32 Facts About Roger Gale

Sir Roger James Gale was born on 20 August 1943 and is a British politician who has served as the member of Parliament for North Thanet since 1983.

Roger Gale had a career in journalism and broadcasting from 1964, around the same time as he joined the Conservative Party, until 1983.

Roger Gale was a prominent and vocal critic of Boris Johnson during his leadership of the Conservative Party.

Roger Gale completed his education at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1963.

Roger Gale worked as a programme director at Radio Scotland from 1965; personal assistant to the general manager of Universal Films from 1971 to 1972; freelance reporter at BBC Radio London from 1972 to 1973; producer at BBC Radio 1 and then at BBC Radio 4 from 1973 to 1976; became director of BBC Children's Television in 1976 until 1979; then senior producer of children's television and later of special projects at Thames TV from 1979 to 1983.

Roger Gale joined the Conservative Party in 1964, and was elected as the vice-chairman of the Conservative Association in Holborn and St Pancras in 1971.

Roger Gale was selected to contest Birmingham Northfield at the 1982 by-election caused by the suicide of the sitting Conservative MP Jocelyn Cadbury.

Roger Gale narrowly lost the by-election to Labour's John Spellar by just 289 votes.

Roger Gale was elected to the House of Commons at the 1983 general election for the newly drawn Kent seat of North Thanet.

Roger Gale gained the seat with a majority of 14,545 and has remained the MP since then.

Roger Gale made his maiden speech in the House of Commons on 30 June 1983.

Roger Gale served as a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee in 1990 and was appointed as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the successive ministers of state at the Ministry of Defence Archie Hamilton and Jeremy Hanley following the 1992 general election until 1994.

Roger Gale was a member of the broadcasting select committee from between the general elections of 1997 and 2005.

Roger Gale has been a member of the speaker's Panel of Chairmen since 1997.

Roger Gale was a vice chairman of the Conservative Party under the leadership of Iain Duncan Smith from 2001 to 2003 with responsibility for presentation.

In 2008, Roger Gale said that capital punishment was a solution to fatal knife stabbings.

Roger Gale is reportedly a eurosceptic, although he opposed Brexit.

Roger Gale has been a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe since 2010, and currently heads the 18-member British parliamentary delegation to the Assembly.

Roger Gale is a founding member and current president of Conservative Animal Welfare, a group of Conservative MPs and MEPs.

Roger Gale was opposed to Brexit prior to the 2016 EU membership referendum.

Roger Gale briefly acted as Chairman of Ways and Means at the start of the 58th Parliament.

Roger Gale was one of three of the group who was recommended for a one-day suspension by the committee.

Roger Gale later revealed he had submitted a letter of no-confidence in Johnson's leadership to the 1922 Committee.

Roger Gale said he had changed his mind on challenging Johnson's leadership following the invasion.

Roger Gale said, "we should not seek to destabilise the government of the United Kingdom".

In December 2022 Roger Gale was appointed as temporary Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons in order to cover for the illness of a colleague.

Roger Gale has served as a special constable with the British Transport Police.

Roger Gale is a past member of the National Union of Journalists.

Roger Gale was knighted in the 2012 New Year Honours for public and political services.

Roger Gale was appointed to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom in the 2019 New Years Honours List, giving him the honorific title "The Right Honourable" for life.

In February 2016, Roger Gale was nominated for a 'Grassroots Diplomat' award for his involvement in the campaign to save and reopen Manston Airport, which is in his constituency.

Roger Gale has been married three times: firstly to Wendy Dawn Bowman in 1964, without issue; secondly to Susan Linda Sampson in 1971, with whom he has a daughter; thirdly to Susan Gabrielle Marks, with whom he has two sons.