Chris Matheson (politician)

Christian Matheson (born 2 January 1968) is a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of City of Chester since winning the seat in the 2015 general election.[1] Matheson has been described as having "slightly left-of-centre views".[2]

Christian Matheson

MP
Matheson in 2019
Shadow Minister of State for Media
Assumed office
9 April 2020
LeaderKeir Starmer
Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office
In office
12 January 2018 – 9 April 2020
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byHelen Hayes
Member of Parliament
for City of Chester
Assumed office
7 May 2015
Preceded byStephen Mosley
Majority6,164 (11.3%)
Personal details
Born (1968-01-02) 2 January 1968
Warrington, England
Political partyLabour
Alma materLondon School of Economics
Websitewww.chrismatheson.co.uk

Education

Christian Matheson grew up in rural Cheshire, attended Manchester Grammar School went on to gain a degree in economics and politics from the London School of Economics.[3][4][5]

Political career

Parliamentary career

Matheson was selected as the Labour Party Parliamentary Candidate for the City of Chester in June 2013.[6] After 7 May 2015 he gained the seat from Conservative Stephen Mosley with a majority of 93 votes, having the 3rd smallest majority of a parliamentary constituency in the UK after the 2015 general election.[7] In July 2015 he became a member of the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee.[3]

In the 2015 Labour Party (UK) leadership election Chris Matheson nominated Andy Burnham to be leader of the Labour Party.[8]

On 27 June 2016, Matheson resigned from his role as Justice Parliamentary Private Secretary, joining many members of Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet team who resigned following the result of the EU referendum result.[9] He went on to nominate Owen Smith for the leadership in the 2016 Labour Party (UK) leadership election.[10][11] He rejoined the shadow cabinet team following the result and joined the shadow cabinet housing team as Parliamentary Private Secretary to John Healey.[12]

At the 2017 election, Matheson increased his majority from 93 to 9,176, turning Chester from a super-marginal seat into a safe seat.[13] With both the Conservative Party and Labour receiving reduced shares of the vote in the 2019 election, Matheson held onto his seat for a second successive election, by a majority of 6,164.[14]

Political views

European Union

Matheson is a vocal supporter of the People's Vote campaign.[15] Writing in The Guardian, Matheson has called Brexit a "hard rightwing coup." Warning of Brexit extremist plans "to tie the UK to Trump’s US," Matheson has called for the defence of the "values of fairness, decency and internationalism."[16]

Personal life

Matheson was brought up in rural Cheshire and lives in Hoole with his family. He is married to Katherine and they have two children, both at school in Chester.[5] Matheson is an avid football fan, supporting both his local Chester F.C. and Everton F.C..[17]

References
  1. "City of Chester Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  2. Holmes, David (20 May 2015). "Chester Labour MP Chris Matheson back from his first week at Parliament". CheshireLive.
  3. "Christian Matheson MP". UK Parliament.
  4. "About". Chris Matheson MP.
  5. chesterchronicle Administrator (8 June 2013). "Labour chooses candidate to fight General Election in Chester". chesterchronicle.
  6. chesterchronicle Administrator (12 June 2013). "Labour picks union man to fight City of Chester constituency in 2015". chesterchronicle.
  7. "Members of Parliament 2015 - 2020 in order of majority". politicsresources.net. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  8. "Who nominated who for the 2015 Labour leadership election?". Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  9. Holmes, David (18 April 2017). "Chester Labour MP Chris Matheson says: 'I will win'". Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  10. "Full list of MPs and MEPs backing challenger Owen Smith - LabourList". 21 July 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  11. "Chester MP Chris Matheson resigns from Shadow Cabinet role following mass resignations within Labour party - Dee 106.3". 27 June 2016. Archived from the original on 9 August 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  12. "Labour reveals full shadow housing team - News - Inside Housing". Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  13. Holmes, David (9 June 2017). "Chester MP Chris Matheson celebrates big majority". CheshireLive.
  14. "Chester, City of parliamentary constituency - Election 2019 - BBC News" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  15. Holmes, Dave (8 January 2019). "Chester MP Chris Matheson: Why I support a second vote on EU membership" (Online publication). Chester Chronicle. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  16. Matheson, Chris (7 January 2019). "There is no leftwing justification for Brexit. We must fight it to the last". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  17. Rousseau, Dominique (7 February 2017). "Chris Matheson: 'They are passing around responsibility like a hot a potato.'". Les Coulisses du Foot Business. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Stephen Mosley		 Member of Parliament
for City of Chester
2015–present		 Incumbent
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