Dame Eleanor Laing was first elected as the Conservative MP for Epping Forest in 1997, being reelected in 2019 with a majority of 22,173.
The Epping Forest constituency is found in the south western corner of Essex along the M25 bordering Greater London. It includes the towns of Epping, Waltham Abbey, Loughton, Buckhurst Hill, and Chigwell, itself once the base for the TV series, Birds of a Feather. The seat contains a large number of London commuters at the end of the central line, as well as the actual forest at Epping itself. There is a notable Jewish community in this part of London. This area is safe Conservative territory having been represented by the party continuously since 1950. Some 61% of the electorate backed Leave in the 2016 EU referendum.
Laing currently serves as the Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons. She has sat as a Deputy Speaker since 2013. She came third in the 2019 Speaker election to replace John Bercow.
Laing previously sat in the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland. She was made a Dame in 2018.
Born in Paisley in 1958, Eleanor Laing studied at Edinburgh University. She was the first woman to be elected President of Edinburgh University Union. She practised law in Edinburgh, in the City of London and in industry between 1983 and 1989.
Moving into politics, Laing became Special Adviser to the Rt Hon John MacGregor MP in 1989 when he was Secretary of State for Education and remained his Special Adviser when he was Leader of the House of Commons (1990-92) and Secretary of State for Transport (1992-94).
She is on the free market wing of the Conservative Party, and was a supporter of Brexit in the 2016 EU referendum. In 1998 she co sponsored the plans to reduce the homosexual age of consent to 16, despite opposition from some in the Conservative Parliamentary party at the time.
Laing is known to enjoy the odd game of golf. She supports Rangers Football Club.
Email: eleanor.laing.mp@parliament.uk
Personal Website: http://www.eleanorlaing.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EleanorLaingMP
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Eleanor-Laing/
