Rebecca Harris
{{Short description|British politician (born 1967)}}
{{for-multi|the British film producer|Rebecca Harris (filmmaker)|the television character|Limitless (TV series)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = Official portrait of Rebecca Harris MP crop 2.jpg
| honorific-prefix = Dame
| name = Rebecca Harris
| honorific-suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|DBE|MP}}
| office = Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Commons
| leader = Kemi Badenoch
| term_start = 4 November 2024
| term_end =
| predecessor = Stuart Andrew
| successor =
| office1 = Comptroller of the Household
| primeminister1 = Boris Johnson
Liz Truss
Rishi Sunak
| term_start1 = 8 July 2022
| term_end1 = 5 July 2024
| predecessor1 = Marcus Jones
| successor1 = Chris Elmore
| office2 = Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
| primeminister2 = Theresa May
Boris Johnson
| parliament2 =
| majority2 =
| predecessor2 = Heather Wheeler
| successor2 =
| term_start2 = 9 January 2018
| term_end2 = 8 July 2022
| office3 = Member of Parliament
for Castle Point
| termstart3 = 6 May 2010
| termend3 =
| predecessor3 = Bob Spink
| majority3 = 3,251 (8%)
| birth_name = Elizabeth Rebecca Scott Harris
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1967|12|22|df=yes}}{{cite news|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/representatives/profiles/73064.stm
|title=Rebecca Harris MP
|publisher=BBC |work=BBC Democracy Live |access-date=25 July 2010}}
| birth_place = Windsor, Berkshire, England{{cite web|url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U251174/ |title=Who's Who |publisher=Ukwhoswho.com |access-date=6 March 2012}}
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = British
| spouse =
| party = Conservative
| education = Bedales School
| alma_mater = London School of Economics
| website = {{URL|www.rebeccaharris.org}}
| footnotes =
| caption = Official portrait, 2019
}}
Dame Elizabeth Rebecca Scott Harris{{London Gazette |issue=61230 |date=18 May 2015 |page=9122}} {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|DBE}} (born 22 December 1967) is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Castle Point since 2010. She was the Comptroller of the Household from 2022 to 2024.{{Cite web |title=Ministerial Appointments: September 2022 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ministerial-appointments-september-2022 |access-date=2022-09-09 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Rebecca Harris MP |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/rebecca-harris |access-date=2022-09-09 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}} In that role, she took part in the 2023 Coronation.{{cite news |title=Coronation order of service in full |work=BBC News |date=5 May 2023 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65503950 |access-date=6 May 2023}} In November 2024 she assumed the role of Opposition Chief Whip, replacing Stuart Andrew in the role.
Early life and career
Elizabeth Harris was born on 22 December 1967 in Windsor, Berkshire and was privately educated at the boarding school Bedales, in Hampshire. She then went to university at the London School of Economics, graduating with a BSc. After university, Harris worked with Phillimore & Co publishers, working in warehousing as a delivery driver and sales rep. She eventually joined the board as marketing director. Harris was a Conservative head office campaign co-ordinator during 2000-2001 and Conservative North West London area officer during 2007–2008.
Parliamentary career
At the 2010 general election, Harris was elected to Parliament as MP for Castle Point with 44% of the vote and a majority of 7,632.{{cite web |title=Election Data 2010 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726162034/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2010.txt |archive-date=26 July 2013 |access-date=17 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}}{{Cite web |title=Archived copy |url=http://www.castlepoint.gov.uk/documents/Electoral%20Services%2Felections%2Epdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927074049/http://www.castlepoint.gov.uk/documents/Electoral%20Services%2Felections.pdf |archive-date=2011-09-27 |access-date=2010-05-05}}{{cite news |title=BBC NEWS – Election 2010 – Castle Point |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/constituency/a93.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904223504/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/constituency/a93.stm |archive-date=2017-09-04 |access-date=2010-05-06 |work=BBC News}}
In 2012, Harris was named by Conservative Home as one of a minority of loyal Conservative backbench MPs not to have voted against the government in any significant rebellions.{{cite web|last1=Barrett|first1=Matthew|title=The 24 Conservative MPs who are still on the backbenches and have never rebelled|url=http://www.conservativehome.com/thetorydiary/2012/09/the-forty-non-government-payroll-mps-who-havent-rebelled.html|website=Conservative Home|date=14 September 2012 |access-date=19 March 2015}}
She was a member of the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee and championed the Daylight Saving Bill which would have moved Britain onto Central European Time.{{cite news| last = Winterman | first = Denise|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12536056|title=Could the UK work with two different time zones?|date=24 February 2011|publisher=BBC News Magazine|access-date=24 February 2011}} On 20 January 2012, the legislation ran out of time to progress, meaning that the United Kingdom would remain on Western European Time.{{cite news| last = Staff writer|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16649868|title=Clock change bill runs out of time in Commons|date=20 January 2012|publisher=BBC News| access-date = 21 January 2012}}
In March 2015, Harris and her entourage recorded video footage of allegedly speeding motorbikers and handed them to the police, after spotting them whilst canvassing. Local residents had complained of the street being used for road racing.{{cite news |last1=Trayner |first1=David |date=12 March 2015 |title=MP films bikers she accuses of speeding |url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/11848069.MP_films_bikers_she_accuses_of_speeding/ |access-date=9 April 2015 |work=Southend Echo}}
At the 2015 general election, Harris was re-elected as MP for Castle Point with an increased vote share of 50.9% and an increased majority of 8,934.{{cite web |title=Election Data 2015 |url=http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017112223/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt |archive-date=17 October 2015 |access-date=17 October 2015 |publisher=Electoral Calculus}}{{cite news |title=Castle Point parliamentary constituency - Election 2017 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/politics/constituencies/E14000622 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190126003914/https://www.bbc.com/news/politics/constituencies/E14000622 |archive-date=2019-01-26 |access-date=2019-01-25 |via=www.bbc.co.uk}}
