Alec Shelbrooke was elected as Conservative MP for Elmet and Rothwell in 2010, being reelected in 2019 with a majority of 17,353.
The Elmet and Rothwell constituency is found in West Yorkshire. It covers a rural area to the east of Leeds, and includes the market town of Wetherby known for its racecourse, the town of Rothwell, and the forming mining towns of Garforth and Kippax. Elmet itself is the name given to the ancient Celtic Kingdom that covered this area. Increasingly the home to people commuting into Leeds to work, this is an economically active seat in which unemployment is below the national average and home ownership is high. This is the Conservative Party’s safest seat in West Yorkshire.
Shellbrooke was appointed Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence in September 2022. He was a strong supporter of Liz Truss throughout the 2022 Conservative party leadership election. He lost his role in the government in October 2022 when Rishi Sunak became prime minister.
Shelbrooke previously served as Vice Chair of the Conservative Party. He has also previously been a member of the Executive of the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbench MPs
Shelbrooke was born in 1976 and was educated at Gravesham Comprehensive High School. He then studied Mechanical Engineering at Brunel University. Prior to his election to Parliament, he worked in project management. He took up a a job with the University of Leeds in 1999.
Shellbrooke also had had a career fitting bathroom and kitchens, claiming to have fitted many in his constituency itself. He is involved with the Blue Collar Conservatism group, and describes himself as a Conservative Trade Unionist.
Before being elected to Westminster, he spent six years as a Leeds City Councillor for the Harewood Ward.
Shellbrooke supported Jeremy Hunt in the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election.
He has been one of the UK’s representative to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly since 2015.
An independent minded MP he was ferociously critical of the government in the Commons about the delay in housing Ukrainian refugees.
Alec Shelbrooke is Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Surgical Mesh. He is Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Argentina; Gilbraltar; Latin America; and Formula One. He is a keen motor racing enthusiast.
He is married and employs his wife as a part time secretary.
Email: alec.shelbrooke.mp@parliament.uk
Personal Website: www.alecshelbrooke.co.uk
Twitter: @AlecShelbrooke
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/alec.shelbrooke?fref=ts
