Andrew Griffiths (politician)
A Conservative MP whose political career ended when his wife won his parliamentary seat after a scandal.
Born 1970 (age 56)·British politician·Birthday: October 19·Generation X
Biography
Andrew Griffiths entered Parliament in 2010 as the Conservative member for Burton, a role he held for nearly a decade. His time in Westminster was marked by a focus on business and industry, reflecting his constituency's brewing heritage. His political trajectory took a dramatic and personal turn in 2018 when he resigned as a minister following a scandal involving inappropriate messages. The ultimate twist came in the 2019 general election, where he lost his seat not to an opposition candidate, but to his estranged wife, Kate Griffiths, who stood for the Conservatives in the same constituency. This succession created a unique footnote in British political history, closing his chapter in Parliament with a deeply personal and public conclusion.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Andrew was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andrew Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Andrew's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the Member of Parliament for Burton from 2010 to 2019.
- Appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Small Business in 2018.
- His former constituency was subsequently won by his estranged wife, a rare occurrence in UK politics.
Did You Know?
He was succeeded as MP for Burton by his then-estranged wife, Kate Griffiths.
He resigned as a government minister after a scandal involving sending explicit text messages.
Prior to politics, he worked as a public relations consultant.
“A strong local economy is built on the success of its businesses, not just the promises of politicians.”
