Contact Details: Email: haselhursta@saffronwaldenconservatives.net
Telephone: 01799 506349 Fax: 01799 506047

Con majority 13,008
Chairman, Ways and Means and Deputy Speaker

Alan's Biographical details

While at Oxford, Sir Alan became both President of the Oxford University Conservative Association and an Officer of the Oxford Union. After coming down from Oxford he became Chairman of the Welwyn Garden City Young Conservative Branch. Later, as Chairman of the Hertford Constituency YCs he sat on the Finance and General Purposes Committee of the Association for five years and was personal assistant to Lord Balniel in the General Elections of l964 and l966. During this time, he expanded the number of YC Branches in the Constituency to 7.

Sir Alan was elected Eastern Area YC Chairman in l964 and National YC Chairman in l966 (the first from the Eastern Area). In that post he was responsible for the `Action `67` Campaign` which increased YC membership throughout the country, and for putting the YC movement firmly in support of Common Market membership.

In l967 he was adopted as Conservative Parliamentary candidate for the Labour held seat of Middleton and Prestwich. He captured the seat for the Conservatives in the l970 General Election and held it until February l974.

He was adopted as Conservative candidate for Saffron Walden in June l977 and won the subsequent by-election on 7th July with a majority of l2,437, almost doubling the previous majority. His majority in the 1992 General Election rose to 17,424; in 1997 he was returned with a majority of 10,573, which increased to 12,004 in 2001 and 13,008 in 2005.

From l979 to l98l he served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Education. From l978 to l98l he was Chairman of the Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council. From 1981 to 1986 he was a member of the Council of Turning Point, a Charity concerned with the rehabilitation of drug addicts and alcoholics. In l982 the Home Secretary appointed him a Trustee of the Community Projects Foundation and its Chairman from 1986 to 1997. From 1982 to 1985 he was Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Group for Europe.

From 1985 to 1987 he was Chairman of the Conservative Parliamentary Aviation Committee and Vice-Chairman of the Education Committee 1983-1997. He has served as a member of the Select Committee on European legislation, the Select Committee on Transport, the Select Committee on Catering, and the All Party Aerospace Group. He is Secretary of the All Party Cricket Group.

In June 1995 he was awarded a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours. In May 1997, he was appointed Chairman of Ways and Means and Deputy Speaker and confirmed in this post after the 2001 and 2005 General Elections. In 1999 he was appointed to the Privy Council.

About Sir Alan

Sir Alan was born in l937. He was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School, Birmingham; Cheltenham College and Oriel College, Oxford. He is married to Angela (née Bailey) and has two sons (David, Mark) and one daughter (Emma).

He has been a public affairs consultant advising industry on political and Parliamentary matters. He has held executive positions both at home and abroad with companies in the plastics and chemical industry.

Sir Alan is an enthusiastic follower of cricket. He is a member of the M.C.C., Yorkshire County Cricket Club and from 1996 to 2008 was an elected member of the Executive Committee of Essex County Cricket Club. He has also written four books (comic novels) about cricket: Occasionally Cricket published in 1999, Eventually Cricket in 2001, Incidentally Cricket in 2003 and Accidentally Cricket in 2009. He is currently working on his fifth novel. Sir Alan also has a great interest in the musical theatre and has a large collection of recordings of musical comedies.
 

Parents: Son of late John and Alice Haselhurst
Born: June 23, 1937

Educated
King Edward VI School, Birmingham
Cheltenham College

Further Education
Oriel College, Oxford

Employment
Executive, chemicals and plastic industry 1960 -70
Public Affairs Consultant 1974-97

Marital Details
Married April 16, 1977, Angela Margaret, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Bailey (2 sons 1 daughter)

Career
Secretary, Treasurer, Librarian, Oxford Union Society 1959-60
National Chairman, Young Conservatives 1966-68
M.P. for Middleton and Prestwich 1970-74
M.P. for Saffron Walden 1977-
P.P.S. to Home Secretary 1973-74
P.P.S. to Secretary of State for Education 1979-81
Member of the Select Committee on European Legislation 1982-97
Member of the Select Committee on Transport 1992-97
Member of the Select Committee on Catering 1992-97
Member of the Speaker's Panel of Chairmen 1992-97

Trusts, etc
Chairman, Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council 1978 - 81
Chairman of Trustees, Community Projects Foundation 1986-97
Fellow, Industry and Parliament Trust

Sports Clubs
Essex County Cricket Club, Executive Committee Member 1996-
Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Member 1996-
Middlesex County Cricket Club, Hon. Member 2006-

Honours:
Knighted 1995, Privy Counsellor 1999

Recreations
Hi-fi, watching cricket, writing, theatre

Publications
Occasionally Cricket (1999)
Eventually Cricket (2001)
Incidentally Cricket (2003) Accidentally Cricket (2009)

Clubs: MCC

Tags: Sir Alan Haselhurst