About Andrea Leadsom
Business Career:
Financial Institutions Director of Barclays Bank PLC until 1997. Subsequently Managing Director of a successful hedge fund business, and from 1999 until 2009 Head of Corporate Governance for Invesco Perpetual, one of the UK’s largest retail fund managers.
Parliamentary Experience:
In 2005, Andrea was Conservative candidate for Knowsley South in Merseyside, the 2nd safest Labour seat in England. (Better known as Harold Wilson’s old seat of ‘Huyton’).
Local Council Experience:
A District Councillor in South Oxfordshire, she won her seat in 2003 from the previous Lib Dem Leader of the Council by 11 votes, and the Conservatives took control of the Council at that election.
Voluntary work:
Andrea is passionate about giving children the best start in life. Since 2001 she has been Chairman of OXPIP, the Oxford Parent Infant Project, a charity that provides therapeutic counselling for families who are struggling to cope with their new babies. 
Andrea has been a Special Adviser to the Shadow Children’s Team since 2001.
Political Outlook:
Andrea is a firm supporter of David Cameron. From her business experience, she recognises the importance of dynamic leadership. 
Government should promote entrepreneurs and support the creation of ‘real’ new jobs and apprenticeships. 
Andrea is against big government, believing instead that power should be devolved as far as possible to local communities. Giving Head Teachers responsibility for their schools, Doctors responsibility for their patients, and parents responsibility for their children is the best way to create a successful society.
Tax:
Low progressive taxation is the means to stimulate the economy and hence drive tax revenues higher. 
Andrea believes there should be strong tax incentives for people to save for their retirement, and has worked with the Investment Management Association and the PEP and ISA Managers Association on ideas for a ‘Lifetime Savings Account’.
She was an Advisor to George Osborne’s Tax Reform Commission, focusing on capital taxation reform to create a simpler and fairer tax structure.
Environment:
Britain must take its share of responsibility for the damage being done to the environment.
Government can help by providing incentives for better insulation and by supporting research into renewable energy and lower carbon emission solutions. 
Work/life balance:
Almost certainly the biggest challenge for many families. Choice in child care is critical, and childcare vouchers should be available not just to pay professional child carers, but also to pay grandparents and other relatives who provide up to one third of all child care in Britain.
Marriage is the best foundation for a secure childhood, and therefore the best chance of creating a stable society. Government should stop undermining marriage, and instead support and promote it. Non-working parents should be allowed to transfer their personal tax allowance to a working spouse.
Immigration and border controls:
The first duty of Government is to provide security for its citizens. Labour has failed because it has presided over a massive inflow of immigrants, both legal and illegal, and now has little knowledge of who is actually living in this country.
Government also has a duty to provide the infrastructure for a cohesive society. Labour has failed because it has put in place a high risk policy (not seen in any other major EU country) that allows unrestricted immigration from the EU.  
This policy is now putting untold pressure on local councils to provide services, on local schools to provide for children who do not speak English and on local jobs where competition is fierce as a result of the influx of new workers.
We need to police our own borders and we need to implement an immigration quota that ensures fairness to those wanting to come to Britain as well as those already living here.
Law and Order:
Government must put far greater effort into prevention of crime. Local initiatives should be encouraged, and given funding where they have a good track record. Criminals must be punished and not let off because of overfull prisons.
Longer term prevention initiatives such as provided by OXPIP should be supported and funded via the new Childrens’ Centres. 
Police reform, but above all, cutting out the bureaucracy of the job, is critical. Andrea favours highly visible police presence with ‘calling cards’ of named officers to be handed out by police to local residents.