Biography
Bill Cash has been a Conservative Member of Parliament since 1984 and has represented the Stone constituency since 1997.
Bill was born in London on 10 May 1940 and grew up in Sheffield. He was educated at Stonyhurst College and Lincoln College, Oxford where he read History. After qualifying as a solicitor in 1967, he practised constitutional and administrative law.
In May 1984, he was elected as MP for Stafford where he remained until he was elected to the newly created constituency of Stone in 1997, being re-elected in 2001 and 2005. He was Shadow Attorney General and Shadow Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs between 2001 to 2003.
The leader of the Maastricht Rebellion during the 1990s, Bill was voted Parliamentary Campaigner of the Year for 1991. He is currently the Chair of the European Scrutiny Committee and Chairman and founder of the European Foundation think tank.
In addition to constitutional and European affairs, Bill takes a strong interest in the developing world. He is Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Sanitation and Water in the Third World, Malaysia, Kenya and Uganda, and Vice-Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Committee for Tanzania.
Bill married Biddy Lee in 1965 and they have two sons, one daughter and three grandchildren. He is a keen cricketer and swimmer and enjoys listening to jazz.
Political biography
Elections:
- 2010 re-elected MP for Stone
- 2005 re-elected MP for Stone
- 2001 re-elected MP for Stone
- 1997 elected MP for Stone
- 1992 re-elected MP for Stafford
- 1987 re-elected MP for Stafford
- 1984 elected MP for Stafford
Parliamentary Committees:
European Scrutiny Committee (formerly Select Committee on European Legislation) 1985 to present
All-Party Parliamentary Kenya Group (Chairman) 1987 to present
All-Party Parliamentary Uganda Group (Chairman) 1988 to present
All-Party Parliamentary Group for Malaysia (Chairman) 2006 to present
All-Party Parliamentary Group on Water and Sanitation in the Third World (Chairman) 2007 to present
All-Party Parliamentary Tanzania Group (Vice-Chairman) 1986 to present
All-Party Group for the Jubilee 2000 Coalition (reduction of Third World debt) (Chairman) 1997 to 2003
Conservative Backbench Committee of European Affairs (Chairman) 1988 to 1991
Conservative MPs’ European Affairs Committee (Chairman) 1989 to 1991
Conservative MPs’ Constitutional Affairs Committee (Secretary / Vice Chairman) 1987 to 1991
Select Committee on Statutory Instruments 1986 to 1991
All-Party Widows and Single Parent Family Group 1985 to 1991
Select Committee on Employment 1989 to 1990
Conservative Small Business Bureau (Vice President) 1986 to 1989
Extra-Parliamentary Activities:
European Foundation (Founder and Chairman) 1993 to present
Parliamentary Friends of Bruges Group (Chairman) 1989 to 1999
Executive Council, Royal Commonwealth Society 1984 to 1986
