James Grundy (politician)
{{short description|British Conservative politician}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = James Grundy
| honorific-suffix =
| image = Official portrait of James Grundy MP crop 2.jpg
| caption = Official portrait, 2020
| office1 = Member of Parliament
for Leigh
| term_start1 = 12 December 2019
| term_end1 = 30 May 2024
| predecessor1 = Jo Platt
| successor1 = Constituency abolished
| office2 = Councillor for Lowton East
| term_start2 = 1 May 2008
| term_end2 = 7 May 2021
| predecessor2 = Ian Franzen
| successor2 = Marie Cooper
| party = Conservative
| birth_name = James Nelson Grundy{{London Gazette |issue=62862 |date=20 December 2019 |page=23182}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1978|12|08}}
| birth_place = Warrington, Cheshire, England
| residence = Lowton, Greater Manchester, England
| website = {{URL|www.jamesgrundy.org.uk}}
}}
James Nelson Grundy (born 8 December 1978){{Cite book|last=Brunskill|first=Ian|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1129682574|title=The Times guide to the House of Commons 2019 : the definitive record of Britain's historic 2019 General Election|date=19 March 2020|isbn=978-0-00-839258-1|pages=255|publisher=HarperCollins Publishers Limited |oclc=1129682574}} is a British Conservative Party politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Leigh from 2019 to 2024.{{cite book|title=The Times guide to the House of Commons 2019 : the definitive record of Britain's historic 2019 General Election|date=2020|isbn=978-0-00-839258-1|location=Glasgow|page=255|last1=Brunskill|first1=Ian}}
Early life
Grundy was born in Warrington, and raised on the family farm in Lowton, where he still resides.{{cite web |title=About James Grundy |url=https://www.jamesgrundy.org.uk/about-james-grundy |website=James Grundy |accessdate=14 June 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Grundy |first1=James |title=JAMES GRUNDY – Let's retain spirit of national unity |url=https://www.wigantoday.net/news/opinion/columnists/james-grundy-lets-retain-spirit-national-unity-2548625#gsc.tab=0 |accessdate=14 June 2020 |work=Wigan Today |date=24 April 2020}} Grundy was also educated locally, having attended both Lowton St Mary's Primary School and Lowton High School.
Political career
Grundy was elected to represent the Lowton East ward on Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council as a councillor in the 2008 local elections.{{cite web|title=Lowton East Election Results 2008|url=https://apps.wigan.gov.uk/electionResults/ShowWard.asp?WardID=122&ElectionDate=01+May+2008|website=Wigan Council|accessdate=17 December 2019}} He was elected to Parliament at the 2019 general election, taking the seat from Labour's Jo Platt.{{cite news |title=Leigh parliamentary constituency – Election 2019 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000785 |accessdate=13 December 2019|publisher=BBC News }}{{cite web |title=General Election 2019: Meet the Leigh candidates {{!}} Mancunian Matters |url=http://www.mancunianmatters.co.uk/content/191178375-general-election-2019-meet-leigh-candidates |website=Mancunian Matters |accessdate=13 December 2019 |date=19 November 2019}}{{cite news |last1=Mutch |first1=James |title='I am up for the fight', vows Leigh's Conservative candidate for General Election |url=https://www.leighjournal.co.uk/news/15272378.i-am-up-for-the-fight-vows-cllr-james-grundy-leighs-conservative-candidate-for-general-election/ |accessdate=13 December 2019 |work=Leigh Journal |date=9 May 2017 |language=en}} This made Grundy the first ever Conservative MP to represent the Leigh constituency since its creation.
