Caroline Johnson

Caroline Elizabeth Johnson[2] (née Burton; born 31 December 1977) is a British Conservative Party politician and consultant paediatrician who served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health and Public Health from September to October 2022. She has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sleaford and North Hykeham since the 2016 by-election.[3]

For the actress, see Caroline Lee-Johnson.
Not to be confused with Carrie Johnson (disambiguation).

Caroline Johnson
MP
Official portrait, 2019
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health and Public Health
In office
8 September 2022 – 27 October 2022
Prime MinisterLiz Truss
Preceded byGillian Keegan[lower-alpha 1]
Succeeded byMaria Caulfield[lower-alpha 2]
Member of Parliament
for Sleaford and North Hykeham
Assumed office
8 December 2016
Preceded byStephen Phillips
Majority32,565 (48.9%)[1]
Personal details
Born
Caroline Elizabeth Burton

(1977-12-31) 31 December 1977
Middlesbrough, England
Political partyConservative
Spouse
Nik Johnson
​
(m. 2001)​
Children3
ResidenceSudbrook, Lincolnshire
Alma materNewcastle University

Early life and education

Caroline Elizabeth Burton was born on 31 December 1977 in Middlesbrough, England, to Len and Lynda Burton.[4] She attended Gordonstoun, a private school in Moray, Scotland.[5] She graduated from Newcastle University Medical School in 2001.[6] Johnson became a senior house officer in 2002, a paediatrics specialist registrar in 2005;[4] and a consultant in 2012.[6]

Political career
Official portrait, 2017

She contested the Scunthorpe seat in the 2010 general election, coming second to the Labour candidate Nic Dakin.[7] In the June 2016 European Union membership referendum, Johnson voted for Brexit.[8]

Later in the year, a by-election was called in the Sleaford and North Hykeham constituency after the resignation of its MP Stephen Phillips following differences between him and the government on Brexit.[9] Johnson was selected by the Conservative Party to contest the seat in the December by-election.[10]

In the by-election she was elected as MP with 17,570 (53.5%) votes and a majority of 13,144.[11] Johnson retained her seat in the 2017 general election with 42,245 votes (64.2%) and a majority of 25,237.[12] Following the election, she was chosen to be part of the Health and Social Care Select Committee and the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. She served on the Health and Social Care Select Committee until February 2018 and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee until November 2019.[13] Johnson also chairs the All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPG) for Children who need Palliative Care.[14]

She is a member of the European Research Group. Johnson voted for then Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit withdrawal agreement and against any referendum on a withdrawal agreement in early 2019.[15] She supported Boris Johnson in the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election.[16] Following his election as prime minister, she voted for his Brexit withdrawal agreement in October 2019.[17] She was re-elected in the December general election with an increased majority of 32,565 (48.9%) votes, the largest majority won by any Conservative candidate at the election.[1][18] She was a member of the Education Select Committee between March 2020 and October 2022. Johnson rejoined the Health and Social Care Select Committee in November 2022.[13]

During the July 2022 United Kingdom government crisis, Johnson resigned as the Vice Chair of the Conservative Party on 7 July, after over 50 previous resignations of MPs and ministers, criticising then Prime Minister Boris Johnson's "errors of judgement" and calling for his resignation.[19] After the election of Liz Truss as prime minister in September 2022, she was appointed as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department of Health and Social Care.[20] Following Truss' resignation, she supported Johnson's bid to return as PM in the October 2022 Conservative Party leadership election.[21]

In July 2023, Johnson opened a debate on planning to voice her opposition to new large solar farms as she felt that it would "dramatically alter the landscape for the worse" and reduce the availability of arable land.[22]

Personal life

Caroline married Nik Johnson in 2001 and they have three children.[4] He owns a fertiliser business.[23][24] They live in Sudbrook, Lincolnshire.[10] In addition to her parliamentary duties, she continues to work part-time as a consultant paediatrician in Peterborough City Hospital and earns a salary of £21,199.20 for 336 hours annually as of February 2023.[25][26][27]

Notes
  1. As Minister of State for Care and Mental Health
  2. As Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health and Women's Health Strategy

References
  1. "Sleaford & North Hykeham". Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  2. "No. 61961". The London Gazette. 19 June 2017. p. 11783.
  3. "Conservatives win Sleaford by-election". BBC News. 8 December 2016. Archived from the original on 9 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  4. "Johnson, Caroline Elizabeth", Who's Who (online edition, Oxford University Press, December 2017). Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  5. "The View from HQ" (PDF). Gordonstoun. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 July 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  6. "Caroline Elizabeth Johnson". General Medical Council. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  7. "Sleaford by-election candidates chosen by main parties". BBC News. 13 November 2016. Archived from the original on 14 November 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  8. "Grantham A&E is major issue as doctor and nurse contest Sleaford by-election". Grantham Journal. 18 November 2016. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  9. Syal, Rajeev; Asthana, Anushka (4 November 2016). "Stephen Phillips MP: 'I can no longer live with being labelled a Tory'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  10. Pidluznyj, Stefan (11 November 2016). "Conservatives choose Caroline Johnson as candidate for Sleaford and North Hykeham by-election". Lincolnshire Reporter. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  11. Mason, Rowena; Weaver, Matthew (9 December 2016). "Sleaford byelection: Caroline Johnson holds seat for Conservatives". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017.
  12. "Sleaford & North Hykeham". BBC News. Archived from the original on 20 May 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  13. "Parliamentary career for Dr Caroline Johnson". UK Parliament. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  14. "Children who Need Palliative Care". UK Parliament. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  15. "How MPs voted on May's withdrawal deal defeat". Financial Times. 29 March 2019. Archived from the original on 2 September 2019.
  16. Hubbert, Andy (10 June 2019). "Update: Sleaford MP Caroline Johnson explains her backing of Boris to replace Theresa May as Tory party leader". Sleaford Standard. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  17. "How your MP voted for Boris Johnson's Brexit deal". The Independent. 23 October 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  18. The Times Guide to the House of Commons 2019. Glasgow: Times Books. 2020. p. 331. ISBN 978-0-00-839258-1.
  19. Armitage, Rachel (7 July 2022). "Sleaford and North Hykeham MP Caroline Johnson latest MP to resign – as Boris Johnson also set to resign". Lincolnshire World. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  20. "Ministerial Appointments: September 2022". gov.uk. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  21. Churcher, Dan (21 October 2022). "Conservative MP Caroline Johnson backs Boris Johnson for Prime Minister just three months after demanding he go in best interests of country". Newark Advertiser. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  22. "Sleaford MP demands action to halt spread of solar farms". BBC News. 21 July 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  23. Sabur, Rozina (8 December 2016). "Who is Dr Caroline Johnson – the Conservative candidate for Sleaford and North Hykeham?". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  24. "Driver's view: JSE-Systems' high-speed spreading outfit". Farmers Weekly. 29 January 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  25. "Peterborough City Hospital". NHS Choices. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  26. Davies, Elaine (9 June 2017). "Caroline Johnson focuses on Brexit as she is re-elected in Sleaford and North Hykeham". Lincolnshire Live. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017.
  27. "The Register of Members' Financial Interests As at 6 February 2023". UK Parliament. 6 February 2023.
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