# Christopher Fraser > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Christopher_Fraser > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Christopher_Fraser.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Fraser > Source revision: 1347243773 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|British politician}} {{about||the Ontario lawyer and politician|Christopher Finlay Fraser|the Australian businessman|Christopher Neil Fraser}} {{Use British English|date=July 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Christopher Fraser | honorific_suffix = [OBE](/source/Officer_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire) | image = | caption = | constituency_MP = [South West Norfolk](/source/South_West_Norfolk) | parliament = | term_start = 5 May 2005 | term_end = 12 April 2010 | majority = | predecessor = [Gillian Shephard](/source/Gillian_Shephard) | successor = [Liz Truss](/source/Liz_Truss) | constituency_MP2 = [Mid Dorset and North Poole](/source/Mid_Dorset_and_North_Poole_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) | parliament2 = | term_start2 = 1 May 1997 | term_end2 = 14 May 2001 | majority2 = | predecessor2 = ''Constituency established'' | successor2 = [Annette Brooke](/source/Annette_Brooke) | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1962|10|25}} | birth_place = [Bushey](/source/Bushey), Hertfordshire, England | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = Lisa Norman | party = [Conservative](/source/Conservative_Party_(UK)) | relations = | children = | alma_mater = [University of Westminster](/source/University_of_Westminster) | occupation = | profession = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }} '''Christopher James Fraser''', [OBE](/source/Officer_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire) (born 25 October 1962) is a former [British Conservative Party](/source/Conservative_Party_(UK)) politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for [Mid Dorset and North Poole](/source/Mid_Dorset_and_North_Poole) from the [1997 general election](/source/1997_United_Kingdom_general_election) to [2001](/source/2001_United_Kingdom_general_election) and [South West Norfolk](/source/South_West_Norfolk) from [2005](/source/2005_United_Kingdom_general_election) to [2010](/source/2010_United_Kingdom_general_election). ==Early life== He was born in [Hertfordshire](/source/Hertfordshire) and educated at the [University of Westminster](/source/University_of_Westminster), graduating with a [BA](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts) degree. He worked as chairman of a communications company. He was elected as a councillor to the [Three Rivers District Council](/source/Three_Rivers_District) for four years from 1992. ==Parliamentary career== Fraser was elected to the [House of Commons](/source/House_of_Commons_of_the_United_Kingdom) at the [1997 general election](/source/1997_United_Kingdom_general_election) for the new seat of [Mid Dorset and North Poole](/source/Mid_Dorset_and_North_Poole) with a majority of 681. He made his [maiden speech](/source/maiden_speech) on 4 July 1997.[https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmhansrd/vo970704/debtext/70704-14.htm#70704-14_spnew0 ''Hansard'' 4 July 1997] He lost his seat at the [2001 general election](/source/2001_United_Kingdom_general_election) to the [Liberal Democrat](/source/Liberal_Democrats_(UK)) [Annette Brooke](/source/Annette_Brooke). Although his percentage of the vote increased, Fraser was edged out by the Liberal Democrats by 384 votes, after a tactical voting campaign urging Dorset residents to cast their votes in the best way to defeat the incumbent Conservatives and saw his defeat, along with that of [Ian Bruce](/source/Ian_Bruce_(politician)) in neighbouring [South Dorset](/source/South_Dorset). He returned to [Westminster](/source/Palace_of_Westminster) at the [2005 general election](/source/2005_United_Kingdom_general_election) for South West Norfolk following the retirement of the former [Secretary of State for Education](/source/Secretary_of_State_for_Education) [Gillian Shephard](/source/Gillian_Shephard). He held the seat with a comfortable majority of 10,086, and managed to achieve a small swing of 0.3 over Labour. He served as a member of the [culture, media and sport](/source/Department_for_Culture%2C_Media_and_Sport) [select committee](/source/Select_committee_(United_Kingdom)) from 1997 until he lost his seat. He was appointed as the [parliamentary private secretary](/source/parliamentary_private_secretary) to [Lord Strathclyde](/source/Thomas_Galbraith%2C_2nd_Baron_Strathclyde), the Shadow [Leader of the House of Lords](/source/Leader_of_the_House_of_Lords). Following his re-election in 2005 he was a member of the [Northern Ireland](/source/Northern_Ireland_Office) select committee and was appointed to the Northern Ireland Grand Committee. He was Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Northern Ireland Group. He was a member of the UK delegation to the [Council of Europe](/source/Council_of_Europe) and the Assembly of the [Western European Union](/source/Western_European_Union) (2005–2007). In 2009 his [expenses claims](/source/United_Kingdom_parliamentary_expenses_scandal) were highlighted in the ''Daily Telegraph''; according to the newspaper, Fraser claimed £1,800 in public money for buying 215 trees and marking out the boundary of his second home in the constituency.