Ian Levy
Ian Levy | |
---|---|
![]() Official portrait, 2019 | |
Member of Parliament for Blyth Valley | |
Assumed office 12 December 2019 | |
Preceded by | Ronnie Campbell |
Majority | 712 (1.7%) |
Personal details | |
Born | 14 February 1966 |
Political party | Conservative |
Website | www |
Ian Levy (born 14 February 1966)[1] is a British Conservative Party politician who was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Blyth Valley at the 2019 general election. He is the first Conservative to represent Blyth Valley since the constituency was created in 1950.
Early life and career[]
Levy left school at the age of 16 to become a grave digger.[2][3] Prior to his election, Levy had worked as a healthcare assistant on an inpatient mental health rehabilitation ward in St Nicholas Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne.[4]
Parliamentary career[]
He first contested the Blyth Valley constituency at the 2017 general election, in which incumbent Labour MP Ronnie Campbell held his seat with a majority of 7,915. Levy was subsequently elected for the constituency at the 2019 general election with a majority of 712 votes. He was the first Conservative to represent the constituency since its creation in 1950.[5] It had previously been a safe Labour seat.[6] He had campaigned on returning passenger railway services to the area and for a relief road in Blyth.[7] Blyth's railway station had closed in 1964 as part of the Beeching cuts.[8] After his election, he was accused of misleading the public, when the Nursing Times reported his social media posts from the campaign, in which he said he had worked as a mental health nurse. The posts were later amended. Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust confirmed he had worked as a healthcare assistant. The term "nurse" is not legally protected so his posts had not violated the Nurses Registration Act 1919.[4][9]
Levy won the Newcomer of the Year award at The Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year Awards.[10]
In October 2020, Levy voted against a Labour motion to extend free school meals for eligible children until Easter 2021. He was criticised for this on social media. Levy also alleged that this included threats.[11][12]
Personal life[]
Levy is of Jewish descent.[13] He is married and has two children.[3]
References[]
- ^ Brunskill, Ian (19 March 2020). The Times guide to the House of Commons 2019 : the definitive record of Britain's historic 2019 General Election. p. 111. ISBN 978-0-00-839258-1. OCLC 1129682574.
- ^ "MP Column: Why I got into politics". News Post Leader. 15 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Ian Levy MP for Blyth Valley" (PDF). Northumberland County Council. p. 1. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ a b Snug, Ian; Beadle, Esther (13 December 2019). "Newly-elected MP falsely claims he is a 'mental health nurse". Nursing Notes. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
- ^ "Blyth Valley". BBC News. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
- ^ "The 24 Labour heartland seats lost to the Tories for the first time in decades". The Telegraph. 14 December 2019.(subscription required)
- ^ "Who is Ian Levy? New Conservative MP for Blyth Valley". Evening Chronicle. 12 December 2019.
- ^ "Blyth Valley: A constituency that changed its mind". 15 December 2019.
- ^ "Shock win Tory candidate 'deceived' voters by claiming to be a nurse". Nursing Times. 13 December 2019.
- ^ "The Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year Awards: The Winners". The Spectator. 22 January 2020.
- ^ Meechan, Simon (25 October 2020). "Ian Levy slammed for defence of vote to deny poor kids free school holiday meals". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
- ^ "Blyth Valley MP Ian Levy 'receives violent threats' after school meals vote". BBC News. 28 October 2020.
- ^ "The logic of democracy in this country is iron, as is our rejection of extremism". The Daily Telegraph. 13 December 2019.(subscription required)
External links[]
- Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
- Voting record at Public Whip
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
- 1966 births
- Living people
- UK MPs 2019–present
- Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
- Jewish British politicians
- UK MPs 2019–present stubs
- Conservative MP for England stubs