Amanda Milling Explained

Amanda Milling should not be confused with Amanda Mealing.

Honorific Prefix:The Right Honourable
Dame Amanda Milling
Office1:Minister of State for Asia and the Middle East
Primeminister1:Boris Johnson
Term Start1:16 September 2021
Term End1:7 September 2022
Predecessor1:Nigel Adams
Successor1:Zac Goldsmith
Office2:Chairman of the Conservative Party
Leader2:Boris Johnson
Term Start2:13 February 2020
Term End2:15 September 2021
Predecessor2:James Cleverly
Successor2:Oliver Dowden
Alongside2:Ben Elliot
Office3:Minister without Portfolio
Termstart3:13 February 2020
Termend3:15 September 2021
Predecessor3:James Cleverly
Primeminister3:Boris Johnson
Successor3:Oliver Dowden
Office4:Government Deputy Chief Whip
Treasurer of the Household
Termstart4:28 July 2019
Termend4:13 February 2020
Predecessor4:Chris Pincher
Primeminister4:Boris Johnson
Successor4:Stuart Andrew
Office5:Member of Parliament
for Cannock Chase
Term Start5:7 May 2015
Term End5:30 May 2024
Predecessor5:Aidan Burley
Successor5:Josh Newbury
Birth Date:12 March 1975
Birth Place:Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England
Party:Conservative
Alma Mater:University College London
Office:Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
Primeminister:Rishi Sunak
Term Start:13 November 2023
Term End:5 July 2024

Dame Amanda Anne Milling[1] (born 12 March 1975) is a British politician serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Cannock Chase from the 2015 general election until losing her seat in 2024. She served as Minister without Portfolio in the UK cabinet and, alongside Ben Elliot, as Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party from February 2020 to September 2021. She also served as Minister of State for Asia and the Middle East from September 2021 to September 2022. She previously worked in market research.

Early life and career

Milling was born on 12 March 1975 in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England.[2] She attended Moreton Hall School, an independent day school in Shropshire.[3] [4] Milling then studied economics and statistics at University College London, graduating in 1997. Milling joined the Conservative Party while at university.[5] Following university, Milling joined market research firm SW1 Research. She left the company in 1999 to join Quaestor where she eventually became a director.[5] Milling then worked as head of clients for Optimisa Research between 2010 and 2014.[2] [5]

Political career

Milling was elected as a Conservative councillor for the Helmshore ward on the Rossendale Borough Council in Lancashire in 2009. Three years later she was promoted to deputy group leader on the council. She resigned her seat in 2014 after her selection as the Conservative candidate for the Cannock Chase constituency in Staffordshire.[6] The incumbent Conservative MP Aidan Burley had previously announced that he would be standing down at the next election.[7] [8]

In the 2015 general election, she was elected with a majority of 4,923 (10.5%).[9] The following year, Milling was one of a number of MPs investigated by the Electoral Commission and the police for allegedly breaching spending regulations in the election.[10] The Commission fined the Conservative Party £70,000 in March 2017 for "significant failures" in its reporting of campaign spending.[11] After completing their investigation, the police referred the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service who concluded that, although there was evidence of inaccuracy in the reporting of spending, they would not take further action as it was not clear that candidates or agents had knowingly acted dishonestly.[12] [13]

During the 2015–2017 parliament, Milling served on the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, Education, Skills and the Economy Sub-Committee.[14] Parliamentary enquiries that she was part of include the collapse of BHS,[15] and the working practices at Sports Direct.[16] She also served on Bill Committees including for the Welfare Reform and Work Bill[17] and Policing and Crime Bill.[18]

Milling supported the UK remaining within the European Union in the 2016 UK EU membership referendum.[19] After the referendum, she helped to organise Boris Johnson's 2016 Conservative leadership campaign.[20] In the 2017 general election, she was re-elected with an increased majority of 8,391 (17.6%).[9] She was made an assistant government whip during the reshuffle on 9 January 2018.[21] Milling voted for then Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit withdrawal agreement in early 2019.[22]

