20 Facts About Andrew Lewer

Andrew Lewer is the only person in the UK to have served as a Council Leader, MEP and MP.

Andrew Lewer chairs the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Motor Neurone Disease, Venezuela, Independent Education, Devolution, Publishing, and SME Housebuilding, and is a member of both the Education and Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Select Committees.

Andrew Lewer was awarded an MBE for services to local government in 2014.

Andrew Lewer was elected to the European Parliament representing the East Midlands in 2014, replacing the former Conservative MEP Roger Helmer, who had defected to UKIP.

Andrew Lewer was appointed to the Regional Development Committee and the Culture Committee as spokesperson for the European Conservative and Reformists Group in 2014.

Andrew Lewer supported the UK leaving the EU, feeling David Cameron had failed to gain any meaningful concessions from his European counterparts.

In May 2017, Andrew Lewer was selected to run as the new Conservative Party candidate for the Northampton South parliamentary constituency after the sitting Conservative MP David Mackintosh stood down.

Andrew Lewer was reportedly on his way to Brussels when he took a call informing him he was shortlisted, and had to turn around to get back in time for the meeting.

Andrew Lewer was elected Member of Parliament for Northampton South in the 2017 general election.

Andrew Lewer retained his seat at the 2019 general election with an increased majority.

In March 2018, Andrew Lewer was criticised by local campaigners over cuts to library services in Northampton.

Andrew Lewer responded that he had been far from silent on the issue and that he had been a long-standing critic of the leadership of the council.

IIn February 2018, following the announcement that Northamptonshire County Council had brought in a section 114 notice, putting it in special measures following a crisis in its finances, Andrew Lewer was one of seven local MPs who released a statement expressing 'no confidence' in the council's leadership.

In December 2020 Andrew Lewer was fired from his PPS post for supposedly leaking information to the press, although no evidence linking Andrew Lewer to the leak was produced.

Andrew Lewer said at the time "in nearly 20 years of elected office I have never leaked to the press".

Six weeks later, Andrew Lewer was re-elected as a Member of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Select Committee.

In January 2021 Andrew Lewer wrote an open letter to the Northamptonshire Chief Constable asking that the Police do not focus on 'soft targets' for Covid fines.

In December 2021 Andrew Lewer backed the campaign to build a monument to commemorate the efforts of the Photographic Reconnaissance Unit, a former pilot of which, George Pritchard, lives in his Northampton South constituency.

In October 2022, Andrew Lewer was elected unopposed to the Education Select Committee.

Andrew Lewer is an honorary Alderman of the county of Derbyshire, where he was based before being elected as an MP.