Robert Goodwill

Political career[edit]

Goodwill is a member of the Conservative Party and contested his first constituency, Redcar, at the 1992 general election, where he finished second, 11,577 votes behind the sitting Labour MP, Mo Mowlam. He unsuccessfully contested Cleveland and Richmond in the 1994 European election. He again attempted to enter the House of Commons at the 1997 general election when he was selected for the marginally held Conservative seat of North West Leicestershire following the deselection of the sitting MP David Ashby. Goodwill was defeated by Labour's David Taylor by 13,219 votes. In 1998, he contested the Yorkshire South European Parliament by-election, but was again defeated.


He was elected as a Member of the European Parliament at the 1999 European Parliament election for the Yorkshire and the Humber region, serving in Brussels and Strasbourg until the 2004 European Parliament election. He was deputy leader of the Conservative MEPs during his term, and also opposed the Conservative Party's membership of the European People's Party in the European Parliament.^[6]


From 1999 to 2004, he was a member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health, and Consumer Policy, and from 2001 to 2004 was a member of the Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities.^[7]


In September 2001, he participated in the European Parliament Observer Mission on the Presidential Election in Belarus.^[8] In 2003, Goodwill criticised the Council of the European Union's proposal to ban smoky bacon flavoured crisps, calling it "over the top" and "disproportionate to the possible risks."^[9] During the 2004 European Parliament election campaign, The Guardian classed Goodwill as "pro-war" as a result of his supporting a motion in the European Parliament that said the Iraq War was inevitable and the result of Saddam Hussein's actions.^[10]


In the 2005 general election, Goodwill stood in the constituency of Scarborough and Whitby, winning the seat from Labour incumbent Lawrie Quinn by 1,245 votes. He made his maiden speech on 6 June 2005.


In August 2005, Goodwill co-authored a letter to The Spectator with five other newly elected Conservative MPs, criticising the "decadent" nature of British society.^[11] In the 2005 Conservative Party leadership election, Goodwill supported Liam Fox's candidacy, declaring his support on 14 October 2005.^[12][13]


After spending 18 months as a member of the Transport Select Committee, he was appointed an Opposition Whip by David Cameron in 2006 and promoted to the post of Shadow Roads Minister in the Transport team in 2007. He was re-elected with an increased majority of 8,130 at the 2010 general election and appointed to the government as a Whip with responsibility for Treasury and DEFRA business. Goodwill is secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Flag Group.^[14]


In the October 2013 ministerial reshuffle, he became Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, replacing Norman Baker.^[15] Goodwill was given responsibility for aviation policy^[16] Goodwill had previously established himself as a strong opponent of a third runway at Heathrow, inviting Greenpeace members to plant a tree in his constituency as a gesture of "solidarity" with opponents of Heathrow expansion.^[16] Goodwill was re-appointed to his position as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport following the 2015 general election and the election of a Conservative majority government. He was the minister responsible for cycling, aviation, road safety, walking and High Speed 2.^[17] He was promoted to Minister of State at the Department of Transport in December 2015.


In January 2016, the Labour Party unsuccessfully proposed an amendment in Parliament that would have required private landlords to make their homes "fit for human habitation.". According to Parliament's register of interests, Goodwill was one of 72 Conservative MPs who voted against the amendment who personally derived an income from renting out property. The Conservative Government had responded to the amendment that they believed homes should be fit for human habitation but did not want to pass the new law that would explicitly require it.^[18]


In the 2016 European Union membership referendum, in which the UK voted to 'Leave' the EU by 52% to 48%, Goodwill supported a 'Remain' vote^[3] despite stating on his own website he was a "staunch Eurosceptic".^[2]


In the Conservative Party leadership election following David Cameron's resignation as Prime Minister, Goodwill supported Liam Fox's candidacy, acting as his proposer (Fox was eliminated in the first round of voting). The eventual winner, Theresa May, moved Goodwill to the Home Office, where he assumed the role of Minister of State for Immigration.^[19] In the cabinet reshuffle following the 2017 general election, Goodwill was appointed as education minister (Goodwill was succeeded by policing Minister Brandon Lewis).


Goodwill was dismissed from the post of Children's Minister on 9 January 2018.^[20]


Goodwill joined the Environmental Audit Select Committee on 22 January 2018 and the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee on 5 March 2018. He remained on these two committees until he rejoined the government in March 2019, when he became Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries, & Food, replacing George Eustice who had resigned over Brexit.


In the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election, Goodwill supported Jeremy Hunt's candidacy.^[21] On 25 July 2019, he was dismissed from his role as Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries & Food by newly elected Prime Minister Boris Johnson and replaced by George Eustice.^[22]


In the 2019 general election, Goodwill was reelected with a majority of 10,270.^[23]


In 2021, he considered challenging Graham Brady for the chairmanship of the 1922 Committee but eventually withdrew from the race, backing the only opposing candidate Heather Wheeler.^[24][25]


In May 2022, Goodwill was elected as chairman of the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs Select Committee.^[26] He is a member of Conservative Friends of the Countryside, a right-wing group that advocates for the use of neonicotinoid pesticides (which have been banned in the EU as they are lethal to bees), opposes the re-introduction of wild beavers to the UK, supports the burning of peatland (which can have adverse environmental effects) and opposes a ban on imports of endangered animals killed for trophy hunting.^[27]


He announced in April 2023 that he would retire at the 2024 general election.^[28]