30 Facts About Philip Hollobone

Philip Thomas Hollobone was born on 7 November 1964 and is a former British Conservative Party politician and former investment banker.

Philip Hollobone was the Member of Parliament for Kettering from the 2005 general election to the 2024 general election.

Philip Hollobone was privately educated at Dulwich College, where he was a contemporary of former UKIP leader Nigel Farage.

Philip Hollobone went on to study at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford where he was awarded a BA degree in Modern History and Economics.

Philip Hollobone worked for various companies as an industry research analyst examining the performance of water, gas and electricity companies across the UK and investment banker between 1987 and 2003 and was in the Territorial Army between 1987 and 1995, latterly as a paratrooper.

Philip Hollobone unsuccessfully contested Lewisham East at the 1997 General Election where he was defeated by the sitting Labour MP Bridget Prentice by 12,127 votes.

Philip Hollobone was later selected as the Conservative candidate for the marginal Northamptonshire constituency of Kettering for the 2001 general election; he lost to incumbent Labour MP Phil Sawford by 665 votes.

Philip Hollobone became Vice Chairman of the Kettering Conservative Constituency Association in 2002.

Philip Hollobone was re-elected as a councillor in 2011, but did not re-stand in 2015.

Philip Hollobone secured election to the House of Commons at his third attempt, during the 2005 general election, defeating Phil Sawford by 3,301 votes.

Philip Hollobone made his maiden speech on 24 May 2005.

Philip Hollobone was rated as the Conservatives' most rebellious MP in 2010.

Philip Hollobone stated that his job is to "represent constituents in Westminster, it's not to represent Westminster in the constituency".

Philip Hollobone was re-elected at the 2010 general election, 2015 general election and 2017 general election.

In March 2015, Philip Hollobone was criticised by The Independent for being one of 4 MPs who voted against a Bill to increase the powers of the House of Lords to penalise peers who had broken the law and expel the worst offenders.

Philip Hollobone argued the act could be used to discriminate against older male peers.

In February 2018, following the announcement that Northamptonshire County Council had brought in a "section 114" notice, putting it in special measures following a crises in its finances, Philip Hollobone was one of seven local MPs who released a statement arguing that the problems with the authority were by reason of mismanagement from the Conservative councillors who led it rather than funding cuts from the Conservative Government.

Philip Hollobone has previously been a member of the Transport Committee and the Backbench Business Committee.

At the 2024 general election, Philip Hollobone lost his seat to Labour Party candidate Rosie Wrighting after 19 years.

In November 2017, Philip Hollobone was reported to be the MP who had benefited from the largest sum of expenses that he was not entitled to, but had not been forced to pay the money back.

Philip Hollobone is regarded as being on the right wing of the Conservative Party, and is a member of the socially conservative Cornerstone Group.

Philip Hollobone has advocated the privatisation of the BBC and policies such as bringing back capital punishment and military conscription.

In 2013, Philip Hollobone was one of four MPs who "camped" in rotation for four days in a parliamentary committee room outside the Public Bill Office, in order to be first in the queue to put down their private members' bills.

Philip Hollobone was a supporter of the Better Off Out campaign, which campaigned for Britain's withdrawal from the EU.

Philip Hollobone continued to deny speculation that he would be the most likely MP to follow Douglas Carswell and Mark Reckless in defecting to UKIP and remained a Conservative MP.

In February 2010, Philip Hollobone described the wearing of burqas as like "going round wearing a paper bag over your head" and expressed his "huge sympathy" with those calling for a ban on the garments.

Philip Hollobone went on to say that he would refuse to speak with constituents wearing burkas if they came to see him, although he did not cite any examples of where this had happened in the past and he was told by the advocacy group Liberty that he could face legal action if he was to do so.

On 30 June 2010, Philip Hollobone introduced the Face Coverings Bill, which would regulate the use of certain facial coverings, including the burka, in public.

Philip Hollobone married Donna Cooksey in St John's church, Cranford in June 2001.

Philip Hollobone has played occasionally for Kettering Rugby Football Club in the past and served as a special constable with British Transport Police for six years, until he was asked to resign in 2015 due to new rules prohibiting police officers from taking part in active politics.