Charles Walker (British politician)

Last updated

For the next few days, I will walk around London with a pint of milk on my person because that pint will represent my protest. And there may be others who will choose too to walk around London with a pint of milk on their person as well and, perhaps, as we walk past each other in the street, our eyes might meet. We might even stop for a chat.

The speech was described as "surreal" by The Guardian , [26] "bizarre" by The Independent , [27] "astonishing" by Yahoo , [28] and "odd" by indy100 . [29]

On 18 April 2021, Walker published an op-ed in The Daily Telegraph in which he stated his concern about the rumoured COVID vaccine passports, specifically by drawing parallels to other public health concerns not managed in the same way, such as obesity. [30]

Retirement from the House of Commons: 2022–present

I think it's a shambles and a disgrace ... I hope all those people that put Liz Truss into Number 10, I hope it was worth it ... because the damage they have done to our party is extraordinary.

Charles Walker's remarks on the market fallout, subsequent government crisis and Conservative unpopularity. [31]

On 1 February 2022, Walker announced he would be standing down at the 2024 general election, saying there had been "a lot of grief and pain" in the country which had meant politics had become a "pretty toxic environment". [32]

Walker endorsed Penny Mordaunt during the July 2022 Conservative Party leadership election. [33] He became the fifth Conservative MP to publicly call for the Prime Minister Liz Truss to resign. [34] During the government crisis on 19 October 2022, Walker called the Truss ministry "a shambles and a disgrace... utterly appalling", commenting of its supporters that he had "had enough of talentless people" for whom "it’s in their own personal interest to achieve a ministerial position". [35] [36]

Recognition

In 2012, in a debate in Parliament on mental health issues and their "taboo", Walker spoke about his 30-year experience of obsessive–compulsive disorder, alongside the Labour MP Kevan Jones, who spoke about his own experience of having depression. Walker and Jones were both later praised for their speeches by Time to Change , a mental health anti-stigma campaign run by charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness. [37]

Walker has twice won The Spectator Speech of the Year at its annual Parliamentarian of the Year Awards: the first time in 2011 and the second time in 2012 when he shared the award with Kevan Jones. He was also one of The Spectator's Parliamentarians of the Year in 2013. In 2012, he was chosen as one of the Telegraph's "50 Great Britons" for that year and was also one of The Guardian 's "Stories of 2012". [38] He was awarded the President's Medal by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in November 2013. [39]

Personal life

Walker is the stepson of middle-distance runner and former Conservative MP Sir Christopher Chataway. He is married and has three children. [4]

Electoral history

Sir
Charles Walker
KBE
Official portrait of Sir Charles Walker MP crop 2.jpg
Official portrait, 2020
Chair of the Administration Committee
In office
18 March 2020 –30 May 2024
General election 2019: Broxbourne [40]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Charles Walker 30,631 65.6 +3.4
Labour Sean Waters10,82423.2–5.7
Liberal Democrats Julia Bird3,9708.5+5.4
Green Nicholas Cox1,2812.7+0.9
Majority19,80742.4+9.1
Turnout 46,70663.8–2.5
Conservative hold Swing +4.6
General election 2017: Broxbourne [41]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Charles Walker 29,515 62.2 +6.1
Labour Selina Norgrove13,72328.9+10.5
UKIP Tony Faulkner1,9184.0–15.7
Liberal Democrats Andy Graham1,4813.1–0.1
Green Tabitha Evans8481.8–0.8
Majority15,79233.3–3.1
Turnout 47,48566.3+3.2
Conservative hold Swing –2.2
General election 2015: Broxbourne [42]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Charles Walker 25,797 56.1 –2.7
UKIP David Platt9,07419.7+15.6
Labour Edward Robinson8,47018.4+0.8
Liberal Democrats Anthony Rowlands1,4673.2–10.2
Green Russell Secker1,2162.6New
Majority16,72336.4–4.8
Turnout 46,02463.1–0.9
Conservative hold Swing –9.2
General election 2010: Broxbourne [43] [44]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Charles Walker 26,844 58.8 +5.0
Labour Michael Watson8,04017.6–7.9
Liberal Democrats Allan Witherick6,10713.4+1.2
BNP Steve McCole2,1594.70.0
UKIP Martin J. Harvey1,8904.1+0.5
English Democrat Debbie Lemay6181.4New
Majority18,80441.2+12.9
Turnout 45,65864.0+4.3
Conservative hold Swing +4.7
General election 2005: Broxbourne [45]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Charles Walker 21,878 53.8 –0.3
Labour Jamie Bolden10,36925.5–4.9
Liberal Democrats Andrew Porrer4,97312.2+1.2
BNP Andrew Emerson1,9294.7+2.5
UKIP Martin J. Harvey1,4793.6+1.3
Majority11,50928.3+4.6
Turnout 40,62859.7+4.0
Conservative hold Swing +2.3
General election 2001: Ealing North [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Stephen Pound 25,022 55.7 +2.0
Conservative Charles Walker13,18529.3−7.9
Liberal Democrats Francesco R. Fruzza5,04311.2+4.2
UKIP Daniel Moss6681.5+0.2
Green Astra Seibe1,0392.3+1.4
Majority11,83726.3+9.8
Turnout 44,95758.0−13.3
Registered electors 77,524
Labour hold Swing +4.9

