Charlotte Leslie

Charlotte Leslie (born 11 August 1978) is a British Conservative Party politician who is the current Director of the Conservative Middle East Council. She was the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Bristol North West constituency, losing her seat at the 2017 general election. Early life Born in Liverpool in 1978, Leslie moved to Bristol with her family when she was two. Her father worked as an orthopaedic surgeon at Southmead Hospital in Bristol and the Bristol Royal Infirmary. Her mother is a British triathlon champion for her age group, and in 2013, finished 9th in the World Triathlon Grand Final. Leslie attended Badminton School and Millfield, before studying Classics at Balliol College, Oxford. She graduated in 2001. She used to swim competitively, representing City of Bristol, and made the age-group national finals in the 200 m and 100 m backstroke. Career Whilst at university, and immediately afterwards, Leslie worked as a lifeguard on the beaches of North Cornwall, and then as a swimming coach and gym instructor at Thornbury Leisure Centre and part-time in a local pub. She later worked in television, for the BBC on The Weakest Link and The Holiday Programme, as well as on independent programmes at the BBC and Sky. She has also worked as a part-time tutor in Classics as well as both a governor of Oxford Gardens Primary School in London and Avonmouth Primary School in Bristol. In 2005, she joined the Policy Exchange think tank. Whilst there, she co-authored the report "More Good School Places", which was the first to recommend a "Pupil Premium" of £6000 extra funding for each disadvantaged child in the country's state schools. This policy was later adopted by the Coalition Government in 2010.