James Wharton

James Stephen Wharton (born 16 February 1984) is a British Conservative Party politician. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for his home constituency of Stockton South since the 2010 general election, having defeated the sitting Labour MP Dari Taylor by 332 votes.

James Wharton grew up in Wolviston, County Durham.

He went to Yarm School and St Peter's School, York followed by Durham University where he studied Law and was a member of the Officers' Training Corps (OTC) (part of the Northumbrian UOTC). Following his graduation from Durham he studied the Legal Practice Course at The College of Law in York and qualified as a solicitor with BHP Law, a firm in the Northeast.

Education Secretary Michael Gove with James Wharton MP and students at Conyers School in Yarm.

From his election in May 2010 to November 2012, Wharton sat on the Public Accounts Committee.

After being elected MP for Stockton South, Wharton made stated his opposition to development occurring in Preston Park. The plans backed by Wharton's predecessor Dari Taylor, included relocating Egglescliffe School to the park. Wharton accused Stockton Borough Council of refusing to listen to the "democratic will of local people."

After a developer withdrew its £750,000 investment to regenerate Thornaby Town Hall, Wharton called for the building to be given back to the Town Council. Originally the building did belong to the Town Council; however due to local government reorganisations, it was taken on by Stockton Borough Council. In 2012 the Town Council purchased the building from the borough council with the hope of enabling the building and the surrounding area to be restored.

Wharton was one of 53 Conservative MPs who voted against the Government in favour of an amendment calling for a cut in the EU budget from 2014. Wharton claimed that his decision was "right for the British people and right for the nation's interests."

Ministerial Career

Wharton was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Minister for Local Growth and the Northern Powerhouse), the first minister dedicated to the government proposal. After Theresa May's appointment as Prime Minister in July 2016, Wharton was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for International Development.

EU Referendum Bill

On 16 May 2013, Wharton came top of a ballot of backbench MPs which entitled him to introduce a Private Member's Bill during the 2013–14 parliamentary session. He chose to address the issue of a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union by attempting to enshrine the Conservative Party Position into law by introducing the European Union (Referendum) Bill 2013-14. He faced criticism from opposition MPs for taking on the EU Referendum Bill as his Private Members Bill and it was suggested by them that the move may have been more advantageous to his political career than of direct benefit to his constituents. Wharton himself had previously suggested that too much time was spent debating the issue of Europe, but has since argued that his Private Member's Bill was designed to put the issue to rest.

After the Bill did not pass the House of Lords, Wharton blamed Labour and Liberal Democrat obstructionism.

Wharton has publicly campaigned for investment in education in his constituency. He brought the Education Secretary to visit on a number of occasions and funding was agreed to refurbish Ian Ramsey and Grangefield schools in Stockton. The Plans for Ian Ramsey School were approved in May 2013.

Wharton welcomed an announcement that over £90m was to be invested in the Tees Valley area by the government in July 2014creating 1,000 jobs and specifically securing funding for road improvements in Ingleby Barwick in his constituency following campaigning by Wharton and local Councillors from Ingleby Barwick Independent Society (IBIS).

Plans for a City Deal for the Tees Valley were announced by Prime Minister David Cameron in a visit with Wharton to (Eaglescliffe) in December 2013. Wharton was the first to call for the City Deal and supported a bid. The City Deal itself was agreed and signed on 16 June 2014at a ceremony which Wharton attended.

Wharton has made a number of visits to Sri Lanka, including as a delegate of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, with the charity International Alert and as a guest of the Sri Lankan Government. Although Wharton's constituency, Stockton South, features no significant Sri Lankan community, nearby Darlington company Cleveland Bridge has significant interests there and secured a £35m order to rebuild bridges across Sri Lanka, securing 100 jobs. Wharton had suggested that his activities in Sri Lanka would encourage bilateral business agreements.