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References

  1. ↑ "Charles Walker, Charles Walker MP talks to Rethink Mental Illness about living with OCD". YouTube. Rethink Mental Illness. 3 June 2013. Archived from the original on 5 January 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  2. ↑ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Archived from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  3. ↑ "OBE for Broxbourne MP Charles Walker". Hertfordshire Mercury . 30 December 2014. Archived from the original on 26 July 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 "Charles Walker". Archived from the original on 5 May 2009. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
  5. ↑ "Charles Walker official website". Archived from the original on 22 March 2010.
  6. 1 2 "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  7. ↑ Palmer, Ewan (30 October 2015). "Tampon Tax: Full list of MPs who voted against cutting VAT on women's sanitary products". International Business Times . Archived from the original on 21 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  8. ↑ Turner, Alwyn (5 January 2022). "'The wrong kind of woman': The early years of Liz Truss". Lion & Unicorn. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  9. ↑ "Committee of Privileges - Membership - Committees - UK Parliament".
  10. ↑ "MPs' expenses: Speaker Michael Martin no confidence motion signatories". The Daily Telegraph . 19 May 2009. Archived from the original on 26 March 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  11. ↑ "National Referendum on the European Union - Hansard - UK Parliament".
  12. 1 2 Hope, Christopher (30 December 2013). "Keith Vaz 'could be next Speaker of the House of Commons'". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 5 January 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
  13. ↑ Charles Walker Conservative MP for Broxbourne www.theyworkforyou.com, accessed 11 February 2021
  14. ↑ Prynne, Miranda (12 December 2013). "Telegraph database: find out if your MP is planning to take Ipsa's 11 per cent pay hike". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
  15. ↑ Treneman, Ann (27 March 2015). "An honourable fool brings the House down". The Times . Archived from the original on 27 March 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  16. ↑ Wintour, Patrick (27 March 2015). "Tory backbench rebellion defeats Hague's attempt to unseat Speaker". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 19 October 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  17. ↑ "Winning candidates for select committee Chairs announced". UK Parliament. 18 June 2015. Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  18. ↑ "No. 61092". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2014. p. N15.
  19. ↑ "2015 New Year Honours List" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 January 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  20. ↑ "Resignation Honours 2019". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 10 September 2019. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  21. ↑ "Sir Graham Brady to return as chairman of the 1922 Committee". ITV News . Greater Manchester. 3 September 2019. Archived from the original on 4 September 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019. A statement from the committee said he would return as chairman "until a new executive is elected in the next session of Parliament".
  22. ↑ Simons, Ned (12 October 2020). "Tory MP Charles Walker Says Government Can't Stop Elderly Dying From Coronavirus". HuffPost. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  23. ↑ Landler, Mark; Castle, Stephen (2 November 2020). "U.K.'s Johnson Faces a Growing Revolt Over His Coronavirus Policy". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  24. ↑ Carpani, Jessica (24 November 2020). "Sir Charles Walker demands PM responds after 'elderly lady peacefully protesting' is arrested". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  25. ↑ Casalicchio, Emilio (2 November 2020). "5 things the UK's lockdown-skeptic MPs want from Boris Johnson". POLITICO. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  26. ↑ "Tory milkman delivers speech surreal even by Commons' standards | John Crace". The Guardian. 25 March 2021.
  27. ↑ "Tory MP carries pint of milk in bizarre protest at Covid restrictions". The Independent. 26 March 2021.
  28. ↑ "Astonishing moment Tory MP announces milk protest during COVID law debate". uk.movies.yahoo.com. 25 March 2021.
  29. ↑ "MP says he'll stage protest against lockdown laws... with a pint of milk". www.indy100.com. 26 March 2021.
  30. ↑ Walker, Sir Charles (18 April 2020). "To understand the dangers of Covid passports, simply imagine an obesity equivalent". Telegraph Media Group Limited.
  31. ↑ Cole, Harry; Heale, James (2022). Out of the Blue: The Inside Story of the Unexpected Rise and Rapid Fall of Liz Truss. HarperCollins. p. 308. ISBN   978-0-00-860578-0.
  32. ↑ "Broxbourne's Conservative MP to quit at next election". BBC News. 2 February 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  33. ↑ Richards, Nicola; Walker, Sir Charles (13 July 2022). "Penny Mordaunt will reset the dial". The Times. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  34. ↑ "Conservative MP Sir Charles Walker says he does not think Liz Truss's 'position is recoverable'". Sky News. 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  35. ↑ "'I've had enough of talentless people' - Charles Walker". BBC News. 19 October 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  36. ↑ "Tory MP Charles Walker deems Government chaos 'an absolute disgrace'". Metro. 19 October 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  37. ↑ "MPs Charles Walker and Kevan Jones tell of mental health issues". BBC News . 14 June 2012. Archived from the original on 17 June 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  38. ↑ Mulholland, Hélène (26 December 2012). "Charles Walker MP: 'I've made peace with it. I've got it off my chest'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  39. ↑ Roll of Honour July 2020 www.rcpsych.ac.uk, accessed 11 February 2021
  40. ↑ "STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED AND NOTICE OF POLL" (PDF). ex.broxbourne.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  41. ↑ "UK Parliamentary Election: Broxbourne Constituency: Statement of persons nominated and notice of poll" (PDF). Broxbourne Borough Council. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  42. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  43. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  44. ↑ "Election 2010 – Broxbourne". BBC News.
  45. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
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