Caroline Dinenage

Caroline Dinenage
MP
Minister for Equalities
Assumed office
8 May 2015
Leader David Cameron
Preceded by (New Position)
Member of Parliament
for Gosport
Assumed office
6 May 2010
Preceded by Peter Viggers
Majority 17,098 (May 2015 election)
Personal details
Born Caroline Julia Dinenage
(1971-10-28) 28 October 1971
Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, UK
Nationality British
Political party Conservative
Spouse(s) Carlos Garetta (?-?); 2 children
Mark Lancaster (2014-present)
Alma mater Swansea University
Website www.caroline4gosport.co.uk

Caroline Julia Dinenage[1] (born 28 October 1971) is an English Conservative Party politician who was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Gosport in 2010 general election. She was re-elected with an increased majority in 2015. In July 2014, she was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Minister for Women and Equalities, Nicky Morgan. In May 2015, Dinenage was appointed to the dual roles of Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice and Minister for Women and Equalities at the Department for Education.[2]

Early life

Dinenage was born on 28 October 1971,[3] the daughter of television presenter Fred Dinenage. She has lived in South Hampshire for most of her life.[4]

She attended Oaklands RC Comprehensive School, Waterlooville, and then studied Politics and English at Swansea University.[5]

Business career

Dinenage was a director/company secretary of Dinenages Ltd, a private limited company which under a former franchise contract still trades as Recognition Express, a distributor and supplier of corporate identity products.[6] In 2010, Dinenage announced that she would sell her quarter share in the business,[7] but instead reduced her shareholding to 15%.[8] In June 2015, Dinenage gave up her remaining share in the business.[9]

Political career

Dinenage began her political career in Winchester, where she was a member of the local council for five years, resigning in 2003.[10] She stood as the Conservative Party candidate for Portsmouth South in the 2005 general election, finishing second with 33.9% of the vote.[11]

Parliamentary career

In 2010, after the retirement of Sir Peter Viggers was announced following the United Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal, Gosport Constituency Conservative Association held an open primary pre-election, inviting all constituents, of whatever political affiliation, to complete a postal ballot to select a candidate. Dinenage won the Gosport primary.[12]

Dinenage was elected to the House of Commons as Member of Parliament for Gosport in the 2010 general election with a majority of 14,413.[13] She was re-elected with a majority of 17,098 (55.3% of the vote).[14]

Dinenage sat on the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee between November 2012 and March 2015.[15] In June 2013, she was appointed one of 12 small business ambassadors by the prime minister.[16]

Dinenage has taken an interest in defence issues, and has successfully campaigned in particular for a medal for the veterans of the Arctic convoys of World War II.[17] She served as the vice-chair (Royal Navy) of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Armed Forces for four years between 2010 and 2014.[18]

She was selected by the foreign secretary's office as a member of the UK's NATO delegation, and elected as vice-chairman of a NATO Science and Technology Sub-Committee.[19]

In October 2013, Dinenage led a Parliamentary debate on adult literacy and numeracy.[20] In 2014, she formed the All Party Parliamentary Group for Maths and Numeracy of which she is Co-Chair.[21]

In July 2014, she was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Minister for Women and Equalities, Nicky Morgan.[22]

In May 2015, Dinenage was appointed to the dual roles of Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice and Minister for Women and Equalities at the Department for Education.[23]

Views on same-sex marriage

In 2013, Pink News reported that Dinenage, in a private letter to one of its readers, had written that the state has no right to redefine the meaning of marriage, and that "under current law same-sex couples can have a civil partnership but not a civil marriage and I believe that there is no legitimate reason to change this. Preventing same-sex couples from being allowed to 'marry' takes nothing away from their relationship."[24] On 5 February 2013, Dinenage voted against the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill in the second reading debate.[25] However, she did not vote against the Bill in subsequent votes.[26] She was appointed Minister for Equalities at the Department for Education, in May 2015.[27]

Constituency work

Dinenage worked with the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership, Gosport Borough Council and Fareham Borough Council to secure ‘Enterprise Zone’ status for the airfield Lee-on-the-Solent (EGHF) in 2010.[28] The Enterprise Zone focuses on advanced manufacturing within the marine, aerospace and aviation sectors.[29] It is expected that 3,500 jobs could be created by 2026.[30] In September 2014, the CEMAST skills centre opened on the site, specialising in automotive, manufacturing and engineering courses for 900 students.[31] Work on a Business Innovation Centre was completed in Spring 2015 and the target of it being a quarter full by the end of the year was exceeded within the first couple of months.[32]

