George Hollingbery entered politics fairly late in life when he became involved in a campaign in 1997 to stop a major supermarket being opened in his home village. The opposition to the scheme, that feared the new store would put local traders out of business, was successful and this whetted his appetite to try and do something to make a difference in his local community. He was elected as a Winchester City Councillor for Alresford and for ten years he undertook a valuable apprenticeship in local politics, while getting a firm grasp of how local government works. Eventually this led to him becoming Deputy Leader of Winchester City Council. In 2010 he was elected as the Member of Parliament for the new constituency of Meon Valley with a majority of 12,125 votes. Since then, his previous local government experience has allowed him to specialise in key policy areas such as planning reform as a member of the Communities & Local Government Select Committee in Parliament.
George also has a particular interest in work and pensions issues and he sat on the Welfare Reform Bill Committee. From September 2012 to March 2015 George was Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Home Secretary Theresa May. In May 2015, George increased his majority in the Meon Valley to 23,913 and he was appointed Senior Whip until July 2016. He then became Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister – a position he retained after the 2017 election.
Prior to politics, George was an entrepreneur specialising in start-up businesses. His greatest success is the Companion Care chain of veterinary surgeries that may be familiar to those who use the Pets at Home pet superstores. He sold the majority of his shareholding in 2002. Married with three children, he is a very keen salt water fly fisherman, loves photography and collects modern crafts. He has a degree from Oxford and a Masters from the Wharton School, at the University of Pennsylvania.
Members – £49.50
Guests – £60.00
George Hollingbery MP Lunch 16.10.17
