Andy Sawford

Andrew Sawford (born 15 March 1976) is a British politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Corby from 2012 to 2015.[1][2] A member of the Labour and Co-operative parties, he was a Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government from 2013 to 2015.

Andy Sawford
Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government
In office
7 October 2013 – 8 May 2015
LeaderEd Miliband
Preceded byHelen Jones
Succeeded bySteve Reed
Member of Parliament
for Corby
In office
15 November 2012 – 30 March 2015
Preceded byLouise Mensch
Succeeded byTom Pursglove
Personal details
Born (1976-03-15) 15 March 1976
Desborough, Northamptonshire
Political partyLabour and Co-operative
ParentPhil Sawford (father)
Alma materDurham University

Early life and career

Sawford was born in Desborough, Northamptonshire on 15 March 1976 to Phil and Rosemary Sawford.[3] He was educated at a comprehensive school. He went on to study history at Durham University and graduated in 1997.[4]

Following university, Sawford worked in Parliament for the then-Corby MP Phil Hope.[4] He was a councillor and Cabinet Member on Dartford Borough Council in Kent from 1999 to 2003 representing Littlebrook Ward.[5] Sawford also worked for the Local Government Association (LGA).[6]

From 2003 to 2007 he was director of Connect Public Affairs[7] advising local authorities and organisations such as the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) and the Association of Police Authorities (APA).[8] He was from 2008 to 2012 chief executive of the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU), a London-based thinktank and registered charity.[9]

Parliamentary career

In October 2011, Sawford was selected to contest the marginal Corby constituency for Labour at the next general election.[9] Following the resignation of incumbent Conservative Louise Mensch in 2012, he won Corby at the subsequent by-election which became the first Labour by-election gain since 1997.

Sawford sat on the Communities and Local Government Committee from 2012 to 2013.[10] He was appointed as a Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government, responsible for local government, in October 2013.

He proposed a bill under the Ten Minute Rule that would allow the public sector to bid against private sector providers for control over rail franchises.[11] Sawford also proposed a Private Member's Bill on zero hours contracts.[12]

Sawford was defeated by Conservative Tom Purseglove at the 2015 general election, who won with a similar vote margin to Mensch's result in 2010.

Post-parliamentary career

After Parliament, Sawford became chief executive of Connect Communications,[13] and later led a management buy-out to take ownership of the business.[14] In June 2019 it was announced that Connect had acquired Stratagem, a Belfast-based public affairs agency.[15] He also serves on the board of the Public Relations and Communications Association,[16] and is a governor of the Kettering Buccleuch Academy.[17]

Personal life

His father, Phil Sawford, served as Labour MP for Kettering, a neighbouring constituency to Corby, from 1997 to 2005.[18]

References
  1. "By-elections: Labour takes Corby from Conservatives". BBC News. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  2. "Election 2015: Corby taken from Labour by Tories". BBC News. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  3. "Local Information Unit Limited". Dellam Corporate Information. 23 July 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  4. Cotterill, Paul (6 August 2012). "As Louise Mensch resigns – Introducing Labour's candidate for Corby". Labourlist.org. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  5. "Results of Bye Elections Held 6 May 1999". Dartford Borough Council. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011.
  6. "Former public affairs consultancy director takes chief post at LGiU". The Information Daily.com. 5 March 2008. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  7. Tura, Jo (23 March 2012). "What the Budget did for LAs: Andy Sawford talks to Room151". Room 151. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  8. "Meet Andy Sawford from the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU)". Simonwakeman.com. 15 June 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  9. "LGiU's Andy Sawford selected as Labour candidate for next election". Publicaffairsnews.com. 10 October 2011. Archived from the original on 1 February 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  10. "Andy Sawford". Parliament UK. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  11. Thomas, Nathalie (28 October 2014). "Labour steps up rail re-nationalisation campaign". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  12. "MP moves to reform zero-hours contracts". Independent.co.uk. 25 January 2014. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022.
  13. "Connect hires ex-MP Andy Sawford as CEO".
  14. "Connect Communications announces MBO and spins off 'Devo' arm as separate entity".
  15. "Public affairs agency Connect merges with Belfast's Stratagem".
  16. "Board of Management | PRCA".
  17. "KBA > Primary 2 > Information > Governors".
  18. "Like Father, Like Son: Andy Sawford big hit at Supper Club". Labourforwellingborough.org.uk. 4 November 2011. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
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