Since being elected, Dinenage has campaigned for local road improvements, bringing Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin and then transport minister, Norman Baker to the area in 2013.[33][34] Her interventions helped to secure an £8.5 million upgrade to major access road, Newgate Lane as well as an £19.7 million package for other local road improvements including preliminary work on a Stubbington Bypass.[35][36]

Personal life

Dinenage has two children with her former husband, Royal Navy officer Carlos Garreta.[37] In February 2014, she married fellow divorced Conservative MP Mark Lancaster.[38] She is a lifetime supporter of Portsmouth F.C.[12]

References

  1. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 59418. p. 8742. 13 May 2010.
  2. ↑ UK Government Official website
  3. ↑ "Caroline Dinenage MP". BBC News. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  4. ↑ "Caroline Dinenage profile". The Conservative Party. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  5. ↑ "Caroline Dinenage, Conservative, Gosport". Daily Echo. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  6. ↑ Register of Members' Financial Interests, as at 24 February 2014
  7. ↑ "Caroline Dinenage MP | About Caroline". Caroline4gosport.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-05-09.
  8. ↑ Companies House Records, Dinenages Ltd; Registered No: 03852824; Access date: 5 March 2014
  9. ↑
  10. ↑ "Archive | Archive of stories uploaded to the Daily Echo website". Daily Echo. 2003-04-08. Retrieved 2015-05-09.
  11. ↑ "Portsmouth South". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  12. 1 2 Parkinson, Justin (27 July 2011). "MP Caroline Dinenage on duck islands, dads and the Krays". BBC News. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  13. ↑ "Gosport". BBC News. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  14. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000713
  15. ↑ "Select Committee Membership - UK Parliament". Parliament.uk. Retrieved 2015-05-09.
  16. ↑ "'Cameron cutie' Caroline Dinenage dumps husband to date Tory MP Mark Lancaster who walked out on baby". 30 June 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  17. ↑ "Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage pushes for medals for Arctic Convoy vets". Daily Echo. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  18. ↑ "Caroline Dinenage MP | About Caroline". Caroline4gosport.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-05-09.
  19. ↑ "Caroline Dinenage". Politics.co.uk. 1971-10-28. Retrieved 2015-05-09.
  20. ↑ "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 10 Oct 2013 (pt 0001)". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2015-05-09.
  21. ↑ https://web.archive.org/20150217094955/http://www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk:80/appg/index.html. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2015. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  22. ↑ "Women in Business with Caroline Dinenage MP, PPS to The Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP on 29th January 2015, Westminster". Publicaffairsnetworking.com. 2015-01-29. Retrieved 2015-05-09.
  23. ↑
  24. ↑ Tory MP Caroline Dinenage: Banning gay couples from marrying ‘takes nothing away from their relationship’. Scott Roberts, Pink News, 4 February 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  25. ↑ "The House of Commons.2013.Marriage (Same Sex Couples)Bill 2012-2013". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2015-05-09.
  26. ↑
  27. ↑ Cameron appoints second gay-marriage opponent to Equalities Office. Rowena Mason, The Guardian, 12 May 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  28. ↑ "Gosport’s HMS Daedalus site to become an Enterprise Zone - Portsmouth News". Portsmouth.co.uk. 2011-08-17. Retrieved 2015-05-09.
  29. ↑ "A place for investment and growth | Daedalus. The Solent Enterprise Zone". Solentez.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-05-09.
  30. ↑ "This development has the potential to make Gosport a major destination - Portsmouth News". Portsmouth.co.uk. 2014-09-30. Retrieved 2015-05-09.
  31. ↑ "Celebration of Enterprise Zone college completion | Daedalus. The Solent Enterprise Zone". Solentez.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-05-09.
  32. ↑
  33. ↑ "Transport secretary is stuck in traffic on visit to Gosport - Portsmouth News". Portsmouth.co.uk. 2013-11-12. Retrieved 2015-05-09.
  34. ↑ "Campaign starts to get new bypass built before 2026 - Portsmouth News". Portsmouth.co.uk. 2013-04-16. Retrieved 2015-05-09.
  35. ↑ "Plans for £8.5m overhaul of busy road are revealed - Portsmouth News". Portsmouth.co.uk. 2012-10-05. Retrieved 2015-05-09.
  36. ↑ "Stubbington bypass gets the green light | Meridian - ITV News". Itv.com. 2014-07-07. Retrieved 2015-05-09.
  37. ↑ Matthew Drake (30 June 2013). "Caroline Dinenage dumps husband to date Tory MP Mark Lancaster". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  38. ↑ "Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage weds fellow politician at House of Commons chapel". Portsmouth News. 17 February 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2014.

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Peter Viggers		 Member of Parliament for Gosport
2010–present 		Incumbent
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