Member of Parliament for Dudley South
Chris was born in 1978 in Wolverhampton in the Black Country. His mother was born at Rosemary Ednam Maternity Hospital in Dudley and his sister was born in Wordsley hospital. Chris attended Wolverhampton Grammar School and Oxford Brookes University where he gained a degree in politics & modern history and where he joined the Conservative Party. Upon graduation Chris joined his family firm, Keltruck Limited, which is based in the Black Country, where he had previously always worked during holidays and on Saturdays. Three years later he attended the Imperial College Business School where he gained an MBA.
Chris was marketing director of Keltruck between 2006 and 2010. His involvement over many years in his family business - which has a depot on Oak Lane, Kingswinford in the Dudley South constituency - gives him an invaluable insight into the challenges faced by Black Country businesses, not just his family's but the wide cross section of private businesses and public sector organisations with which Keltruck deals.
The Dudley South constituency covers Brierley Hill, Brockmoor, Kingswinford, Netherton, Pensnett, Wall Heath, St. Andrews, Woodside and Wordsley. Being Black Country born and bred, Chris remembers the Merry Hill shopping centre being built in the 1980s on the site of the former Round Oak Steelworks in Brierley Hill by Roy and the late, great Don Richardson. Chris has always used the Merry Hill centre and is proud to know the visionary entrepreneurs behind its creation. Chris views the Merry Hill as a prime example of how free enterprise can regenerate areas and create jobs when the right conditions are created.
Chris's other interests include sport and fitness (swimming, squash, tennis, running and skiing) and travelling. Chris can often be seen swimming lengths at the Crystal and Dudley leisure centres or playing squash at the Dudley and Thorns leisure centres in the Dudley Borough.
Chris is an ambassador for Heropreneurs, a registered charity which enables former military personnel (including injured soldiers) with the right qualities to benefit from the good-will and support of people in the commercial and finance sectors, and to establish themselves as successful entrepreneurs. He is also a member of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme having chosen the RAF scheme.
Chris is the founder Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Family Business.
Chris has three times participated, on a self-funded basis, in Conservative Party international development social action projects including Project Umubano in Rwanda - where he helped to set-up a rural village community centre (complete with gardens and sports pitch) and participated in an education programme to improve the English language skills of teachers of English - and Bosnia where he helped to create a sports pitch for a rural village and arranged for transportation from the UK of pallets of children's toys and education aids for a school.
Chris Kelly's Experience
Chris was selected by Dudley South Conservatives in September 2007 and was subsequently elected as Conservative MP for Dudley South in May 2010 with a 9.51% swing from Labour to the Conservatives and a majority of close to 4,000. He is a member of the House of Commons European Scrutiny (Select) Committee.
Chris has been a member of the Conservative Party since 1996 and, prior to his election to Parliament, held numerous positions in the voluntary party, mainly in the Black Country. After graduating from business school Chris worked for the Rt. Hon. Lord Howard of Lympne QC whilst he was Leader of the Conservative Party up until the leadership election in December 2005. During his time working for Michael Howard, Chris gained an invaluable insight into the work of a dedicated constituency MP, something he now hopes he is emulating for the people of Dudley South.
Whilst studying for an MBA Chris interned, as part of the research team, at the 'no' campaign against Britain joining the euro (the main keep the pound campaign) during the Treasury's assessment of the Government's six economic tests for euro entry.
Chris's political interest and activism dates back to the age of 14 when he wrote his first ever letter in the Express & Star questioning the increase in the price of entry to the council baths!
Campaigning in Dudley South
The town of Dudley lies between Birmingham and Wolverhampton on the western fringe of the West Midlands conurbation. Local people are fiercely proud of Dudley's own distinctive identity and heritage.
The parliamentary seat of Dudley South is situated to the west of Dudley town centre and largely consists of residential suburbs and some rural fringes on the border of glorious South Staffordshire countryside.
The Conservatives are the largest party in the Borough and, under Conservative control, Dudley MBC has been rated a 4 star, excellent authority.
The Conservatives are also the largest political party in Dudley South currently holding eleven of the eighteen council seats and are the only party representing five of the constituency's six wards.
Dudley South is a great place to live and work but was poorly served by its last Labour MP. Chris is putting the Dudley South constituency and the interests of local people first by campaigning on the issues that matter locally, whilst giving a strong voice to Dudley South in Parliament.
