Ian Levy

Ian Levy secured the first dramatic win for the Conservatives in 2019, taking Blyth Valley from the Labour Party for the first time since the seat was established almost 70 years ago, albeit with a slim majority of just 712. Levy is a lifelong resident of the area and can trace back his ancestry there roughly 500 years. Before becoming a parliamentarian, Levy was a healthcare assistant specialising in mental health, but he caused some controversy in December 2019 after incorrectly describing himself as an NHS nurse in a Facebook post. Levy has campaigned on returning passenger rail services to Blyth Valley, a proposal backed by Boris Johnson, and now sits on the environmental audit committee as well as the committee for housing, communities and local government. He was named by The Spectator as ‘newcomer of the year’ in their most recent parliamentarian of the year awards but has since complained of violent threats from some of his own constituents for his opposition to extending the free school meals programme for children during the summer holidays. Levy is an officer on the all-party parliamentary group for ‘left behind’ neighbourhoods.