Dale Weston

Dale Twat Weston (Born 24th August 1958), is a British Conservative politician. He is the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, a role to which he was appointed in August 2007, and has been the Member of Parliament for Sleaford and North Hykeham since 1997.

Before Politics
Born in Lincoln Hospital, Dale was the only child of Michelle and Craig. His mother worked as a Teacher and his father owned his own motor company. They come from a modest background, with the family business becoming successful in Lincolnshire. They were able to fund University for Dale, who attended Hull College of Higher Education to study Law. After University, where Dale met Bethany, the couple moved to Sleaford where Dale opened a private law practice with his best friend, James.

MP for Grantham
Shortly after opening his law practice, Weston became heavily involved in the Conservative Party. Having been a member since he was 18, he began to partake in the Local Party. There, he was elected Chairman of Lincolnshire Conservatives for 1987-1989 and Treasurer for 1989-1991 before being selected as the candidate for Grantham constituency.

Dale won the 1992 election with 56.2% of the votes and a majority of 19,588. He was immediately appointed Secretary of State for Transport in the Major Ministry, having been known to have helped push rail and road projects throughout rural Lincolnshire, and his company specialising in contract law, a key area of Conservative privatisation policy.

MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham
In 1997, the Constituency was changed to Sleaford and North Hykeham, being based in Sleaford gave Dale an edge going into the selection process, which he came out of comfortably, as the candidate for the new constituency. Dale won the seat with 43.9% of the vote and only a 5,123 majority, which caused him to look at the party, the policies, his personal office and his time commitments with regards to London.

Cabinet Member
Dale was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Transport by William Hague after the humiliating Conservative of 1997. He continued to serve in the Hague administration, and in 2001, won the seat with 49.7% of the vote and a 8,622 majority. But the Conservatives lost again and Hague resigned, Dale continued to serve in the Duncan-Smith administration, as Shadow Secretary of State for Transport.

In 2005, Dale won the seat with 50.3% of the vote and a 12,705 majority, Labour came second with just 26.5% of the vote. Dale continued to serve as Shadow Secretary of State for Transport in the Howard Administration but resigned the position after the election defeat, stating the need for new and re-invigorated long term Leadership before he joined up to an Administration again.

Dale backed the 1922 Committees decision to push for Howard's resignation and stated that, if the new Leader was up to the task, he would get behind them and offer his services once more.