Oliver Heald was first elected as the Conservative MP for North East Hertfordshire in 1992, being reelected in 2019 with a majority of 18,189.
The North East Hertfordshire constituency is the largest seat by geographical area in Hertfordshire and contains the small towns of Baldock, Royston, and the world’s first ever ‘garden city’, at Letchworth. Although there is an agricultural presence in the seat focussed on sheep and pigs, the constituency has train lines taking a considerable number of commuters into the heart of London each day. There is some light engineering in the constituency, and the largest business employer is Johnson Matthey, the precious metals and auto catalyst group based in Royston. This area has a long standing tradition of supporting the Conservative Party.
Heald previously served in the Government as Solicitor General between 2012 and 2014, and as Minister of State for Courts and Justice between 2016 and 2017. Heald also served in the government of John Major as Under Secretary for Social Security between 1995 and 1997.
Heald was knighted in 2014.
Sir Oliver Heald was born in 1954. He was educated at Reading School and Pembroke College, Cambridge (Ziegler Law Scholar, MA Hons Law). He was called to the Bar in 1977 and has practised as a barrister on the South Eastern Circuit. He is a specialist in employment law.
Heald is considered to be positioned on the centre left of the Conservative Party and backed Jeremy Hunt in the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election. He supported Remain in the 2016 EU referendum. In the past, he has been opposed to the reform of the House of Lords.
Long before being elected to Parliament, he ran a Southwark youth football team with Clive Efford, who himself was to later become the Labour MP for Eltham.
Sir Oliver Heald is Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on British Bioethanol; and Chalk Streams.
Heald is married and has a son and two daughters. He employs his wife as his Office Manager.
Email: oliver.heald.mp@parliament.uk
Personal Website: http://www.oliverhealdmp.com/
Twitter: @OliverHealdMP
