John Henry Hayes

John Henry Hayes (born 23 June 1958) British politician. He is Conservative Member of Parliament for South Holland and The Deepings, and Chairman of the socially conservative Cornerstone Group.

John Hayes was born in Woolwich, London and was educated at the Colfe's Grammar School in Lewisham and the University of Nottingham where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education in history and English. He was Chairman of the University Conservative Association; President of Lincoln Hall JCR and Treasurer of the University Students' Union from 1982-83. Before entering Parliament, he was a Director of the Information Technology company, The Data Base Ltd [Nottingham].

He was elected to Nottinghamshire County Council in 1985 where he was the Conservative Group Spokesman on Education and Chairman of its Campaigns Committee. He served there for 13 years, standing down following his election to parliament. He contested Derbyshire North East at the 1987 general election but was defeated by the new Labour MP Harry Barnes by 3,720 votes. He fought the same seat at the 1992 general election and although he increased the Tory vote, finished some 6,270 votes behind Barnes. He was elected to the House of Commons for the new Lincolnshire seat of South Holland and The Deepings at the 1997 general election. He secured a majority of 7,991 and has been elected with increased majorities at successive elections since with swings to him of 4.4% in 2001 and another 4.3% in 2005, increasing the Conservative share of the vote to 57.1%, so making it one of the Party's safest seats. He made his maiden speech on 2 July 1997.

In parliament he served on the agriculture, fisheries and food select committee for two years from 1997 and two years on the education and employment committee from 1998. In 1999 he was appointed as a Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party with responsibility for campaigning by William Hague, and in 2000 continued on the frontbench as Shadow Schools Minister in the education and skills. He was appointed Assistant Chief Whip Opposition Whip by [Iain Duncan Smith] - for whom Hayes was a speech writer - in 2001, before entering his shadow cabinet as the shadow Agriculture & Fisheries Secretary in 2002. In 2003, after a change of Leader, Michael Howard]], and was appointed as Shadow Minister for Housing & Planning in the local and devolved government. He was briefly a spokesman on transport following the 2005 general election before being moved by David Cameron later in 2005 to again speak on education and skills and in particular on vocational education. He was promoted by Cameron to his current post - Shadow Minster for Lifelong Leaning, Further and Higher Education - in 2007. He is the Chairman of the All Party Group on disability and Secretary of the All Party Group on brain injury. At the end of 2008 John won the EPolitix/House Magazine Disability Charity Champion Award.

He has been married to Susan Hopewell since 1997 and they have two sons.

External links

• Conservative Party - John Hayes MP official biography
• Guardian Unlimtied Politics - Ask Aristotle: John Hayes MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com - John Hayes MP
• The Public Whip - John Hayes MP voting record
• BBC News - John Hayes profile 10 February, 2005