John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale OBE (16 October 1959) is a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom.
Early life
He was educated at Sandroyd School near Tollard Royal in Wiltshire and Winchester College. He went to University College London where he was President of the UCLU Conservative Society, and gained a BSc in Economics in 1982. From 1982-4, he was Head of the political section of the Conservative research department. Before entering Parliament, Whittingdale was a political researcher to Margaret Thatcher from 1988-92.
Parliamentary career
He was first elected in 1992. He was shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary until the reshuffle after the general election in 2005 when he was re-elected Member of Parliament for Maldon and Chelmsford East. In July 2005, he became the Chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee. Also in 2005 he was appointed to the Executive of Conservative Way Forward a Thatcherite pressure group within the British Conservative Party. John is also a patron of the Westminster Media Forum, and a frequent contibutor to their events.
Personal life
He married Ancilla Murfitt in 1990. She is a nurse at a general practice in Colchester. They have a son (born January 1996) and daughter (born June 1993).
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