In 2010 Heather Wheeler was elected Member of Parliament for South Derbyshire. Heather has lived in Bretby for the last 22 years with her husband and daughter and is a very hands-on and determined constituency MP.
Background
Heather was brought up in Wandsworth and elected Councillor there at the age of 22. After serving a full council term she married Bob and, with her soon to be born daughter, moved to the area in 1986. In 1995 Heather was elected onto South Derbyshire’s District Council, becoming Leader of the Council in 2007 when the Conservatives won control for the first time ever from Labour. Heather remained Leader until her successful election victory, in which she won 45.5% of the votes in 2010. Heather has continued to be a district councillor for Repton ward, stepping down in May 2011.
Heather is also a qualified Associate of the Charted Insurance Institute and worked for Lloyds Insurance Brokers for ten years between 1977 and 1987.
Heather has 19 years experience in Urban Regeneration Projects. Her special political interests include introducing measures to combat economic and environmental urban decay. She has also been at the forefront of schemes to limit anti-social behavior, especially amongst young people and was instrumental in the opening of a Domestic Abuse Refuge for the East Midlands in South Derbyshire.
In Parliament
In Parliament Heather is a member of the Standards and Privileges Select Committee which oversees the work of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and recommends any changes to the Code of Conduct or to the rules and punishment relating to the conduct of MPs.
Heather is also a member of several All Party Parliamentary Groups including the APPG on Motors, Manufactures and Traders; the Food and Drink Manufacturing Industry; and Insurance and Financial Services; not forgetting the APPG Beer Group. Heather is also chairman of the Local Government APPG and was elected onto the Communities and Local Government Select Committee in April 2011.
Heather is committed to raising the interests of South Derbyshire in Government speaking out over issues such as travellers, gun licensing, opencast mining and also doing everything she can to ensure that South Derbyshire continues to thrive in terms of jobs and that its young people are given the opportunity to be educated to the highest possible standard. Working to bring a new college to South Derbyshire has been one of Heather’s early successes.
By providing a strong voice for South Derbyshire Heather will do all that she can to tackle the issues that are a real concern for us all in South Derbyshire.
