Grant was the first MP in Welwyn Hatfield’s history to receive over 50 of the vote and repeated this feat in 2015 and 2017. Parliament and Posts In addition to being Welwyn Hatfield’s local MP Grant is the Secretary of State for Transport.
- Grant Shapps MP MP for Welwyn Hatfield & Secretary of State for Transport I am honoured to serve the people of Welwyn Hatfield, having been re-elected in December 2019. On this website you can find news, information about me, as well as how you can contact me as your Member of Parliament.
- Grant Shapps, the transport secretary. Good morning everyone. I will be running the blog today so feel free to drop me a message on Twitter with any coverage suggestions.
- Welwyn Hatfield MP Grant Shapps has virtual tour of Busy Bees Nursery in Shire Park, WGC. Busy Bees Nurseries, the UKs largest nursery group, recently hosted Mr Shapps for a ‘virtual tour’ of their nursery in Welwyn Garden City. Busy Bees, founded 37 years ago.
It’s been a really challenging year for all of us. Who would have thought at the beginning of last year that, in only a few months’ time, we’d be in a nation-wide lockdown to protect ourselves from a global pandemic? It’s been tough on everyone – keeping apart from loved ones, not going out to work, studying and learning from home. Businesses have been placed under enormous pressure, many of which are only still going today on account of the generous support the government has provided in the form of staff furloughs and other grants and loans.
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Most tragically of all, we all know people who have lost friends and family. And we mourn them all.
Of course, there are also aspects of the last year we will look back on with pride. The way Welwyn Hatfield has pulled together. The resilience our local NHS staff have shown when working at any and all hours in the battle against this virus. Local charities and volunteers like Sarah Jamieson of Resolve, who literally moved in with the homeless people she was helping to find accommodation during lockdown. And, of course, all those involved in the Herculean effort that is our vaccination roll-out, some of whom I had the pleasure of meeting when I had my first jab at the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield recently.
One year and three lockdowns later, the remarkable rollout of our vaccine programme means that we’re now able to look forward to a cautious but final route back to normality. Well over 50% of all adults in the UK have now been vaccinated – no other major economy in the world has vaccinated its population faster. We know it will take time for things to get back to normal, but thanks to the fortitude of the people of Welwyn Hatfield, as well as the hard work of our scientists, our brilliant NHS workers, our military and the army of volunteers across the entire country, we are embarking upon the journey to recovery.
– Grant Shapps
Education
Born in Hertfordshire in 1968, Grant was educated at Watford Grammar and Cassio College Watford, before studying Business & Finance at Manchester in the late 1980s. In 1990, Grant founded his own printing company at the age of just 21.
Business background
Originally started as a small printing shop, PrintHouse Corporation grew into a commercial design, print & web development company with clients throughout the UK and the rest of the world. Grant successfully established a team of fellow Directors who now run the business today without his input.
Grant says that his experience of creating and running his own business has been very helpful in providing the necessary skills to be a Government Minister, particularly when it comes to working with the Civil Service. He has also found the skills he picked up in business have been invaluable in representing the concerns of his constituents.
Family
Grant married Belinda in 1997. The couple live in Welwyn Hatfield and play an active role in the community. They have a boy named Hadley born 2001 and twins born April 2004 called Tabytha (girl) and Noa (boy). Grant holds a pilot’s licence and enjoys general aviation as a pastime.
Election
In the 1997 General Election Grant challenged the Liberal Democrat Simon Hughes MP in his North Southwark & Bermondsey seat.
In 1999 he was selected as the candidate for the then Labour seat of Welwyn Hatfield for the 2001 General Election. He produced one of the best Conservative swings of the election, slashing the then Labour majority from 5,595 to just 1,196.
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Grant was reselected for Welwyn Hatfield in 2002 and went on to win the May 2005 General Election with a majority of 5,946 taking his seat from Labour Minister Melanie Johnson. The 8.2 swing was one of the biggest nationwide.
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In May 2010 he was re-elected for Welwyn Hatfield with a surprising 17,423 majority. The 11.1 swing was once again one of the largest national swings to the Conservatives in the country and easily Welwyn Hatfield’s biggest ever majority for an MP of any Party. Grant was the first MP in Welwyn Hatfield’s history to receive over 50 of the vote and repeated this feat in 2015 and 2017.
Parliament and Posts
In addition to being Welwyn Hatfield’s local MP Grant is the Secretary of State for Transport.
From 2017 to 2019 Grant chaired the All-Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation (APPG-GA).
From 2015 to 2019 Grant built and chaired the British Infrastructure Group of MPs (BIG) which brought together cross-party Members of Parliament dedicated to promoting better infrastructure across the United Kingdom.
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In May 2015 Grant was appointed Minister of State for International Development, shortly thereafter he was also appointed as Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; becoming the first Minister of State to hold both posts simultaneously.
In September 2012 Grant was appointed as Chairman of the Conservative Party and Minister without Portfolio in the Cabinet. He remained as Chairman through to the 2015 election and helped pioneer the unexpected 2015 Conservative outright majority.
In June 2010 Grant became Minister of State for Housing & Local Government in the Coalition Government. Grant was made a Privy Counsellor by the Queen, meaning that he may use the title The Right Honourable before his name.
In July 2007 Grant was promoted by David Cameron to Shadow Housing Minister attending Shadow Cabinet.
Grant was a member of the Public Administration Select Committee between May 2005 and Spring 2007. In December 2005, he was appointed as a Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Party, with responsibility for campaigning.