About Charles Hendry MP
Charles Hendry has been Member of Parliament for Wealden since 2001. He is currently Shadow Business and Enterprise Minister for Energy, Industry and Postal Affairs. Before this, Charles was the Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party (2003-05) and Shadow Minister for Young People (2002-05) and Shadow Minister for Industry and Enterprise (May – December 2005).
From 1992-97, Charles was Member of Parliament for High Peak, Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Party (1995-1997) and Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Homelessness (1992-1996). Following the 1997 General Election, Charles was appointed Chief of Staff to the Rt Hon William Hague during his leadership of the Conservative Party, before establishing and leading the Business Liaison Unit at Conservative Party headquarters.
Charles’ business career has mostly been spent in Public Relations, working with the international communications groups Ogilvy & Mather PR and Burson-Marsteller. He was Special Adviser to the Rt Hon John Moore MP as Secretary of State for Social Services (1988) and to the Rt Hon Tony Newton MP as Minister of State for Trade & Industry and then Secretary of State for Social Security (1988-90). He was Founder/Chairman/Chief Executive of The Agenda Group (1999-2005), a specialist consultancy helping company Chairmen and Chief Executives with their corporate networking.
Charles has a wide range of political interests including trade and industry, youth policy, rural affairs and agriculture. Charles is a patron of the UK Youth Parliament which aims to involve young people in the political process from an early age to encourage interest in the subject. He is a Patron of the Big Issue Foundation, which helps homeless people.
Charles was born and brought up in Sussex. He attended Rugby School from 1972-1976 before going on to study for a degree in Business Studies at Edinburgh University from 1977-1981. He is a keen tennis player and skier and has an interest in opera, rugby and overseas travel.