Graham Brady

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Graham Brady (born May 20, 1967) is a British politician and the Conservative Member of Parliament for Altrincham and Sale West.

Graham Brady was born in Salford, Lancashire and was educated at the Altrincham Grammar School and St Aidan's College, University of Durham, and he graduated in Law in 1989. While at Durham he was Chairman of the university's Conservative Association in 1987. He was appointed a consultant in public relations with Shandwick plc in 1989. He joined the Centre for Policy Studies in 1990. He was elected as the Vice Chairman of the Berkshire East Conservative Association in 1992. He was appointed Director of public affairs at the Watership Partnership in 1992, where he remained until elected to Westminster in 1997.

He was selected to contest the Altrincham and Sale West parliamentary constituency following the retirement of the veteran Conservative MP Fergus Montgomery. The 1997 General Election proved to be a close battle, but Graham Brady held on and was elected as the Conservative MP for Altrincham and Sale West with a majority of 1,505. He made his maiden speech on June 2, 1997.

Following his election, Graham Brady became a Member of the Education and Employment Select Committee. He became the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Chairman of the Conservative Party, Michael Ancram in 1999. He was made an Opposition Whip by William Hague in 2000, and later in the year became an Opposition Spokesman on Education and Employment. After the 2001 General Election he was the Opposition Spokesman on Education and Skills under both Hague and Iain Duncan Smith. He became the PPS to the Leader of the Opposition, Michael Howard in 2003, and since 2004 has been an Opposition Spokesman on Foreign Affairs and is the Shadow Europe Minister.

Graham Brady married in 1992 and they have a son and a daughter. He is the only Conservative MP in Greater Manchester and was the youngest Conservative elected in 1997.