Political Career
Collins had significant political experience before his election to Parliament. He acted as Press Secretary to the then Prime Minister John Major, serving in that role during the successful 1992 Election campaign. He was a member of the 10 Downing Street Policy Unit and was a speechwriter to Margaret Thatcher, John Major, William Hague, David Hunt, Michael Howard, Chris Patten, Norman Fowler and Brian Mawhinney.
Collins was awarded a CBE in the Birthday Honours List in 1996, at the age of 32, the award was given 'for political services'.
During his time in Parliament, Collins has served as a Whip and later as a Senior Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party. In this role in the run up to the 2001 election Collins was a senior aide to the then Conservative leader William Hague. Collins supported the focus on tax cuts and opposition to the Euro that characterised that campaign.
After the election the new Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith appointed him to the Shadow Cabinet as Cabinet Office Minister later moving him to Shadow Transport Secretary. When Michael Howard became leader in 2003 he was moved to Shadow Secretary of State for Education. In this post he developed policies to give protection to teachers from violent pupils, to allow successful schools to expand and to stop the closure of schools for children with Special Educational Needs.
At the 2005 General Election he lost his seat to Liberal Democrat Tim Farron. The margin was only 267 votes.
It has been suggested that this was due to a Liberal Democrat "decapitation" strategy which was aimed at senior Conservative candidates.
In 2006 he was reported to be part of the so-called "A-List" of priority parliamentary candidates whom the Conservative leadership most wish to see in Parliament after the next General Election, but the ConservativeHome website has reported that he left the Conservative candidate list in April 2008 and quotes him as saying "I firmly now do not wish to return to the House of Commons".
Read more about this topic: Tim Collins (politician)
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