After the election of Johnson as prime minister in July 2019, she was appointed as Deputy Chief Whip and Treasurer of the Household in his ministry.[23] She voted for Johnson's Brexit withdrawal agreement in October 2019.[24] In the 2019 general election, she was re-elected with an increased majority of 19,879 (42.9%).[9] As part of the 2020 cabinet reshuffle, Milling was promoted to Chairman of the Conservative Party and Minister without Portfolio.[25]

At the 2021 British cabinet reshuffle, Milling was made the new Minister of State for Asia and the Middle East, making her the only cabinet minister to leave the cabinet whilst remaining part of the government.[26] In May 2022, she visited the British Virgin Islands (BVI), an overseas territory, following the arrest by the Drug Enforcement Administration of former premier, Andrew Fahie, for alleged drug trafficking and smuggling in Miami, Florida.[27] [28] The following month, the government decided not to impose direct rule which had been recommended by the BVI's governor John Rankin as part of an inquiry into governance in the territory in April 2022 but instead allow time for reform by the local government overseen by Rankin.[29]

Milling endorsed Nadhim Zahawi during the July 2022 Conservative Party leadership election.[30] She was succeeded as Minister of State for Asia by Zac Goldsmith and as Minister of State for the Middle East by Tariq Ahmad, Baron Ahmad of Wimbledon in September 2022.[31] [32]

In the November 2023 British cabinet reshuffle, Milling was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury.[33]

Honours

Milling became a Privy Counsellor in February 2020, entitling her to the honorific The Right Honourable for life.[34]

