Graham Brady facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Lord Brady of Altrincham PC
Official portrait, 2020
Chairman of the 1922 Committee
In office 26 May 2010 – 9 July 2024
Leader	David Cameron Theresa May Boris Johnson Liz Truss Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	Sir Michael Spicer
Succeeded by	Bob Blackman
Shadow portfolios Shadow Minister for Europe In office 15 June 2004 – 3 July 2007 Leader Michael Howard David Cameron Succeeded by Mark Francois Shadow Minister for Education In office 18 September 2001 – 1 July 2003 Leader Iain Duncan Smith Shadow Spokesperson for Work and Pensions In office 1 June 2000 – 1 June 2001
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office 19 August 2024 Life peerage
Member of Parliament for Altrincham and Sale West
In office 1 May 1997 – 30 May 2024
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Connor Rand
Personal details
Born	Graham Stuart Brady (1967-05-20) 20 May 1967 (age 58) Salford, Lancashire, England
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Victoria Lowther ​ (m. 1992)​
Children	2
Alma mater	St Aidan's College, Durham (BA)

Graham Stuart Brady, Baron Brady of Altrincham, born on May 20, 1967, is a British politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Altrincham and Sale West from 1997 to 2024. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the House of Commons, which is part of the UK Parliament.

As a member of the Conservative Party, he was the chairman of the 1922 Committee for many years. This committee is a group of Conservative MPs who are not government ministers. It plays a big role in choosing the party leader.

Graham Brady stepped down as an MP in 2024. He was then appointed to the House of Lords, becoming a "Life Peer." This means he was given a special title and can now sit in the House of Lords for the rest of his life.

Early Life and Education

Graham Brady was born in Salford, Lancashire, England, on May 20, 1967. His father was an accountant, and his mother was a medical secretary. His family later moved to Trafford.

He went to Altrincham Grammar School for Boys. After school, he studied law at the University of Durham, graduating in 1989. While at university, he was very involved in student politics. He led the Conservative Association at Durham University.

Early Career and Public Service

After university, Graham Brady worked as a consultant in public relations. He also worked for the Centre for Policy Studies, a research group. Before becoming an MP, he was a director at the Waterfront Partnership.

Parliamentary Career

Graham Brady was first elected as an MP for Altrincham and Sale West in the 1997 general election. He was the youngest Conservative MP elected that year.

During his time as an MP, he held various roles. He was a "shadow minister," which means he was part of the opposition party's team that would take on government roles if their party won the election. He was a shadow spokesperson for education and later for Europe.

In 2007, he resigned from his shadow minister role. He did this to protest against the Conservative leader's views on grammar schools. He believed that grammar schools helped people from all backgrounds succeed.

Brady at the Conservative Party conference in 2011

He was re-elected as an MP several times, including in 2001, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2017, and 2019. In the 2016 EU referendum, he supported the UK leaving the European Union, known as Brexit.

Official portrait, 2017

Leading the 1922 Committee

Graham Brady became the Chairman of the 1922 Committee in May 2010. This committee is very important for the Conservative Party. It represents all Conservative MPs who are not in the government.

As chairman, he had a key role in the election of new Conservative Party leaders. He oversaw the elections of Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak. All of these leaders also became Prime Minister because the Conservative Party was in power.

In 2019, he briefly stepped aside from his role to consider running for party leader himself, but he decided not to. He returned to his chairman role later that year. His job often involved announcing important results, like leadership elections, which were watched live around the world. In 2022, he became the longest-serving chairman of the 1922 Committee.

Important Votes and Views

Graham Brady has been involved in several important votes and discussions in Parliament.

Brexit and Northern Ireland

In 2019, he proposed an important change to the Brexit plan. His idea was to replace the "Northern Ireland backstop" with other arrangements. The backstop was a plan to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit. His proposal was approved by Parliament.

COVID-19 Lockdowns

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Graham Brady spoke out about the government's lockdown rules. He believed that some rules limited people's freedom too much. He also raised concerns about how lockdowns affected mental health and other health issues. He was part of a group of Conservative MPs who questioned the strict lockdown measures.

Becoming a Peer

After leaving his role as an MP in 2024, Graham Brady was given a life peerage. This means he was given the title of Baron Brady of Altrincham and became a member of the House of Lords. He officially joined the House of Lords on August 19, 2024.

In 2024, he also published a book about his time leading the 1922 Committee.

Personal Life

Graham Brady is married to Victoria Lowther. They met at Durham University and got married in 1992. They have two children, a daughter and a son. They live in both London and Altrincham. His wife works as his senior parliamentary assistant.

Honours and Recognition

Graham Brady has received several honours for his public service.

• In September 2016, he was made a "Freeman of Altrincham" for his work in the community.
• He was made a Knight in 2018, which means he can use the title "Sir."
• In November 2023, he became a member of the Privy Council (PC). This is a group of senior advisors to the King.
• He also became a "freeman of the City of London" in the same month.