Lena Davis, of the Caring & Sharing Trust, opens her address book to tell us why she is friends with Brian Binley
Writing about Brian Binley without the letters ‘MP’ attached seems really odd. If ever there was a man born to serve it is my friend Brian.
Born and bred in Northamptonshire, Brian became a Young Conservative when he was 17 and a qualified Conservative Agent in 1966. From joining Central Office as a Young Conservative Organiser he was eventually elected to serve the Hackleton Division as a Councillor on Northants County Council in 1977. He went on to hold many important roles within the County Council until he resigned in 2009 due to calls on his time as a
Member of Parliament, having been elected for Northampton South in May 2005.
He was re-elected again in 2010 until he resigned from the House in 2015 due to health problems. Just to keep his feet on the ground, Brian created the BCC Marketing Services company in 1989 and is still its non-executive Chairman. This company now employs 180 people in Northamptonshire.
Despite all the many calls on his time Brian still found the opportunity to marry and divorce three times! Both his adult sons help to run BCC, leaving him plenty of time, now his health issues are resolved, to devote himself once more to serving the people of Northamptonshire.
Yes, Brian Binley is a clever man but, more importantly, he is a nice man. At a time when so many politicians are viewed with cynicism and suspicion, Brian has always been here for the people of Northampton. Since he launched the Northampton Alive project regeneration scheme in 2012, the town has enjoyed the new train station, and is developing the Waterside university campus and the new county council headquarters.
The Northampton Enterprise Zone alone has created more than a thousand jobs.
Brian is honest, forthright and outspoken. Of Parliament he says: “I loved the job and the committees on which I served but I simply couldn’t get on with the Posh Boys!”
Would he have liked to serve under the Vicar’s daughter? He is emphatic that he would find this as much a delight as it would have been to have served under the Grocer’s daughter!
Brian is a devoted fan and shareholder of Northampton Town FC, a member of Wellingborough Golf Club, a Freemason and a long-serving Patron and supporter of the Caring & Sharing Trust. I am proud to call him my friend.