She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) on 9 June 2023 as part of the 2022 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours.[35]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Members Sworn. parliament.uk. 14 February 2020. 17 December 2019.
  2. Book: Dale. Iain. Smith. Jacqui. The Honourable Ladies: Volume II: Profiles of Women MPs 1997–2019. 14 November 2019. Biteback Publishing. 978-1-78590-447-9. 664.
  3. News: Moreton Hall. 14 February 2020. Tatler.
  4. News: Amanda Milling: 'The PM still has support of Red Wall despite locking down the North'. The Telegraph. 18 September 2020. Tominey. Camilla.
  5. Book: Carr, Tim. The Politicos Guide to the New House of Commons 2015: Profiles of the New MPs and Analysis of the 2015 General Election Results. 18 May 2015. Biteback Publishing. 978-1-84954-924-0. 335.
  6. News: By-election due to be held after councillor steps down. Rossendale Free Press. 4 March 2018. Dan O'Donoghue. 1 September 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20180305063739/https://www.rossendalefreepress.co.uk/news/local-news/by-election-due-held-after-councillor-7698144. 5 March 2018. live.
  7. News: Tory MP Aidan Burley ruled 'stupid' but not antisemitic for Nazi stag party. The Guardian. 22 January 2014. 14 February 2020. Watt. Nicholas. Willsher. Kim.
  8. Web site: Nazi stag-do Tory MP Aidan Burley to step down. BBC News. 14 February 2020. 5 February 2014.
  9. News: Cannock Chase. 14 February 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200214092229/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000618. 14 February 2020. BBC News.
  10. News: Election Expenses Exposed. Channel 4 News. 27 July 2018. 23 June 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20180501093140/https://news.channel4.com/livepages/2016/election-expenses/. 1 May 2018. live.
  11. News: Conservatives fined record £70,000 for campaign spending failures . The Guardian. 16 March 2017. 14 February 2020. Elgot. Jessica. Mason. Rowena.
  12. News: No charges over 2015 Conservative battle bus cases. BBC News. 10 May 2017. 27 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180628031934/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39865801. 28 June 2018. live.
  13. News: Corbyn says he is 'surprised' by CPS decision not to prosecute over Tory election expenses – as it happened. The Guardian. Sparrow. Andrew. 10 May 2017. 14 February 2020.
  14. Web site: Parliamentary career for Amanda Milling. 14 February 2020. parliament.uk.
  15. Web site: BHS Inquiry Committee – membership. parliament.uk. 30 August 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160822190103/http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/work-and-pensions-committee/inquiries/parliament-2015/bhs-inquiry-16-17/membership/. 22 August 2016.
  16. Web site: House of Commons – Employment practices at Sports Direct – Business, Innovation and Skills Committee. parliament.uk. 30 August 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160917062629/http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmbis/219/21901.htm. 17 September 2016.
  17. Web site: House of Commons Public Bill Committee on the Welfare Reform and Work Bill 2015–16 — UK Parliament. parliament.uk. 30 August 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160917041623/http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/welfarereformandwork/committees/houseofcommonspublicbillcommitteeonthewelfarereformandworkbill201516.html. 17 September 2016.
  18. Web site: House of Commons Public Bill Committee : Policing and Crime Bill (15 March 2016). parliament.uk. 30 August 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160917051000/http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmpublic/policingandcrime/160315/am/160315s01.htm. 17 September 2016.
  19. Web site: EU vote: Where the cabinet and other MPs stand. 22 June 2016. 14 February 2020. BBC News.
  20. News: Tory leadership election: Boris Johnson's transformation into a Prime Minister in waiting. London Evening Standard. Murphy. Joe. Watts. Joseph. 29 June 2016. 14 February 2020.
  21. News: Theresa May's junior ministerial reshuffle: who's in and who's out. correspondent. Peter Walker Political. 9 January 2018. The Guardian. 9 January 2018. 0261-3077. https://web.archive.org/web/20180116140702/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jan/09/theresa-may-junior-ministerial-reshuffle-whos-in-whos-out. 16 January 2018. live.
  22. News: How MPs voted on May's withdrawal deal defeat. https://web.archive.org/web/20190902092554/https://ig.ft.com/brexit-exit-deal-vote/. 2 September 2019. 29 March 2019. Financial Times.
  23. Web site: Amanda Milling MP – gov.uk. www.gov.uk. 28 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190728135003/https://www.gov.uk/government/people/amanda-milling. 28 July 2019. live.
  24. Web site: Brexit deal: How did my MP vote on the Withdrawal Agreement Bill?. BBC News. 22 October 2019. 14 February 2020.
  25. News: Boris Johnson's reshuffle: who's in, who's out, at a glance. The Guardian. 13 February 2020. 14 February 2020. Proctor. Kate. Walker. Peter.
  26. News: Amanda Milling sacked as Co-Chairman of Conservative Party in cabinet reshuffle. 15 September 2021. 18 September 2021. Denbighshire Free Press.
  27. News: 30 April 2022 . Plan for direct UK rule of British Virgin Islands opposed by acting premier . 1 May 2022. The Guardian.
  28. News: 1 May 2022. British Virgin Islands: UK minister dispatched for governance talks. BBC News. 1 May 2022.
  29. News: The potential for direct rule in the British Virgin Islands. 16 August 2023. UK Parliament.
  30. News: Madeley . Peter . Tory leadership race: Early favourite among region's MPs as nominations deadline looms . 12 July 2022 . Express & Star . 12 July 2022.
  31. Web site: Lord Goldsmith. gov.uk. 2 October 2023.
  32. Web site: Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon. gov.uk. 2 October 2023.
  33. Web site: 2023-11-16 . Ministerial appointments: November 2023 . 2023-11-17 . GOV.UK . en.
  34. Web site: Orders for 19 February 2020 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210527181203/https://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/2020-02-19-List-of-Business.pdf . 27 May 2021 . 9 April 2021 . Privy Council Office.
  35. Web site: 9 June 2023 . Resignation Honours 2023 . 9 June 2023 . GOV.UK.