Andrew Turner (politician)
Andrew John Turner (born 24 October 1953) is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Isle of Wight from 2001 to 2017. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as its vice-chairman from 2003 until 2005.
Andrew Turner | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Isle of Wight | |
| In office 7 June 2001 – 3 May 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Peter Brand |
| Succeeded by | Bob Seely |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 October 1953 Coventry, Warwickshire, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Alma mater | Keble College, Oxford |
Born in Coventry, Turner was educated at Rugby School and Keble College, Oxford. He stood unsuccessfully as the Conservative candidate for both the Hackney South and Shoreditch constituency in the 1992 general election and for the Birmingham East constituency in the 1994 European Parliamentary election.
Turner was elected MP for the Isle of Wight in the 2001 general election. He attracted press attention and criticism during the parliamentary expenses scandal of 2009. He was re-elected in the 2010 election, after which he led the One Wight campaign against government plans to dismantle his constituency. Turner announced that he would stand down at the 2017 election following reports that he had told a group of schoolchildren he thought homosexuality was "wrong" and "dangerous to society".