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John Maples MP
	John Maples MP
	Deputy Chairman of the; Conservative Party; for Candidates
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; November 2006
	Member of Parliament; for Stratford-on-Avon
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 1 May 1997
Preceded by	Alan Howarth
Majority	28,652 (49.2%)
	Member of Parliament; for Lewisham West
	In office; 9 June 1983 – 9 April 1992
Preceded by	Christopher Price
Succeeded by	Jim Dowd
Born	22 April 1943 (age 66);
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Jane Corbin
Alma mater	Downing College, Cambridge
Website	http://www.johnmaplesmp.com

John Cradock Maples (born 22 April 1943) is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom.

He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Lewisham West from 1983 until he lost the seat at the 1992 general election. He re-entered Parliament as MP for Stratford-upon-Avon in 1997. He has held the seat, one of the safest Conservative seats, in both the 2001 and 2005 general elections.

[edit] Early life

He went to the independent Marlborough College, then studied Law at Downing College, Cambridge, receiving an MA in 1964. He then studied at Harvard Business School. He was called to the Bar from the Inner Temple in 1965.

[edit] Parliamentary career

Maples was a member of William Hague's shadow cabinet from 1997 to 2000, holding the posts of Shadow Health Secretary (1997- 1998), Shadow Defence Secretary (1998- 1999) and Shadow Foreign Secretary (1999- 2000), controversially calling for Britain to help Vladimir Putin in the Second Chechen War. [1] In the reshuffle prompted by the return of Michael Portillo to the front bench, he lost his job to Francis Maude and left the shadow cabinet.

He returned to the front bench in a minor reshuffle in November 2006, when David Cameron appointed him Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party with responsibility for candidate selection. He replaced ex-shadow cabinet minister Bernard Jenkin. Because of Mr Cameron's high-profile attempts to have more female and minority candidates selected, which has met with some opposition from local parties, the post is seen as an important one.

He was widely believed to be one of the main "plotters" behind the downfall of former Conservative party leader Iain Duncan Smith.^[1]

[edit] Personal life

He married the journalist Jane Corbin in December 1986 in Westminster. They have a son, Tom (born May 1989) and daughter, Rose (born September 1992).

[edit] References

^ "View from the grassroots". BBC Online. 2003-10-29. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3223461.stm. Retrieved 2009-01-23.

[edit] External links

[edit] News items

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Christopher Price	Member of Parliament for Lewisham West 1983–1992	Succeeded by Jim Dowd
Preceded by Alan Howarth	Member of Parliament for Stratford-on-Avon 1997–present	Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Richard Ryder	Economic Secretary to the Treasury 1989–1992	Succeeded by Anthony Nelson
Preceded by Stephen Dorrell	Shadow Secretary of State for Health 1997–1998	Succeeded by Ann Widdecombe
Preceded by Sir George Young Bt.	Shadow Secretary of State for Defence 1998–1999	Succeeded by Iain Duncan Smith
Preceded by Michael Howard	Shadow Foreign Secretary 1999–2000	Succeeded by Francis Maude

[grassroots-0] "View from the grassroots". BBC Online. 2003-10-29. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3223461.stm. Retrieved 2009-01-23.

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