Grundy's general election campaign pledges included respecting Leigh's vote to leave the EU in 2016;{{Cite web|title=Election 2017 dashboard|url=https://democraticdashboard.com/constituency/leigh|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170308141626/http://democraticdashboard.com/constituency/leigh|url-status=usurped|archive-date=8 March 2017|access-date=2020-09-08|website=Democratic Dashboard|language=en}} fighting for vital local transport infrastructure, such as the completion of the Atherleigh Way Bypass,{{Cite web|title=MP optimistic on making progress to 'benefit people of Leigh'|url=https://www.leighjournal.co.uk/news/18136515.mp-james-grundy-optimistic-making-progress-benefit-people-leigh/|access-date=2020-09-08|website=Leigh Journal|date=6 January 2020 |language=en}} and the re-opening of Golborne and Kenyon Junction stations;{{Cite web|title=MP believes rail investment in the North can pave the way for stations re-opening|url=https://www.leighjournal.co.uk/news/18609796.investment-norths-railways-can-help-reopen-golborne-kenyon-junction-stations-says-mp/|access-date=2020-09-08|website=Leigh Journal|date=27 July 2020 |language=en}} and securing investment for Leigh's town centres.{{Cite web|title=Councillor hoping to make step up to Commons|url=https://www.wigantoday.net/news/politics/councillor-hoping-make-step-commons-1301068|access-date=2020-09-08|website=wigantoday.net|language=en}}
In 2020, Grundy put forward two bids to the Government's Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund, progressing his pledge to get Kenyon Junction and Golborne Station reopened, following their closure after the Beeching Report. The outcome of these bids was due to be announced in autumn 2020.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Grundy was actively involved in supporting local people and local businesses. He supported local market traders' calls to open food stalls at Leigh Market as soon as the Government lifted restrictions.{{Cite web|title=Row over Leigh Market's continued closure continues with MP's new letter to council|url=https://www.leighjournal.co.uk/news/18493540.row-leigh-markets-continued-closure-continues-mps-new-letter-council/|access-date=2020-09-08|website=Leigh Journal|date=3 June 2020 |language=en}}
In February 2020, a video recording obtained by LBC showed Grundy publicly exposing his genitals in front of a woman at an event in the Rams Head Inn, Lowton, in 2007. Since the event, Grundy has apologised for the incident and the distress he caused.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/tory-mp-james-grundy-exposed-himself-pub/|title=Tory MP faces calls to quit after video emerges of him exposing himself in a pub|website=LBC|language=en|access-date=2020-02-25}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/james-grundy-tory-mp-pub-video-woman-leigh-conservative-party-a9356501.html|title=Tory MP apologises as video of him exposing himself to woman in pub emerges|date=2020-02-25|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=2020-02-25}}
In the summer of 2020, Grundy launched his "Shop Safe, Shop Local" campaign, which encouraged local people to return to their local high street following the Coronavirus pandemic.{{Cite web|title=JAMES GRUNDY – Support 'shop safe and shop local'|url=https://www.wigantoday.net/news/politics/james-grundy-support-shop-safe-and-shop-local-2916355|access-date=2020-09-08|website=wigantoday.net|language=en}} The petition gained hundreds of signatures, and encouraged Wigan Council to deliver two hours' free parking on weekdays in Leigh's town centres, increased hand sanitization stations on the high street, and free face coverings for shoppers provided to local independent businesses.{{Cite web|title=LEIGH MP LAUNCHES 'SHOP SAFE, SHOP LOCAL' CAMPAIGN|url=https://www.jamesgrundy.org.uk/news/leigh-mp-launches-shop-safe-shop-local-campaign|access-date=2020-09-08|website=James Grundy|date=10 July 2020 |language=en}}
As MP for Leigh, Grundy wrote regular columns for both the Wigan Observer and Leigh Journal, to update constituents of local issues.{{Cite web|title=Politics {{!}} Wigan Today|url=https://www.wigantoday.net/news/politics|access-date=2020-09-08|website=wigantoday.net|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Leigh Journal {{!}} News, sport, education, leisure in the Leigh area|url=https://www.leighjournal.co.uk/|access-date=2020-09-08|website=leighjournal.co.uk}}
Grundy announced in May 2024 that he would step down from Parliament at the forthcoming general election.{{cite web |last1=Graham |first1=Charles |title=Two Wigan borough MPs to stand down at general election |url=https://www.wigantoday.net/news/politics/two-wigan-borough-mps-to-stand-down-at-general-election-4639421 |website=Wigan Post |access-date=23 May 2024 |date=22 May 2024}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{UK MP links |parliament=4843 |publicwhip=James_Grundy |theywork=james_grundy}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|uk}}
{{s-bef|before=Joanne Platt}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament for Leigh|years=2019–2024}}
{{s-non | reason = Constituency abolished }}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grundy, James}}
Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Leigh