Desmond Swayne - Parliamentary Career

Parliamentary Career

He contested Pontypridd in 1987 and West Bromwich West in 1992 (where he failed to defeat the Labour incumbent Betty Boothroyd, who was shortly to become the Speaker), before being elected to his present seat in 1997. He held the seat to serve his fourth consecutive term in the 2010 UK General Election.

From 1997 to 2001, he held shadow ministerial portfolios for Northern Ireland, health and defence and as a senior opposition whip. From 2001 to 2005, Swayne was Parliamentary Private Secretary to both Iain Duncan Smith and Michael Howard in their role as Leader of the Opposition.

Following the election of David Cameron as leader of the Conservative Party in December 2005, he was appointed as his PPS. This position involved being the eyes and ears of Cameron in the House of Commons and reporting back on observations and requests from colleagues. In 2006, a series of Swayne's e-mails to Cameron with unflattering descriptions of fellow Conservatives were leaked to the media:

• One colleague was a “mincehead”, another “Mr Angry”
• A group of backbenchers “boring”
• A forum of grassroots members “stooges”
• Francis Maude, the party chairman, “not yet trusted by the parliamentary party”
• Theresa May, the shadow Commons leader, “neither liked nor trusted across the party”

He has maintained his role as a PPS in government. On 11 June 2011, it was announced Swayne would be appointed a Privy Counsellor in the Queen's 2011 Birthday Honours List. On 13 July 2011, Swayne was duly sworn of Council.