Giles Watling
Giles Watling | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2019 | |
| Member of Parliament for Clacton | |
| In office 8 June 2017 – 30 May 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Douglas Carswell |
| Succeeded by | Nigel Farage |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Giles Francis Watling[1][2] 18 February 1953[1] Chingford, Essex, England[1] |
| Party | Conservative[3] |
| Spouse |
Vanda Brinkworth (m. 1979) |
| Parent |
|
| Relatives | Deborah Watling (sister) Dilys Watling (maternal half-sister) |
| Education | Forest School, Walthamstow |
| Occupation |
|
Giles Francis Watling (born 18 February 1953)[1] is a British actor and Conservative politician, who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Clacton from 2017[4] until 2024, losing his seat to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. He previously stood for the seat in its by-election in 2014, losing to former Conservative turned UKIP member Douglas Carswell. Prior to entering politics he was an actor, appearing in British theatre and television productions, including portraying the vicar Oswald in Carla Lane's sitcom Bread from 1988 to 1991.
Early life and education
[edit]Giles Watling was born on 18 February 1953 in Chingford, London.[1] His parents Patricia Hicks and Jack Watling were actors. Watling was privately educated at Forest School, Walthamstow.[1]
Acting career
[edit]Watling has worked extensively in British theatre and on television, and is probably best known for his portrayal of the vicar Oswald in Carla Lane's series Bread.[5] He has also directed several UK touring theatre productions, and took on the role of Bob in the UK tour of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in 2013. Watling serves on the board of directors of the Royal Theatrical Fund, a charity which aids those who have professionally practised or contributed to the theatrical arts.[6]
Political career
[edit]Tendring District Councillor
[edit]Watling served as a Conservative councillor for Frinton ward on Tendring District Council from the 2007 election until 2016.[7]
Member of Parliament
[edit]On 10 September 2014 Watling was shortlisted in the Conservatives' open primary at Clacton to select the party's candidate for the Clacton by-election and was adopted following a public meeting on 11 September 2014.[5][8][9] At the by-election, Watling came second with 24.6% of the vote behind the incumbent UK Independence Party (UKIP) MP Douglas Carswell, who previously served as a Conservative but left that party and joined UKIP earlier in 2014.[10]
At the 2015 general election, Watling again contested Clacton as the Conservative candidate, coming second behind Douglas Carswell, who won 44.4% of the vote.[11][12]
Watling was elected to Parliament as MP for Clacton at the snap 2017 general election, at which Carswell chose to retire, with 61.2% of the vote and a majority of 15,828.[13][14][15] He was returned as MP for Clacton at the 2019 general election with an increased vote share of 72.3% and an increased majority of 24,702.[16]
Following an interim report on the connections between colonialism and properties now in the care of the National Trust, including links with historic slavery, Watling was among the signatories of a letter to The Daily Telegraph in November 2020 by the Common Sense Group of Conservative parliamentarians, which accused the National Trust of being "coloured by cultural Marxist dogma, colloquially known as the 'woke agenda'".[17]
Watling lost his seat in the 2024 general election to Reform UK candidate and leader Nigel Farage.
Post-parliamentary career
[edit]Following his defeat at the 2024 UK General Election, Walting told PoliticsHome that he would "retire from politics" and suggested he might "go back to showbiz", but in the meantime he would "take it easy, do a bit of gardening, and get to know my wife properly again".[18]
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Gideon's Way | Malcolm Gideon | 8 episodes |
| 1974 | Upstairs, Downstairs | 2nd Lt. James Marriott | 1 episode |
| 1978 | You're Only Young Twice | PC Henry | 1 episode |
| 1979 | The Human Factor | Colin | |
| 1979–1980 | How's Your Father? | Martin Matthews | 13 episodes |
| 1980 | Keep It in the Family | Young man | 1 episode |
| 1984 | No Place Like Home | Maurice | 1 episode |
| 1988–1991 | Bread | Oswald | 49 episodes |
| 1992 | 'Allo 'Allo! | Major Twistleton-Smythe | 1 episode |
| 1997 | Melissa | Gangster at Airport | 1 episode |
| 1999 | Grange Hill | Mr. Radcliffe | 1 episode |
| 2001 | The Tutankhamun Conspiracy | Howard Carter | TV movie |
| 2012 | Run for Your Wife | Man in pub |
Personal life
[edit]Watling is the younger brother of the actress Deborah Watling and younger half-brother of actress Dilys Watling.
Watling married Vanda Brinkworth in 1979.[1]
Watling is a member of the Garrick Club, Frinton Cricket Club, Walton and Frinton Yacht Club and Frinton War Memorial Club.[1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Anon (2017). "Watling, Giles Francis". Who's Who (online Oxford University Press ed.). Oxford: A & C Black. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U289481. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ↑ "No. 61961". The London Gazette. 19 June 2017. p. 11782.
- ↑ Mason, Rowena (11 September 2014). "Conservatives select former 1980s television star to fight Ukip in Clacton". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
- ↑ "Giles Watling – Search UK Parliament". beta.parliament.uk.
- 1 2 "Two Conservative councillors to fight Clacton primary". BBC News. 10 September 2014.
- ↑ Anon (2014). "Clacton: Bread's Giles Watling to stand for Conservatives". bbc.co.uk. BBC News.
- ↑ "Councillor Watling G F". Tendring District Council. 3 May 2007. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
- ↑ James Dwan (10 September 2014). "TORY 'open primary' candidates for Clacton by-election are Frinton actor Giles Watling and Colchester councillor Sue Lissimore". Clacton & Frinton Gazette. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
- ↑ "Two candidates shortlisted for the Clacton by-election". Conservativehome.com. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
- ↑ Lodge, Will (16 September 2014). "Clacton: Carswell strolls to victory for UKIP at Clacton by-election". East Anglian Daily Times. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
- ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ↑ "Clacton: Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. 2019. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
- ↑ "Statement of Persons Nominated – Clacton Constituency" (PDF). Tendring District Council. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
- ↑ "Knife death mother in MP election bid for Clacton". BBC News. 21 April 2017 – via bbc.com.
- ↑ "Norfolk North and Penistone & Stocksbridge choose their candidates. Latest selection news. – Conservative Home". 2 May 2017.
- ↑ "Clacton Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
- ↑ "Britain's heroes". Letter to The Daily Telegraph. 9 November 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
{{cite press release}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ↑ Crowther, Zoe (6 July 2025). "One Year After The General Election: Where Are Former MPs Now?". PoliticsHome. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
External links
[edit]
- Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
- Voting record at Public Whip
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
- Profile on OpenSanctions, an open database of sanctions and persons of interest
- 1953 births
- Living people
- People from Chingford
- People from Loughton
- English male stage actors
- 20th-century English male actors
- 21st-century English male actors
- English male television actors
- Male actors from London
- Conservative Party (UK) councillors
- Councillors in Essex
- British actor-politicians
- UK councillors 2007–2011
- UK MPs 2017–2019
- UK MPs 2019–2024
- People educated at Forest School, Walthamstow
- Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
- Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Clacton
- Watling family
