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

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.

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 Pursglove 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. 1 2 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. 1 2 "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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