Stephen Metcalfe (politician)
Stephen Metcalfe | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2019 | |
| Member of Parliament for South Basildon and East Thurrock | |
| Assumed office 6 May 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Majority | 19,922 (44.0%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 January 1966[1] Walthamstow, London, England[2] |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Angela Metcalfe |
| Children | 2 |
| Profession | Printer |
| Website | Official website |
Stephen James Metcalfe[3] (born 9 January 1966) is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom, who was first elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Basildon and East Thurrock in 2010. He currently sits on the Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee[4] and has formerly served as chair.
Early life and career[edit]
Before becoming an MP, Metcalfe worked in a family printing business. He stood unsuccessfully at the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate in Ilford South at the 2005 General Election.[citation needed]
Metcalfe was formally an Epping Forest District councillor and portfolio holder for Customer Services, ICT & E-government.[5] As a councillor, he campaigned on green belt protection, traffic calming measures and community engagement.[5]
Parliamentary career[edit]
Metcalfe was elected MP at the 2010 General Election, defeating Labour's Angela Evans Smith.[6]
In 2012, Metcalfe was named by Conservative Home as one of a minority of loyal Conservative backbench MPs not to have voted against the government in any significant rebellions or divisions.[7]
In 2016, Metcalfe supported the campaign for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. 73 percent of the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency voted to leave - the fourth highest percentage in the country.[8]
In 2022, Metcalfe introduced a Private Members' Bill - the Powers of Attorney Bill - to the House of Commons. In 2023, the Powers of Attorney Act became law[9], legislating for a new digitised route for a lasting power of attorney (LPA) application, as well as an improved paper process and increased safety checks.[10]
In 2023, Metcalfe put forward a Ten Minute Rule Motion to make defibrillators an essential feature of every new housing development over 10 dwellings. The Automated External Defibrillators (Housing Developments) Bill[11] was the first such Bill to target the installation of defibrillators in residential homes and addressed the divergence between where defibrillators are located and where sudden cardiac arrests happen. According to the UK's Resuscitation Council, more than 70 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the home.[12]
In 2024, Metcalfe was appointed Trade Envoy for Panama, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica to enhance the UK-Latin American relationship.
Science and Technology in Parliament[edit]
Metcalfe sat on the Science and Technology Select Committee from 2010 to 2019 and served as chair during the years 2016-2017.[13] He was re-selected to serve on the Committee in 2022.[14] In 2023, the Committee changed its name to the 'Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee' after Rishi Sunak created the new Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Metcalfe acts as chair of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee[15], an All-party parliamentary group founded in 1939 to increase dialogue between scientists and politicians.[16] It publishes a quarterly magazine called Science in Parliament.
Separately, Metcalfe co-chairs the All-party parliamentary group for Artificial Intelligence (APPG AI) which he co-created in 2017 with Timothy Clement-Jones, Baron Clement-Jones. [17]
Metcalfe is also a Director of the Community Interest Company (CIC), Big Bang Education.[18] Big Bang Education organise the Big Bang Fair in Parliament each year to inspire young people to pursue careers in Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). [19] The winners of the Big Bang Competition display their work to MPs in the Terrace Pavilion of the Palace of Westminster.[20]
In 2019, Metcalfe was appointed as an Honorary STEM Ambassador.[21]
In 2018, Metcalfe served as the Government Envoy for the 'Year of Engineering' and attended events across the UK to promote diversity in engineering under the strap line 'Engineering, take a closer look'. [22]
Awards[edit]
In 2021, Metcalfe was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the Institution of Engineering and Technology in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the engineering profession.[23]
In 2017, Metcalfe was awarded for 'Services to Innovation' from the Institute of Innovation & Knowledge Exchange. [24]
References[edit]
- ^ "Steve Metcalfe MP". Democracy Live. BBC News. Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
- ^ "Metcalfe, Stephen James". UK Who's Who. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 11 May 2020. (registration required)
- ^ "No. 59418". The London Gazette. 13 May 2010. p. 8742.
- ^ https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/135/science-innovation-and-technology-committee/
- ^ a b "Stephen Metcalfe for South Basildon and East Thurrock". My Conservatives. Conservative Party. Archived from the original on 30 April 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
- ^ Morris, Stephen (7 May 2010). "'Essex Man' returns to the Tory fold". The Independent. ESI Media. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
- ^ Barrett, Matthew (14 September 2012). "The 24 Conservative MPs who are still on the backbenches and have never rebelled". Conservative Home. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
- ^ https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/brexit-votes-by-constituency/
- ^ https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/42/enacted
- ^ https://publicguardian.blog.gov.uk/2023/09/25/powers-of-attorney-bill-receives-royal-assent/
- ^ https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2023-09-06/debates/B956980F-8690-4D5E-B16A-8895F91D4D24/details
- ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-66733755.amp
- ^ "Hansard".
- ^ https://members.parliament.uk/member/4092/career
- ^ "Science in Parliament".
- ^ "Science in Parliament".
- ^ "Parallel Parliament".
- ^ "Register of Members Interests".
- ^ "Big Bang Fair 2022".
- ^ https://www.thebigbang.org.uk/news/young-innovators-create-a-big-bang-at-parliament/
- ^ "STEM Ambassador".
- ^ "gov.uk".
- ^ "Carol Vorderman amongst IET's Honorary Fellows 2021 line-up".
- ^ "IKE Fellows Recognised at the Royal Society|IKE Institute".
