Robert Halfon
 Robert Halfon     | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | Robert Henry Halfon 1969-03-22 London, United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Highgate School, University of Exeter | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Religion | Judaism | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of | Henry Jackson Society, Transatlantic Institute/Friends of Israel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Party | Conservative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Robert Halfon (born 22 March 1969) is a British Conservative Party politician, who has served as Minister of State for Education since 2016, and as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Harlow since 2010 when he defeated Labour's Bill Rammell. He was re-elected with an increased majority of 8,350 in the 2015 General Election.[1]
On 11 May 2015, David Cameron appointed Halfon Minister without Portfolio (attending Cabinet)[2] and Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party, succeeding Sarah Newton. Halfon was sworn of the Privy Council on 14 May 2015.[3]
On 17 July 2016 the new Prime Minister Theresa May appointed him Minister of State at the Department for Education.
Early life
Halfon was born to a British Jewish family living in Hampstead, London.[4] His grandfather was an Italian Jew, living in Libya until forced to leave in 1968, after which he joined his son who had already moved to England.[5] Halfon was born with a moderate version of spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy, and underwent several major operations as a child, causing osteoarthritis in his early thirties.[6]
Background
Robert Halfon was an adviser to a number of Conservative organisations including Political Director of Conservative Friends of Israel. Halfon has previously worked as Chief of Staff to Oliver Letwin and as a consultant to business. He is also an author having written essays for books and articles on subjects as diverse as Social Justice, Russia, Conservatism, and Corporate Responsibility.
Halfon was a Roydon Parish Councillor and a former Governor of Passmores School. He has fought Harlow twice as Conservative Parliamentary Candidate (in 2001 and 2005). He is a Patron of the Harlow Homeless Centre.
At the 2005 General Election, he lost by just 97 votes after three recounts. Harlow Constituency is now the third most marginal in the country having had a Labour majority of 10,500 in 1997.
Halfon has also stood for Council and was active in Conservative Students when at Exeter University.
Affiliations
References
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