Henry Bellingham has been the Member of Parliament for North West Norfolk since 2001, having also represented the same constituency from 1983 to 1997. He is currently a Shadow Minister for the Ministry of Justice.
Having grown up and made his home in Norfolk he is passionate about issues that affect his constituency, constantly standing up for local communities both in the towns and countryside, as well as for the environment and small businesses.
Personal Biography
Henry was born in March 1955. He studied Law at Magdalene College, Cambridge. Having graduated in 1977 he was called to the Bar (Middle Temple) where he served as a barrister for 8 years.
Henry married Emma Whiteley in 1993 and they now have a young son, Jamie. He is joint secretary of the Lords and Commons Cricket Club, and outside Westminster enjoys country sports and golf.
Parliamentary Career
Henry was first elected as MP for North West Norfolk in 1983. A specialist in small businesses, countryside and farming issues, defence and Northern Ireland, he was PPS to Malcolm Rifkind (then Defence and Foreign Secretary) from 1991-97.
In June 2001, he was re-elected as MP for North West Norfolk. In July 2002, he was appointed Shadow Minister for Small Businesses, Enterprise and Construction and he held this post up until the May 2005 General Election. After his election he was appointed to the Whips Office before becoming Shadow Minister for Constitutional Affairs in November 2006. He then became a Shadow Minister for Justice when the new Ministry of Justice was created in July 2007.