28 Facts About Heather Wheeler

Heather Kay Wheeler is a British Conservative Party politician, who was first elected at the 2010 general election as the member of Parliament for South Derbyshire, taking the seat from the Labour Party after 13 years.

Heather Wheeler was educated at Grey Coat Hospital, an all-girls state school in Westminster, London.

Heather Wheeler was elected a Conservative member for West Hill ward on Wandsworth London Borough Council at the age of 23 in 1982.

Heather Wheeler was first elected to South Derbyshire District Council in 1995 for the safe Conservative seat of Repton.

Heather Wheeler went on to become leader of the council's Conservative group and became Leader of the Council between 2007 and 2010.

Heather Wheeler was re-elected as a councillor for Repton ward until 2011; her daughter Harriet unsuccessfully stood as a Conservative candidate in Swadlincote ward in 2011, whilst husband Bob successfully defended his marginal Linton ward and continued as Leader of the council.

Heather Wheeler stood unsuccessfully at the 2001 and 2005 general elections as her party's candidate for Coventry South.

Heather Wheeler was a member of the Conservative Party's A-List prior to being selected to contest the South Derbyshire constituency.

Heather Wheeler was re-elected in 2015 and 2017, with the former defying polling that suggested her seat would be vulnerable following the Conservative Government's failure to award a major contract to local train manufacturer Bombardier.

Heather Wheeler was a member of the Public Bill Committee for the Defence Reform Act 2014.

Heather Wheeler was one of 79 Conservative MPs who supported a 2011 rebel motion calling for a referendum on the European Union.

Heather Wheeler joined a 2013 rebel amendment expressing regret at not including the referendum in the government's plans.

Heather Wheeler subsequently backed the government's plans to hold a referendum in 2017 and opposed a proposal to hold it in 2014.

On 9 January 2018, Heather Wheeler was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, with responsibility for homelessness and rough sleeping as well as the private rented and leasehold sectors, in the second May ministry.

In March 2018, following her promotion to a Government position with responsibility for homelessness, Heather Wheeler told The Guardian newspaper that she did not know why the number of rough sleepers had increased in recent years.

Heather Wheeler rejected the suggestion that welfare reforms and council cuts relating to her Government had contributed to the rise.

On 26 July 2019, Heather Wheeler was appointed as the Parliamentary under-secretary of state for Asia and the Pacific at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the first Johnson ministry.

On 17 September 2021, Heather Wheeler was appointed an assistant Government whip in the second cabinet reshuffle of the second Johnson ministry.

Heather Wheeler was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2023 Birthday Honours for political and public service.

Heather Wheeler tweeted in response that the British Empire had won the 2016 Rio Olympics along with a map of former imperial territories.

Heather Wheeler's comments were described by Labour MP David Lammy as "deeply offensive to so many people and their ancestors".

Heather Wheeler rejected calls to apologise, stating that her comments were "tongue-in-cheek".

In June 2019, it was revealed that in October 2017, three months before she became minister, and whilst she was the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing and Homelessness, Heather Wheeler described rough sleepers in her constituency as "the traditional type, old tinkers, knife-cutters wandering through".

Heather Wheeler issued an apology for her "inappropriate language", and said it "is not at all representative of the great cultural contribution and rich heritage that the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities make to this country".

In June 2022, Heather Wheeler was criticised by Labour for comments made at a lunch in London, in which she described Birmingham and Blackpool as "godawful" places.

Heather Wheeler later apologised and said she made an "inappropriate remark that does not reflect my actual view".

Heather Wheeler's late husband Bob was a Conservative councillor who was made leader of South Derbyshire District Council in 2010, after his wife stepped down from the role on becoming an MP.

Heather Wheeler stood down as Leader of the Council in January 2018; he died in late 2018.