Amanda Milling

Amanda Anne Milling[1] (born 12 March 1975) is a British politician serving as Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party alongside Ben Elliot and Minister without Portfolio since February 2020. She has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cannock Chase since the 2015 general election. Milling previously worked in market research.

The Right Honourable Amanda Milling MP
Milling in 2020
Chairman of the Conservative Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 February 2020 Serving with Ben Elliot
Leader	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	James Cleverly
Minister without Portfolio
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 February 2020
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	James Cleverly
Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Commons Treasurer of the Household
In office 28 July 2019 – 13 February 2020
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Christopher Pincher
Succeeded by	Stuart Andrew
Member of Parliament for Cannock Chase
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 May 2015
Preceded by	Aidan Burley
Majority	19,879 (42.9%)
Personal details
Born	12 March 1975 Burton upon Trent, England
Political party	Conservative
Alma mater	University College London
Website	www.amandamilling.com

Early life and career

Milling was born on 12 March 1975 in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England.[2] She was privately educated at Moreton Hall School,[3] and studied economics and statistics at University College London, graduating in 1997. Milling joined the Conservative Party while at university.[4] Following university, Milling joined market research firm SW1 Research. She left the company in 1999 to join Quaestor where she eventually became a director.[4] Milling then worked as head of clients for Optimisa Research between 2010 and 2014.[2][4]

Political career

Milling was elected as a Conservative councillor for the Helmshore ward on the Rossendale Borough Council in Lancashire in 2009. Three years later she was promoted to deputy group leader on the council. She resigned her seat in 2014 after her selection as the Conservative candidate for the Cannock Chase constituency in Staffordshire.[5] The incumbent Conservative MP Aidan Burley had previously announced that he would be standing down at the next election after being criticised for helping to organise a Nazi-themed stag party.[6][7]

In the 2015 general election, she was elected with a majority of 4,923 (10.5%).[8] The following year, Milling was one of a number of MPs investigated by the Electoral Commission and the police for allegedly breaching spending regulations in the election.[9] The Commission fined the Conservative Party £70,000 in March 2017 for "significant failures" in its reporting of campaign spending.[10] After completing their investigation, the police referred the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service who concluded that, although there was evidence of inaccuracy in the reporting of spending, they would not take further action as it was not clear that candidates or agents had knowingly acted dishonestly.[11][12]

During the 2015–2017 parliament, Milling served on the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, Education, Skills and the Economy Sub-Committee.[13] Parliamentary enquiries that she was part include the collapse of BHS,[14] and the working practices at Sports Direct.[15] She also served on Bill Committees including for the Welfare Reform and Work Bill[16] and Policing and Crime Bill.[17]

Milling supported the UK remaining within the European Union in the 2016 UK EU membership referendum.[18] After the referendum, she helped to organise Boris Johnson's 2016 Conservative leadership campaign.[19] In the 2017 general election, she was re-elected with an increased majority of 8,391 (17.6%).[8] She was made an assistant government whip during the reshuffle on 9 January 2018.[20] Milling voted for then Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit withdrawal agreement in early 2019.[21]

After the election of Johnson as prime minister in July 2019, she was appointed as Deputy Chief Whip and Treasurer of the Household in his ministry.[22] She voted for Johnson's Brexit withdrawal agreement in October 2019.[23] In the 2019 general election, she was re-elected with an increased majority of 19,879 (42.9%).[8] As part of the 2020 cabinet reshuffle, Milling was promoted to Chairman of the Conservative Party and Minister without portfolio.[24]

References

1. "Members Sworn". parliament.uk. 17 December 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
2. Dale, Iain; Smith, Jacqui (14 November 2019). The Honourable Ladies: Volume II: Profiles of Women MPs 1997–2019. Biteback Publishing. p. 664. ISBN 978-1-78590-447-9.
3. "Moreton Hall". Tatler. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
4. Carr, Tim (18 May 2015). The Politicos Guide to the New House of Commons 2015: Profiles of the New MPs and Analysis of the 2015 General Election Results. Biteback Publishing. p. 335. ISBN 978-1-84954-924-0.
5. Dan O'Donoghue (1 September 2014). "By-election due to be held after councillor steps down". Rossendale Free Press. Archived from the original on 5 March 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
6. Watt, Nicholas; Willsher, Kim (22 January 2014). "Tory MP Aidan Burley ruled 'stupid' but not antisemitic for Nazi stag party". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
7. "Nazi stag-do Tory MP Aidan Burley to step down". BBC News. 5 February 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
8. "Cannock Chase". BBC News. Archived from the original on 14 February 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
9. "Election Expenses Exposed". Channel 4 News. 23 June 2016. Archived from the original on 1 May 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
10. Elgot, Jessica; Mason, Rowena (16 March 2017). "Conservatives fined record £70,000 for campaign spending failures". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
11. "No charges over 2015 Conservative battle bus cases". BBC News. Archived from the original on 28 June 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
12. Sparrow, Andrew (10 May 2017). "Corbyn says he is 'surprised' by CPS decision not to prosecute over Tory election expenses – as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
13. "Parliamentary career for Amanda Milling". parliament.uk. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
14. "BHS Inquiry Committee – membership". parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
15. "House of Commons – Employment practices at Sports Direct – Business, Innovation and Skills Committee". parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
16. "House of Commons Public Bill Committee on the Welfare Reform and Work Bill 2015–16 — UK Parliament". parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
17. "House of Commons Public Bill Committee : Policing and Crime Bill (15 March 2016)". parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
18. "EU vote: Where the cabinet and other MPs stand". BBC News. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
19. Murphy, Joe; Watts, Joseph (29 June 2016). "Tory leadership election: Boris Johnson's transformation into a Prime Minister in waiting". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
20. correspondent, Peter Walker Political (9 January 2018). "Theresa May's junior ministerial reshuffle: who's in and who's out". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 16 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
21. "How MPs voted on May's withdrawal deal defeat". Financial Times. 29 March 2019. Archived from the original on 2 September 2019.
22. "Amanda Milling MP – gov.uk". www.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 28 July 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
23. "Brexit deal: How did my MP vote on the Withdrawal Agreement Bill?". BBC News. 22 October 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
24. Proctor, Kate; Walker, Peter (13 February 2020). "Boris Johnson's reshuffle: who's in, who's out, at a glance". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2020.

External links

• Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
• Voting record at Public Whip
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou