James Daly (English politician)

James Daly
Member of Parliament
for Bury North
Assumed office
12 December 2019
Preceded by James Frith
Majority 105 (0.2%)
Personal details
Born
James Barry Daly

19 March 1980
Nationality British
Political party Conservative
Alma mater Edge Hill University
University of Leeds

James Barry Daly (born 19 March 1980) is a British politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bury North since the 2019 general election. He is a member of the Conservative Party.

Early life

Daly studied at Edge Hill University and then the University of Leeds. He practised criminal law as a defence solicitor in Greater Manchester for 16 years before becoming a MP.

Political career

He was the leader of the Conservative Group on Bury Council and until 2019 a councillor for the North Manor ward. Daly stood in neighbouring Bolton North East at the 2015 and 2017 general elections, coming second with 32.8% and 42.2% of the vote respectively. He also stood at the 2015 Oldham West and Royton by-election, finishing third with 2,596 votes (9.4%).

At the 2019 general election, he stood for Bury North, where he won the seat from Labour incumbent James Frith with a majority of 0.2%, representing a swing of 4.7%. With a majority of 105 votes, it is the most marginal seat in England.

He is an advocate of the Down Syndrome Bill, which would recognise people with Down syndrome as a specific minority group.

On 13 June 2022, Daly was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Work and Pensions ministerial team. He resigned from his position on 6 July 2022 following the Chris Pincher scandal, amid the July 2022 United Kingdom government crisis.

In December 2023 he said that most struggling children in his constituency are the "products of crap parents". He later defended his comments, saying that he wanted "to ensure those from most disadvantaged backgrounds have best chance to thrive and succeed".