Alicia Kearns

Alicia Alexandra Martha Kearns[1] is a British Conservative Party politician. She has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Rutland and Melton since the 2019 general election.

Alicia Kearns

MP
Member of Parliament
for Rutland and Melton
Assumed office
12 December 2019
Preceded bySir Alan Duncan
Majority26,924 (46.2%)
Personal details
Born
Alicia Alexandra Martha Kearns
Political partyConservative
ResidenceLangham, Rutland, England
EducationImpington Village College
Alma materFitzwilliam College, Cambridge
Websitealiciakearns.com

Early life and career

Kearns grew up in Cambridgeshire, and attended the comprehensive school, Impington Village College.[2] During her teenage years, she was a member of the UK Youth Parliament and an activist for Amnesty International.[3] She studied social and political sciences at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, graduating in 2009.[2] During university, she participated in student theatre productions.[4]

Kearns has worked in communication roles at the Ministry of Defence (MOD), Ministry of Justice (MoJ), and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). She was the lead press officer for MOD's contribution to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum campaign, and the government's communication campaigns in Syria and Iraq for the FCO. At the MoJ, she worked as the Victims' Minister's press secretary. Kearns became the client services director for the strategic communications consultancy Global Influence in 2016.[5][6] She later became an independent consultant.[7]

Parliamentary career

Kearns was selected as the Conservative candidate for Rutland and Melton on 8 November 2019.[8] It is a notionally safe Conservative seat, having been represented by a member of the party since the constituency's creation in 1983.[9] She had previously stood in the 2017 general election in the safe Labour seat Mitcham and Morden and was also in the final shortlist in the same election for the safe Conservative seat Chelmsford but lost selection to then MEP Vicky Ford.[2][10] She was elected in the 2019 general election with a majority of 26,924 votes.[11] Kearns has been a member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee since March 2020.[12] She is also on the steering committee of the China Research Group.[13]

Kearns is a supporter of transgender rights and in August 2020 co-authored an article in ConservativeHome with fellow MP Nicola Richards which called on the government to reform the Gender Recognition Act 2004.[14][15]

Personal life

Kearns lives in the village of Langham with her husband and son.[2][16]

References
  1. "Members Sworn". parliament.uk. 18 December 2019. Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  2. "Tories and Labour chose contenders to be next Melton MP". Melton Times. 9 November 2019. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  3. "Here's looking at you, kids". The Guardian. 27 November 2004. Archived from the original on 26 February 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  4. "Alicia Kearns". Camdram. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  5. "FCO's Alicia Kearns joins Global Influence". Gorkana. 24 August 2016. Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  6. "Alicia Kearns". DefenceIQ. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  7. Bjola, Corneliu; Pamment, James (7 December 2018). Countering Online Propaganda and Extremism: The Dark Side of Digital Diplomacy. Taylor & Francis. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-351-26406-8.
  8. "Counter terrorism expert Alicia Kearns selected as Conservative Party's prospective parliamentary candidate for Rutland and Melton in a bid to succeed Sir Alan Duncan – Andy Thomas selected for Labour". Rutland and Stamford Mercury. 8 November 2019. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  9. "Rutland and Melton". UK Polling Report. Archived from the original on 30 June 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  10. "Lee Scott back for Ilford North. Vicky Ford in final Chelmsford three. Tatton finalists named. The latest candidate selections and shortlists". Conservative Home.
  11. "Rutland and Melton". BBC News. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  12. "Foreign Affairs Committee Committee membership agreed". parliament.uk. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  13. Payne, Sebastian (25 April 2020). "Senior Tories launch ERG-style group to shape policy on China". Financial Times. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  14. Richards, Nicola; Kearns, Alicia (27 August 2020). "Conservatives believe in freedom and choice. That's why we should reform the Gender Recognition Act". Conservative Home. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  15. Maguire, Patrick (28 August 2020). "New Tory MPs demand reform to Gender Recognition Act". The Times.(subscription required)
  16. Rennie, Nick. "'My silent victories will define me' – Melton MP makes maiden parlimentary speech". Melton Times. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Sir Alan Duncan		 Member of Parliament
for Rutland and Melton
2019–present		 Incumbent
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