Louie French

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Louie French

| honorific-suffix = MP

| image = File:Official Portrait of Louie French MP.jpg

| caption = Official portrait, 2021

| office = Shadow Minister for Culture, Media and Sport

| predecessor = Stephanie Peacock

| term_start = 19 July 2024

| leader = Rishi Sunak
Kemi Badenoch

| parliament1 = United Kingdom

| constituency_MP1 = Old Bexley and Sidcup

| term_start1 = 2 December 2021

| term_end1 =

| predecessor1 = James Brokenshire

| majority1 = 3,548 (7.4%)

| office2 = Member of Bexley London Borough Council
for Falconwood & Welling

| term_start2 = 23 May 2014

| term_end2 = 5 May 2022

| party = Conservative

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1988|2|14|df=y}}

| birth_place = Greenwich, London, England

| birth_name = Louie Thomas French

| occupation = Politician, former portfolio manager

| education = Blackfen School for Girls

| website = {{URL|www.louiefrench.org.uk}}

}}

Louie Thomas French{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-59374979|title=Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election 2021: The candidates standing|work=BBC News|date=22 November 2021|accessdate=3 December 2021}} (born 14 February 1988){{cite web |title=Louie Thomas French |url=https://api.parliament.uk/query/resource?uri=https://id.parliament.uk/Kfy9QiFt |website=api.parliament.uk |access-date=1 July 2022}}
- {{cite news |last=Bond |first=David |title=Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election: 'They feel sorry for me' ... the Tory battling for votes after sleaze |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/old-bexley-and-sidcup-byelection-candidates-louie-french-owen-paterson-sleaze-b968934.html |access-date=4 December 2021 |work=Evening Standard |date=29 November 2021}} is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Old Bexley and Sidcup since the 2021 by-election. He was a councillor on Bexley London Borough Council from 2014 until 2022.

Prior to his parliamentary career, he worked as a lead portfolio manager for the financial planning and investment firm Tilney. He has been Shadow Minister for Culture, Media and Sport since July 2024.{{Cite web |title=Conservative Party announces interim Opposition Front Bench |url=https://policymogul.com/key-updates/37814/conservative-party-announces-interim-opposition-front-bench |access-date=2024-07-26 |website=policymogul.com |language=en}}

Early life and career

Louie French was born on 14 February 1988 in Greenwich, and grew up in Welling and Sidcup.{{cite web|url=https://www.greenwichconservatives.com/news/louie-french-selected-candidate-eltham|title=Louie French selected as candidate for Eltham|date=20 October 2019 |accessdate=3 December 2021|publisher=Greenwich Conservatives}}
- {{cite web|url=https://www.louiefrench.org.uk/about-louie-french|publisher=Louie French|title=About Louie French|accessdate=3 December 2021}} He attended Blackfen School for Girls, which has a mixed sixth form.{{cite tweet|title=Great to welcome students and teachers from one of my old schools @BlackfenSchool to Parliament today. Lots of excellent questions on my local campaigns to improve our area, including lobbying for further investment at Queen Mary's Hospital 🏥|date=16 June 2022|accessdate=16 June 2022|author=Louie French|user=louie_french|number=1537388469563047938}}

He was elected as a Conservative councillor for the Falconwood and Welling ward in the 2014 Bexley Borough Council election and was re-elected in 2018.{{cite web|url=https://democracy.bexley.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2521|title=Councillor Louie French|publisher=Bexley London Borough Council|accessdate=3 December 2021|archive-date=3 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203110730/https://democracy.bexley.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2521|url-status=dead}} Alongside his role as councillor, he was also a senior research analyst and later lead portfolio manager for sustainable portfolios and services for the financial planning and investment firm Tilney.{{cite web|url=https://democracy.bexley.gov.uk/mgDeclarationSubmission.aspx?UID=2521&HID=2015&FID=0&HPID=15407753|title=Register of interests|accessdate=3 December 2021|publisher=Bexley London Borough Council}}
- {{cite web|url=https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/topics/authors/louie-french|title=Louie French|accessdate=3 December 2021|publisher=The Law Society}}

Parliamentary career

At the 2019 general election, French stood as the Conservative candidate in Eltham, coming second with 39.7% of the vote behind the incumbent Labour MP Clive Efford.{{cite news |last=Somerville |first=Ewan |date=13 December 2019 |title=Eltham constituency results 2019: Labour's Clive Efford wins |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/eltham-election-constituency-results-general-election-2019-a4304926.html |accessdate=3 December 2021 |work=Evening Standard}}{{cite news |title=Eltham Parliamentary constituency |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000690 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103094331/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000690 |archive-date=3 January 2020 |access-date=23 November 2019 |website=BBC News |publisher=BBC}}

