40 Facts About Edward Leigh

Edward Leigh was knighted in the Queen's 2013 Birthday Honours for "public and political service", and has received honours from the French and Italian Governments.

Edward Leigh was one of the original Maastricht Rebels and was reportedly sacked for organising Euro-rebels among ministers.

In 2003 Edward Leigh opposed military intervention in Iraq; he has since called for those who voted for the Iraq War, and are still seeking to justify their support for it, to be held to account.

Edward Leigh served as the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee from 2001 to 2010, investigating government waste and seeking value for money in public expenditure.

Edward Leigh stepped down at the end of the parliamentary session in 2010, it being customary for an opposition MP to hold this post.

Edward Leigh has edited and authored three books: Right Thinking ; The Nation That Forgot God ; and Monastery of the Mind.

Edward Leigh was educated at The Oratory School, the Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle before going to University College, Durham, where he read History and was elected President of the Durham Union Society.

Edward Leigh is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and formerly served as a trooper in the Honourable Artillery Company.

Edward Leigh's maternal grandfather was Colonel Cyril Denzil Branch, a French citizen, and he is a nephew of Prince Nikolai Golitsyn.

Edward Leigh is the third cousin of British comedian Al Murray.

Edward Leigh first stood for Parliament at the October 1974 general election when he contested the safe Labour seat of Middlesbrough, but he was beaten by Arthur Bottomley.

Edward Leigh worked in the private office of Margaret Thatcher from 1976 to 1977 as a political secretary when she was Leader of the Opposition.

Edward Leigh was elected to Richmond Borough Council and thereafter to the Greater London Council, serving as Councillor between 1974 and 1981.

Edward Leigh served as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in John Major's ministry but was sacked in May 1993 over the stance he took by opposing the Maastricht Treaty.

From 2001 until 2010, Edward Leigh served as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, the principal parliamentary body auditing the Budget, investigating government waste and seeking value for money in public expenditure.

In October 2006, Edward Leigh was vocal in stating that after David Cameron had become leader of the party, core supporters were drifting away from voting Conservative.

Edward Leigh was President of the socially conservative Cornerstone Group representing the views of over 40 Conservative Members of Parliament and was author of the group's inaugural pamphlet Faith, Flag and Family in 2005.

From 2010 to 2011, Edward Leigh served as an Independent Financial Advisor to HM Treasury, appointed by George Osborne to bring external challenge to the development and implementation of a new financial management strategy for central government.

Edward Leigh stood down in 2011, but was then reappointed to report directly to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on improving Parliament's financial scrutiny of the Budget.

Edward Leigh supported Boris Johnson's call to George Osborne in 2011 for lowering the rate of taxation in the UK so as to assist its economic recovery following the credit crunch.

In 2011, Edward Leigh was appointed Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission, the body which audits the National Audit Office.

In September 2014, Edward Leigh criticised the Government's decision to allow mitochondrial replacement therapy to prevent the birth of the children with incurable diseases such as muscular dystrophy.

On 1 March 2022, Edward Leigh praised Home Secretary Priti Patel's 'proportionate response' over admission of refugees into the UK from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Edward Leigh believes in repealing the Human Rights Act, to get out of the European Refugee Convention and repeal the Modern Slavery Act so that people can be detained and deported.

Edward Leigh is a Roman Catholic, and maintains a personal blog containing Thoughts from a Christian perspective.

Edward Leigh is a Patron of the Latin Mass Society, which promotes the use of the 1962 form of the Mass.

Edward Leigh has argued for tightening of abortion law regarding human embryonic research.

Edward Leigh was on the losing side in defence of Section 28 and opposed the Civil Partnership Act 2004, voting against it in Parliament at its Second Reading.

Edward Leigh later proposed an amendment to extend the property and pension rights afforded by civil partnerships to siblings who had lived together for more than 12 years.

Edward Leigh identifies as a Thatcherite and believes in "free enterprise, deregulation, low taxation and a smaller state".

In 2003, Edward Leigh rebelled against the leadership of his own party and the Labour government to oppose military intervention in Iraq in 2003.

Edward Leigh was one of only 15 Conservative rebels who opposed it at the time.

Since the 2016 European Union Referendum, Edward Leigh has supported Brexit.

Edward Leigh ran for the Speakership of the House of Commons in 2019 after Speaker John Bercow retired; he stated that, if elected Speaker, he would be fair to all sides and assume a traditional role.

Edward Leigh was eliminated after receiving 12 votes in the first ballot.

Fluent in French, Edward Leigh currently serves as Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on France and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Italy, delivering a speech in Italian at the Palace of Westminster to visiting Deputies of the Italian Parliament.

Edward Leigh is the Chairman of the new All-Party Parliamentary Group on Russia, Secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Insurance, and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs, Defence, and International Development subcommittee of the 1922 Committee.

Edward Leigh was knighted in 2013 for "public and political service",.

Edward Leigh married Mary Goodman in London on 25 September 1984; the great granddaughter of Duke Georg Alexander of Mecklenburg-Strelitz through her mother, and the great-granddaughter of Lady Ottoline Morrell through her father.

Edward Leigh has the skin condition rosacea and spoke out in March 2020 about being mocked on social media for his appearance.