Craig Williams | |
---|---|
Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister | |
In office 25 October 2022 –25 June 2024 | |
Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak |
Preceded by | Suzanne Webb |
Succeeded by | Liz Twist Chris Ward |
Member of Parliament for Montgomeryshire | |
In office 12 December 2019 –30 May 2024 | |
Preceded by | Glyn Davies |
Succeeded by | Steve Witherden |
Member of Parliament for Cardiff North | |
In office 7 May 2015 –3 May 2017 | |
Preceded by | Jonathan Evans |
Succeeded by | Anna McMorrin |
Personal details | |
Born | Welshpool,Wales | 7 June 1985
Political party | Independent (since 2024) Conservative (until 2024) |
Spouse | Claire Williams |
Children | 2 |
Website | craig-williams |
Alun Craig Williams [1] (born 7 June 1985) [2] is a British politician who was Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister from October 2022 until June 2024. A member of the Conservative Party,he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cardiff North from 2015 to 2017,when he was defeated for reelection by the Labour Party's Anna McMorrin. [3] In 2019,Williams was elected as the MP for Montgomeryshire,but lost the seat in the 2024 general election. [4]
Three days prior to the announcement of the date of 2024 general election,Williams placed a £100 bet that it would be held in July. The bet was referred to the Gambling Commission to determine whether Williams had placed the bet based on confidential information,which could constitute a criminal offence. Williams' bet became part of a wider scandal involving other members of the Conservative Party.[ not in body ] On 25 June 2024,the party announced it was withdrawing support for Williams's candidacy in the election,and that should he be elected he would not be granted the Conservative whip. [5]
Williams was born in Welshpool,Powys,to David and Andrea Williams. He attended Gungrog Road school,Ysgol Maesydre and Welshpool High School. [6] He went on to further education at Walford College and the University of Birmingham. [6]
Williams first stood for office in Cardiff West against the Welsh First Minister Rhodri Morgan in the 2007 National Assembly for Wales election. [6] Williams had represented Pentyrch ward on City of Cardiff Council from 2008,and unsuccessfully contested the 2012 Cardiff South and Penarth by-election,coming second to Labour's Stephen Doughty. Whilst on the council,he was Chairman of the Economy Committee from 2012 to 2015. [2] He was Director of Cardiff Bus from 2011 to 2015. In May 2015,he was elected Member of Parliament for the marginal seat of Cardiff North. In July 2015,Williams was elected as a member of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, [7] a position which he held until October 2016. [8] Williams then served as a member of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee and the Scottish Affairs Select Committee. [8] [9]
Williams was opposed to Brexit prior to the 2016 UK European Union membership referendum, [10] and consistently voted with the Government Whip. [11] He lost his seat at the June 2017 general election to Labour's Anna McMorrin. [12] Prior to the 2019 UK general election,Williams was a Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union,Steve Barclay. [13] In July 2019,Williams was announced as the Conservative candidate for the constituency of Montgomeryshire for the next general election,where the sitting Conservative MP Glyn Davies was standing down. [14] In the general election held in December 2019,Williams won the seat with 59% of the vote,and consequently returned to Westminster. He increased the Conservative majority in Montgomeryshire to over 12,000 votes. [15]
Williams was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to his former boss,Steve Barclay,the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. [16] He also joined the International Trade Select Committee and European Statutory Instruments Committee. [17] [18] In addition,he chaired the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Wales in the World and International Trade and Investment. [19] In November 2020 it was alleged that Williams was napping on the parliamentary benches,and a social media clip suggested that he was not paying attention,or even sleeping. [20] Williams claimed this was due to a partial deafness in one ear,which he confirmed during a speech on the British Sign Language Bill. [21] [20] In 2022,Williams resigned from his position as Parliamentary Private Secretary,having lost confidence in the Prime Minister,Boris Johnson. [22]
Williams was sworn in as a Privy Counsellor in November 2023,entitling him to the style The Right Honourable for life. [23]
On 12 June 2024,a governmental betting scandal began when it became known that Williams had placed a £100 bet on a July date for the 2024 general election,three days before a July date was announced. The bet was referred to the Gambling Commission to determine whether Williams had placed the bet based on confidential information,which could constitute a criminal offence. [24] Williams apologised for the bet,but neither he nor Sunak would answer whether he had inside information. [25] [26] The Gambling Commission wrote to Sunak about Williams. [27] Foreign Secretary David Cameron said that Williams's bet on the election was "very foolish". [28] [29] On 25 June 2024,the Conservative Party announced it would be withdrawing support for Williams and would no longer devote resources to his campaign. Due to ballots already being printed and sent out in early voting,Williams would remain listed as the Conservative Party candidate for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr but would not be granted the Conservative whip if elected. [30]
The result of the 2024 general election for the Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr constituency was that Williams lost his seat,polling 7,775 votes,and so coming in third place behind Labour (12,709) and The Reform Party (8,894). [31]
Williams married Clare Bath in 2013,with whom he has a son and a daughter. He is a member of the Carlton Club as well as the Cardiff and County Club. [2] Williams is a school governor at a primary school. [2]
Christopher Heaton-Harris is a British former politician who served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from September 2022 to July 2024,and as Chief Whip of the House of Commons and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury from February to September 2022. A member of the Conservative Party,he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Daventry from 2010 to 2024.
