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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 | |
| Leader | Ed Miliband |
| Preceded by | Helen Jones |
| Succeeded by | Steve Reed |
| Member of Parliament for Corby | |
| In office 15 November 2012 – 30 March 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Louise Mensch |
| Succeeded by | Tom Pursglove |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 March 1976 Desborough, Northamptonshire |
| Political party | Labour and Co-operative |
| Parent | Phil Sawford (father) |
| Alma mater | Durham University |
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, Sawford 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]
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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.
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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]
His father, Phil Sawford, served as Labour MP for Kettering, a neighbouring constituency to Corby, from 1997 to 2005.[18]
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