024 United Kingdom general election as an Independent candidate in the new constituency of Clwyd East. [18]
Roberts announced via a number of Tweets in May 2020 that he is gay. [19] [20] According to The Independent ,he has separated from his wife Alexandra [21] and re-married in December 2023.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Rob Roberts | 16,756 | 43.7 | +2.6 | |
Labour | David Hanson | 15,891 | 41.4 | -10.8 | |
Liberal Democrats | Andrew Parkhurst | 2,346 | 6.1 | +3.5 | |
Brexit Party | Nigel Williams | 1,971 | 5.1 | +5.1 | |
Plaid Cymru | Paul Rowlinson | 1,406 | 3.7 | -0.1 | |
Rejected ballots | 105 | ||||
Majority | 865 | 2.3 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 38,370 | 70.3 | -2.5 | ||
Registered electors | 54,552 | ||||
Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | +6.7% | |||
Of the 105 rejected ballots:
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