Gregory William Hands is a British politician who served as Minister for London and Minister of State for Trade Policy from November 2023 to July 2024. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Chelsea and Fulham,previously Hammersmith and Fulham,from 2005 to 2024. A member of the Conservative Party,he served as its Chairman from February to November 2023. Hands has served as Minister of State for Trade Policy under four prime ministers,holding the office on four occasions,ranging from 2016 to 2024,and also served as Minister of State for Business,Energy and Clean Growth from 2021 to 2022.
Montgomeryshire was a constituency in Wales represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.
Edward Glyn Davies is a former Welsh Conservative politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Montgomeryshire from 2010 to 2019. Davies previously served as a Member of the Welsh Assembly (AM) for the Mid and West Wales region from 1999 to 2007.
John Robert Lamont is a Scottish Conservative Party politician and solicitor who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Berwickshire,Roxburgh and Selkirk since 2017,and was Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland from July to November 2024. Lamont previously served as the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Roxburgh and Berwickshire,later Ettrick,Roxburgh and Berwickshire after boundary changes,from 2007 to 2017. He served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland between October 2022 to July 2024.
Simon Anthony Hart is a British Conservative politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire from 2010 to 2024. He served as the Chief Whip of the House of Commons and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury from October 2022 to July 2024. He previously served as Secretary of State for Wales in the Johnson government from 2019 to 2022.
Craig Whittaker is a British Conservative Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Calder Valley from 2010 to 2024. He served as Government Deputy Chief Whip and Treasurer of the Household from September to October 2022. He previously served as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury from January 2018 to April 2019 and again from July to September 2022.
Melvyn John Stride is a British politician who has served as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in Kemi Badenoch’s Shadow Cabinet since November 2024. A member of the Conservative Party,he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Central Devon since 2010.
Gareth Alan Johnson is a British politician and former lawyer who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dartford from 2010 to 2024. A member of the Conservative party,he served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Courts from September to October 2022 in the Truss ministry. Johnson previously served as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury from February to September 2022 and Assistant Government Whip from 2018 to 2019 and 2021 to 2022.
William James Quince is a British Conservative Party politician and former lawyer who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Colchester from 2015 to 2024. Quince was also Minister of State for Health and Secondary Care from September 2022 to November 2023.
Miriam Jane Alice Davies,known as Mims Davies,is a British Conservative Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for East Grinstead and Uckfield since 2024. She previously served as MP for Eastleigh from 2015 to 2019 and MP for Mid Sussex from 2019 to 2024. Davies has served as Shadow Secretary of State for Wales since November 2024,and Shadow Minister for Women since July 2024. She previously served in various ministerial positions between 2018 and 2024.
Joyce Rebekah "Joy" Morrissey is an American-born British Conservative Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Beaconsfield since 2019. She was a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury from November 2023 until July 2024. She has been Opposition Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Commons since November 2024,serving alongside Gagan Mohindra.
Richard John Holden is a British politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Basildon and Billericay and Shadow Paymaster General since 2024. A member of the Conservative party,he was previously the Member of Parliament for North West Durham from 2019 to 2024. Holden served as the Chairman of the Conservative Party and Minister without Portfolio from November 2023 to July 2024,and as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Roads and Local Transport from 2022 to 2023.
Fay Alicia Jones is a British former politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Brecon and Radnorshire from 2019 to 2024. She is a member of the Conservative Party and a former junior government minister.
Scott Lloyd Benton is a former British politician who was Member of Parliament (MP) for Blackpool South from the 2019 general election until his resignation in March 2024. A member of the Conservative Party,he was previously also a councillor on Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council and a primary school teacher.
Paul John Holmes is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hamble Valley since 2024. He was the Member of Parliament for Eastleigh from 2019 to 2024. Holmes currently serves as Shadow Minister for Housing,Communities and Local Government having been appointed by Kemi Badenoch.
The 2024 general election was held on Thursday,4 July 2024. Thirty-two seats were up for election in Wales as the general election occurred after the recently completed boundary review took effect. The Labour Party remained the largest party in Wales,gaining six seats for a total of 27. Both Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats made gains,taking them to four seats and one seat respectively. The Conservatives lost all thirteen seats they had held previously,leaving the party without Westminster representation from Wales for the first time since 2005.
Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr is a constituency of the House of Commons in the UK Parliament,first contested at the 2024 United Kingdom general election,following the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies.
During the 2024 general election campaign,allegations were made that illicit bets were placed by political party members and police officers,some of whom may have had insider knowledge of the date of the general election before Rishi Sunak,the Prime Minister at the time,publicly announced when it would be held.