French was selected as the Conservative candidate for the 2021 Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election on 30 October 2021{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/oct/30/tories-select-councillor-louie-french-for-old-bexley-and-sidcup-byelection|title=Tories select councillor Louie French for Old Bexley and Sidcup byelection|date=30 October 2021|last=Bryant|first=Miranda|work=The Guardian|accessdate=3 December 2021}} which was called after the death of the incumbent Conservative MP James Brokenshire from lung cancer on 7 October 2021.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/oct/08/former-tory-minister-james-brokenshire-dies-aged-53|title=Former Tory minister James Brokenshire dies aged 53|date=8 October 2021|last1=Rawlinson|first1=Kevin|last2=Walker|first2=Peter|work=The Guardian|accessdate=3 December 2021}} French was elected to Parliament as MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup with 51.5% of the vote and a majority of 4,478.{{Cite news |date=December 3, 2021 |title=Old Bexley and Sidcup: Tories hold safe London seat at by-election |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-59505204 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203105715/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-59505204 |archive-date=December 3, 2021 |access-date=December 3, 2021 |work=BBC News}}

French pledged to focus on increasing the number of police officers, investment in schools and hospitals, and protecting green spaces in the constituency.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-59505204|title=Old Bexley and Sidcup: Tories hold safe London seat at by-election|work=BBC News|date=3 December 2021|accessdate=13 November 2021}} He had also pledged to leave his job as a lead portfolio manager for Tilney if he was elected as MP which he reported doing so in his first week. During the campaign, he had initially said that he would continue at Tilney as MP but later ruled it out.{{cite news|url= https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/19715368.johnson-defends-second-jobs-old-bexley-sidcup-visit/|work=News Shopper|title=Johnson defends second jobs on Old Bexley and Sidcup visit |accessdate=3 December 2021|date=13 November 2021|last=Mulligan|first=Euan}}
- {{cite news|url=https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/19719694.tory-candidate-bexley-election-rules-second-job/|work=News Shopper|title=Tory candidate in Bexley election rules out second job|accessdate=3 December 2021|date=16 November 2021|last=Mulligan|first=Euan}}
- {{cite tweet|title=My first week in Parliament is over and I have already delivered some of my election promises: Resigned from my day job...|date=12 December 2021|accessdate=13 December 2021|user=louie_french|number=1469981232071069701}}

He was one of 99 Conservative MPs to vote against Covid passes in England in December 2021.{{cite news|last=Calvert|first=Alana|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/newest-tory-mp-louie-french-rebels-against-pandemic-restrictions-41151362.html|work=Belfast Telegraph|title=Newest Tory MP Louie French rebels against pandemic restrictions|date=15 December 2021|accessdate=30 October 2022}}

French made his maiden speech on 18 January 2022, in which he paid tribute to James Brokenshire.{{cite news|url=https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/19857746.old-bexley-sidcup-mp-louie-french-pays-tribute-james-brokenshire/|work=News Shopper|title=Old Bexley and Sidcup MP Louie French pays tribute to James Brokenshire|date=19 January 2022|accessdate=17 February 2022|last=Uyal|first=Berk}}
- {{cite web|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2022-01-18/debates/33984457-F036-4329-B701-FC4F71A26E62/AnimalWelfare(Sentience)Bill(Lords)?highlight=louie%20french#contribution-C2097BCD-1CB3-490B-9C41-802E0F9F9FF8|work=Hansard|title=Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill [Lords]|date=18 January 2022|accessdate=17 February 2022}} He has been a member of the Public Accounts Committee since March 2022.{{cite web|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/4932/career|title=Parliamentary career for Mr Louie French|publisher=UK Parliament|accessdate=30 October 2022}} He endorsed Rishi Sunak in the July–September 2022 Conservative Party leadership election.{{cite news|url=https://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/20273613.south-london-tory-mps-backing-next-prime-minister/|work=Richmond and Twickenham Times|date=12 July 2022|last=Uyal|first=Berk|title=Who the south London Tory MPs are backing for next Prime Minister}}

At the 2024 general election, French was re-elected as MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup with a decreased vote share of 37.6% and a decreased majority of 3,548.{{Cite web |title=Results of Old Bexley and Sidcup |url=https://election.news.sky.com/elections/general-election-2024/old-bexley-and-sidcup-444 |access-date=5 July 2024 |publisher=Sky News}}