Alex Story (politician)

Alex Story (born 6 December 1974)[1] is a British Conservative Party politician and former rower. He rowed in the British men's eight at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.[2]

Rowing

Story was on the Great Britain rowing team for the 1996 Summer Olympics, competing in the men's eight.[3]

He rowed for Great Britain as a junior, an under-23 and a senior athlete. His career spanned from 1992 to 1998.

In 1995, at the World Rowing Championships in Tampere, Finland, he qualified for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. He retained his place for the 1997 World Rowing Championships in Aiguebelette where the British eight finished fourth.[4]

He rowed for Cambridge against Oxford in the Boat Races of 1997[5] and 1998.[6] In the former he was the heaviest man competing and was credited[7] with having been the difference between the two crews. His 1998 crew still hold the course record.[8] He was described as a hero by coach, Harry Mahon.[9]

A back injury ended his rowing career.

Politics

He has subsequently been active in the Conservative Party. In 2005, he contested Denton and Reddish[10] at the General Election; in 2010, he fought Wakefield,[11] and in 2015, at short notice, he stood for Leeds North West.

He was placed second on the Conservative party list for the Yorkshire and the Humber region at the 2014 European Election;[12] however, only one Conservative was elected.[13] After the elevation of Timothy Kirkhope MEP to the House of Lords in October 2016, Story was asked by the region's returning officer to take the vacant seat.[14] To be returned, Story needed the Conservative Party to re-nominate him, which they refused to do; Story unsuccessfully asked the High Court to intervene.[15] The Conservative Party subsequently appointed John Procter, who had been third on the party list, as the replacement, rather than Story.[16][17]

In the 2016 European Union membership referendum he campaigned for Britain to leave the European Union.[18][19]

He was one of the founders of Story Productions,[20] a media production company that still operates today.

Story has written for publications such as The Daily Telegraph,[21] and City A.M..[22]

On 5 November 2017, the Conservative MP for Tamworth, Christopher Pincher, resigned as Assistant Whip and "voluntarily" referred himself to the Conservative Party's complaints procedure and the police, after Story alleged that Pincher had made an unwanted pass at him, describing him as a "pound shop Harvey Weinstein". Story said that he had been invited back to Pincher's flat, where Pincher massaged his neck and talked about his "future in the Conservative party", before changing into a bathrobe.[23] Pincher said that "I do not recognise either the events or the interpretation placed on them" and that "if Mr Story has ever felt offended by anything I said then I can only apologise to him".[23]

Personal life

Story is married and has four children.

References
  1. "Alex Story". World Rowing. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  2. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Alex Story Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  3. "Events - worldrowing.com". Worldrowing.com. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  4. "Events - worldrowing.com". Worldrowing.com. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  5. "Regatta Online - Boat Race". Rowingservice.com. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  6. "Regatta Online - The Boat Race". Regatta.rowing.org.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  7. Steve Trapmore (2015-08-13). "1997 University Boat Race - Cambridge Victory". Youtube.com. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
  8. "The Boat Race Results - The Boat Race". Theboatraces.org. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  9. "Boat race: Washed up on desolation row". Independent.co.uk. 29 March 1998. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  10. "Electoral Commission - Denton & Reddish". Electoralcommission.org.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  11. "Electoral Commission - Wakefield". Electoralcommission.org.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  12. "Vote 2014: European election candidates for Yorkshire and the Humber". Bbc.co.uk. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  13. "Results of the 2014 European Parliament elections in the UK". Europarl.org.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  14. "Vacancy for a Member of European Parliament (MEP) – Yorkshire and The Humber Region" (PDF).
  15. Len Tingle (28 November 2016). "Yorkshire electorate baffled at how its MEP is replaced". BBC.
  16. "One-time remainer Yorkshire MEP now says he will listen to Brexit pleas", Yorkshire Post, 28 December 2016
  17. Len Tingle, "Yorkshire electorate baffled at how its MEP is replaced", BBC News, 28 November 2016
  18. Story, Alex (6 May 2016). "Why pro-Europeans should back Brexit – to save Europe from the EU". Cityam.com. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  19. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-10-06. Retrieved 2016-10-05.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. "Story Productions". Storyproductions.com.br. Archived from the original on 2017-10-02. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
  21. Story, Alex (2006-07-29). "'There were four beautiful mushroom clouds a week. Nobody told us they were dangerous'". ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
  22. "Alex Story". Cityam.com. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
  23. "Tory Whip Chris Pincher refers himself to the police after claim of unwanted pass at former Olympic rower". Telegraph. 5 November 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
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