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Member of Parliament

Phil Willis M.P.
Harrogate and Knaresborough

The information on these pages has been supplied by the constituency office.

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The Constituency Located: North Yorkshire Electorate: 65,155 (1997) 2001 Result LIB DEM RETAIN (figures in brackets for 1997)		Phil Willis was born in Burnley, Lancashire, on 30 November 1941. He was educated at Burnley Grammar School between 1953 and 1960. He excelled in sport and was a trialist for Burnley FC. He studied History and Music at the City of Leeds and Carnegie College, qualifying as a teacher in 1963. Later in his career he gained a B.Phil. Degree with distinction in 1978. Phil's teaching career was spent mostly in Leeds. His most rewarding period was spent at Primrose Hill High School in the Chapeltown district of Leeds where for seven years he was involved in multi-cultural education and outreach youth work. He became Deputy Headteacher at West Leeds Boys'Grammar School in 1974. In 1978 he became Headteacher of Ormesby School in Middlesbrough where he helped pioneer the integration of children with physical disabilities into mainstream education. In 1983 he returned to Leeds as Headteacher of one of the city's largest comprehensive schools, John Smeaton Community High School. Situated in one of the more deprived areas of Leeds he continued his mission for'inclusive' education. He became involved in pioneering East Leeds Family Learning Centre 'The Family of Schools' which brought together the agencies concerned with developing opportunities for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Phil joined the Liberal Party in 1985 and was elected to Harrogate Borough Council in 1988. In 1990 he became Leader of the Council and following his election to North Yorkshire County Council in 1993 became Deputy Group Leader. His period as leader of Harrogate Borough Council coincided with a rise in Liberal Democrat representation. He is responsible for many of the regeneration initiatives which have made the area one of the top earners in the country. His most notable success was turning the famous Harrogate Conference Centre from a white elephant into a £1m a year success story. As MP, Phil has continued to work hard for Harrogate and Knaresborough, especially on the issues of crime, health and education. As Liberal Democrat Spokesman on Higher Education he was at the forefront of the campaign against the introduction of student fees. He is married to Heather, a schoolteacher and has a son who is a student and a daughter who is an international fashion model.
Liberal Democrats	23,445 (24,558)
Conservative	14,600 (18,322)
Labour	3,101 (4,159)
UKIP	761 (unknown)
PLA	272 (unknown)
Lib Dem Majority    8845 (6,236)
Swing: 4% from Con to Lib Dem
Phil Willis First Elected Harrogate and Knaresborough 1997 Previous Career Headteacher, Council Leader, Youth Worker, Soccer Coach Educated Bumley Grammar School City of Leeds College Binningham University Parliament Vice Chair, All Party University Group Vice Chair, All Party FE Group Notes Leader, Harrogate Borough Council 1990 - 1997 Deputy Leader, Liberal Democrat Group, North Yorkshire County Council 1993 - 1997
Contact Details       Telephone: (01423) 528888   Fax: (01423) 505700 Website: www.philwillis.org.uk email: info@philwillis.org.uk Address: Constituency Office, Ashdown House, 75 Station Parade, Harrogate HG1 1ST