I grew up in North Somerset and was educated at my local school, Nailsea Comprehensive.

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In 1982 I went to Brasenose College, Oxford and left with a degree in Geography in 1985. I was the first person in my family to stay on at school beyond the age of 16 and as a result I am passionately committed to ensuring all children receive the best possible education that can be provided. At Oxford I was also awarded two rowing Blues.

After University I worked for Bank of America for three years and then went to Harvard Business School where I received a Masters in Business Administration in 1990. I then had a business career in the United States and Britain working for McKinsey and Company and Credit Suisse and I also started my own small company offering financial advice for women. I moved with my family to Wiltshire in 2000 when I stopped paid work to bring up our (then) small children but remained actively involved in fundraising for local schools, theatres and hospitals. In 2007 I began working for George Osborne until May 2010 when I was elected as the Member of Parliament for the Devizes Constituency with a majority of more than 13,000 and more than 55 per cent of the vote.

Since being first elected in 2010, I have been a member of the Justice Select Committee, represented Britain at the Council of Europe and been the Parliamentary Aide to the Secretary of State for Defence. I also led a Parliamentary Inquiry conducting a review of Online Child Protection, and in December 2012 I was made Special Advisor to the Prime Minister, David Cameron on Preventing the Commercialisation and Sexualisation of Childhood. I became a Government Whip in 2013 and in July 2014 I was appointed by the Prime Minister, David Cameron to become Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department for Transport with responsibility for Railways and I served in this role until July 2016

I was delighted and proud to be re-elected in the May 2015 General Election as the MP for the Devizes Constituency with an increased majority of 20,751 and 57.7% of the vote. From May 3rd Parliament will dissolve for the General Election campaign and I will no longer be an MP. It has been a huge privilege to represent this wonderful place in Westminster for the past seven years and I will be be standing again as the Conservative Candidate for the Devizes Constituency and hope to be re-elected on June 8th. I use this job to fight hard for the whole Community I represent and you can see that I have a strong track record in delivering on my commitments. With your vote on June 8th I can do more to raise the quality of life for all of us in the Devizes Constituency and support Theresa May’s strong and stable national leadership through the Brexit negotiations and beyond.

I live with my three children in the beautiful heart of the Pewsey Vale and in my free time, I enjoy reading, walking and cycling with my family.

Source: https://www.claireperry.org.uk/about-claire