Ben_Everitt

Ben Everitt

Ben Everitt

British Conservative politician

Benjamin William Everitt (born 22 November 1979) is a British Conservative Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Milton Keynes North since the 2019 general election.[1][2]

Quick Facts MP, Member of Parliament for Milton Keynes North ...

Early life and career

Everitt was born in Grantham, Lincolnshire, in 1979 to parents Peter and Rosemary Everitt. He attended The King's School in Grantham, and then Durham University, where he obtained a BSc. Everitt worked as a management consultant for Deloitte from 2009 to 2012. He was latterly head of strategy for the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales from 2012 to 2020.[2]

Political career

At the 2015 local elections, Everitt was elected to Aylesbury Vale District Council, representing Great Brickhill and Newton Longville ward for the Conservatives.[3] He was elected as the MP for the marginal Milton Keynes North constituency at the 2019 general election, succeeding the former Conservative MP Mark Lancaster. In 2020, Aylesbury Vale became part of the newly created Buckinghamshire Council, with Everitt serving as a councillor on the new unitary authority until the inaugural elections in May 2021.[4][5]

In 2020, Everitt became chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Housing Market and Housing Delivery.[6] He also became chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Connected and Automated Mobility with his Milton Keynes North constituency being home to numerous automated mobility trials including driverless cars.[7]

Everitt is a supporter of Brexit.[8] He was successful in campaigning for a new £200 million Women and Children's Hospital in Milton Keynes, alongside fellow Conservative MP Iain Stewart, who represents Milton Keynes South.[9][10]

In November 2020, Everitt was one of more than 50 MPs who signed a letter calling on a proposed pay rise for MPs to be scrapped due to the coronavirus pandemic.[11] The pay rise was scrapped in December.[12]

Everitt has called on the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, to extend the Stamp Duty holiday which had been put in place to support movers and the housing market during the pandemic.[13]

Controversies

Everitt was criticised by opponents during the 2019 election campaign for allegedly staging a photo of himself picking up litter in the car park of the Conservative Club in Bletchley.[14]

Transphobia

In May 2020, a tweet posted by Everitt in 2011 was shared on social media, in which he referred to the late Labour MP Tessa Jowell as looking like "a tranny with a hangover".[15] He apologised for the remark.[16]

Expenses

Everitt attracted media attention in 2021 as a result of an investigation into his second home expenses by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority following a complaint by a constituent as a result of official statistics showing that Everitt was among the top ten claimants of second home expenses out of 650 MPs despite his constituency being within a short commute of London.

The investigation found no evidence that Everitt had broken any rules, concluding that while he was claiming £2,800 per month rent from the taxpayer for a second family home in London despite his children not visiting the property during the 2020/21 financial year and his children being educated in Milton Keynes, this was within the rules.[17]

Personal life

He married Emma Skinner in 2006; the couple have a son and two daughters. He lists his recreations as "family, watching Rugby, drinking beer", and is a member of the United and Cecil Club.[2]

References

  1. [1]
    "Milton Keynes North parliamentary constituency - Election 2019" – via www.bbc.com.
  2. [2]
    "Everitt, Benjamin William, (born 22 Nov. 1979), MP (C) Milton Keynes North, since 2019". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 2020. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u293946. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  3. [3]
    "Local Elections Archive Project — Great Brickhill and Newton Longville Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  4. [4]
    "Councillor details - Councillor Ben Everitt". buckinghamshire.moderngov.co.uk. 30 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  5. [5]
    "New council outlines political arrangements following postponement of elections". Buckinghamshire Council Shadow Authority. 18 March 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  6. [6]
    Heath, Lucie (26 August 2020). "Meet Ben Everitt, chair of the new All-Party Parliamentary Group for Housing Market and Housing Delivery". Inside Housing. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  7. [7]
    "Ben Everitt MP Elected Chair Of APPG For Connected And Automated Mobility". Ben Everitt. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  8. [8]
    "General election 2019: Brouhaha over Brexit makes for a lively hustings meeting in Sherington, near Milton Keynes". miltonkeynes.co.uk. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  9. [9]
    "Ben Everitt MP Backs Maternity And Children's Unit Campaign". beMK. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  10. [10]
    "Brand new Women's and Children's Hospital is coming to Milton Keynes". MKFM. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  11. [11]
    "Ben Calls For Pay Rise For MPs To Be Scrapped". MKFM. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  12. [12]
    Buchan, Lizzy (11 December 2020). "MPs' pay rise scrapped after backlash over proposed £3,000 wage hike". mirror. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  13. [13]
    "Ben Everitt MP: The Chancellor must not let a cliff-edge ending ruin the good work of the Stamp Duty holiday". Conservative Home. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  14. [14]
    "Was Milton Keynes Conservative's Twitter litter picture a bit of a con?". miltonkeynes.co.uk. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  15. [15]
    "ooch. Not the best photo there. Looks like a tranny with a hangover. Not one for the family album". Twitter. 24 April 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  16. [16]
    "MP for Milton Keynes apologises for saying baroness resembled a 'tranny with a hangover'". miltonkeynes.co.uk. 28 May 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  17. [17]
    "Milton Keynes MP slammed for claiming almost £2,800 a month expenses for second family home in London". miltonkeynes.co.uk. 20 April 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
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