Prior to the 2016 Brexit referendum, Harris stated her support for Britain to leave the European Union.{{Cite news |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35616946|title=EU vote: Where the cabinet and other MPs stand|date=22 June 2016|publisher=BBC News|access-date=21 June 2017|language=en-GB}}
Harris was re-elected at the snap 2017 general election with an increased vote share of 67.3% and an increased majority of 18,872.{{cite news |title=Castle Point |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000622 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613140631/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000622 |archive-date=13 June 2017 |access-date=11 June 2017 |website=Election 2017 |publisher=BBC News}}{{cite web |date=29 January 2019 |orig-date=7 April 2018 |title=Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis |url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7979/CBP-7979.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112183438/https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7979/CBP-7979.pdf |archive-date=12 November 2019 |publisher=House of Commons Library |edition=Second}}
At the 2019 general election, Harris was again re-elected with an increased vote share of 76.7% and an increased majority of 26,634.{{cite news |title=Castle Point Parliamentary constituency |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000622 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213173505/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000622 |archive-date=13 December 2019 |access-date=18 November 2019 |website=BBC News}}{{cite web |date=28 January 2020 |title=Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis |url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8749/CBP-8749.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118043715/https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8749/CBP-8749.pdf |archive-date=18 November 2021 |access-date=19 January 2022 |publisher=House of Commons Library |location=London}} This was the largest Conservative vote share of the entire election.{{cite web |url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8749/CBP-8749.pdf |date=28 January 2020 |title=Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis |publisher=House of Commons Library |location=London |access-date=28 February 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118043715/https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8749/CBP-8749.pdf |archive-date=18 November 2021}}
Harris was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2024 Birthday Honours List for Political and Public Service.{{cite web|url=https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/24388790.history-castle-points-rebecca-harris-receives-damehood/|title=King's Birthday Honours: Castle Point Rebecca Harris made Dame|publisher=Southend Echo|accessdate=3 November 2024}}
Harris was again re-elected at the 2024 general election, with a decreased vote share of 38.1% and a decreased majority of 3,251.{{cite web|url=https://www.essexlive.news/news/essex-news/general-election-2024-rebecca-harris-9390167|title=General Election 2024: Rebecca Harris re-elected for Castle Point but huge gain for Reform UK|date=5 July 2024 |publisher=Essex Live|accessdate=3 November 2024}}
Following the victory of Kemi Badenoch in the 2024 leadership election, Harris was appointed Chief Whip of the Conservative Party.{{Cite web |date=3 November 2024 |title=Kemi Badenoch appoints Rebecca Harris as Conservative chief whip, says predecessor |url=https://www.itv.com/news/2024-11-03/new-tory-leader-appoints-rebecca-harris-as-chief-whip |website=ITV News}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr5md9rqy0eo|title=Kemi Badenoch makes first appointment to shadow cabinet|date=3 November 2024 |publisher=BBC News|accessdate=3 November 2024}}
Electoral history
{{Election box begin | title=General election 2024: Castle Pointhttps://www.castlepoint.gov.uk/download.cfm?doc=docm93jijm4n8183.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2024}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|party=Conservative Party (UK)|candidate=Rebecca Harris|votes=15,485|percentage=38.1|change=−38.4}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Reform UK|candidate=Keiron McGill|votes=12,234|percentage=30.1|change=N/A}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Labour Party (UK)|candidate=Mark Maguire|votes=9,455|percentage=23.3|change=+6.5}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Green Party of England and Wales|candidate=Bob Chapman|votes=2,118|percentage=5.2|change=N/A}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Liberal Democrats (UK)|candidate=James Willis|votes=1,341|percentage=3.3|change=−3.3}}
{{Election box majority|votes=3,251|percentage=8.0|change=−52.1}}
{{Election box turnout|votes=40,633|percentage=57.6|change=−6.2}}
{{Election box registered electors|reg. electors = 70,552}}
{{Election box hold with party link|winner=Conservative Party (UK)|swing=}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- [http://www.castlepointconservatives.com/ Castle Point Conservatives]{{UK MP links | parliament = rebecca-harris/3948 | guardian = 12007/rebecca-harris | publicwhip = Rebecca_Harris | theywork = rebecca_harris | record = Rebecca-Harris/Castle-Point/1049 | bbc = 73064.stm | journalisted = }}
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{{s-par|uk}}
{{s-bef|before=Bob Spink}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament for Castle Point|years=2010–present}}
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{{s-bef|before=Stuart Andrew}}
{{s-ttl|title=Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Commons|years=2024–present}}
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{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=Stuart Andrew}}
{{s-ttl|title=Conservative Chief Whip of the House of Commons|years=2024–present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-end}}
{{Badenoch Shadow Cabinet}}
{{Conservative Chief Whips}}
{{Conservative Party UK MPs}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Rebecca}}
Category:People educated at Bedales School
Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics
Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Category:Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies
Category:21st-century British women politicians
Category:21st-century English women
Category:21st-century English politicians