[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5384295/MPs-expenses-Christopher-Fraser-says-that-claim-for-trees-was-necessary.html ''Daily Telegraph'' MPs' expenses: Christopher Fraser says that claim for trees was necessary 26 May 2009] The Lynn News reported "In February 2007 Mr Fraser claimed £1,808.28 for new fencing and hedging to provide security for his new constituency home."{{cite web |url=http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/OUR-MPs-SAY-THEY-HAVE.5300363.jp |title=OUR MPS SAY THEY HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE - Latest News - Lynn News |website=www.lynnnews.co.uk |access-date=27 January 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120912235032/http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/OUR-MPs-SAY-THEY-HAVE.5300363.jp |archive-date=12 September 2012 |url-status=dead}} On 28 May 2009 he announced that he would be standing down as an MP at the next general election citing family reasons.[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8072666.stm BBC News; MP Fraser poised to leave Commons, 28 May 2009] The Telegraph 2010 election website stated that he "stood down on account of his wife's health problems".{{Cite web |url=http://ukpolitics.telegraph.co.uk/Norfolk+South+West |title=Norfolk South West: Constituency - Telegraph |access-date=5 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710121338/http://ukpolitics.telegraph.co.uk/Norfolk+South+West |archive-date=10 July 2010 |url-status=dead }} Fraser was appointed [Officer of the Order of the British Empire](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire) (OBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for public and political service.{{London Gazette |issue=60367 |date=29 December 2012 |page=11 |supp=y }} ==Personal life== Fraser married his wife Lisa in February 1987 and he has a son, Hugo, and a daughter, Camilla. Fraser and Lisa divorced and Fraser has since remarried. He became a [Freeman](/source/Freedom_of_the_City) of the [City of London](/source/City_of_London) in 1992. He receives income from land and property in London and Dorset. ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20010516091530/http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-1823,00.html Guardian Unlimited Politics – Ask Aristotle: Christopher Fraser MP] * [https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/christopher_fraser/south_west_norfolk TheyWorkForYou.com – Christopher Fraser MP] * [http://www.southwestnorfolkconservatives.com South West Norfolk Conservatives] * [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/mpdb/html/431.stm BBC Politics page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213163257/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/mpdb/html/431.stm |date=13 February 2009 }} ===News items=== * [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/6382645.stm Fens flooding in February 2007] {{s-start}} {{s-par|uk}} {{s-new | constituency }} {{s-ttl | title = Member of Parliament for [Mid Dorset and North Poole](/source/Mid_Dorset_and_North_Poole) | years = [1997](/source/1997_United_Kingdom_general_election)–[2001](/source/2001_United_Kingdom_general_election) }} {{s-aft | after = [Annette Brooke](/source/Annette_Brooke) }} {{succession box | title = Member of Parliament for [South West Norfolk](/source/South_West_Norfolk) | years = [2005](/source/2005_United_Kingdom_general_election)–[2010](/source/2010_United_Kingdom_general_election) | before = [Gillian Shephard](/source/Gillian_Shephard) | after = [Liz Truss](/source/Liz_Truss) }} {{s-end}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Fraser, Christopher}} Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Category:UK MPs 1997–2001 Category:UK MPs 2005–2010 Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:Councillors in Hertfordshire Category:1962 births Category:Living people Category:Alumni of the University of Westminster --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Christopher Fraser](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Fraser) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Fraser?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.