Nickie Aiken | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2019 | |
| Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party Board | |
| In office 23 September 2023 – 30 May 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament forCities of London and Westminster | |
| In office 12 December 2019 – 30 May 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Mark Field |
| Succeeded by | Rachel Blake |
| Leader ofWestminster City Council | |
| In office 25 January 2017 – 22 January 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Philippa Roe, Baroness Couttie |
| Succeeded by | Rachael Robathan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Nicola Jane Durbin (1969-02-04)4 February 1969 (age 56) Cardiff, Wales |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence(s) | Pimlico, London, England |
| Alma mater | University of Exeter |
| Website | nickieaiken |
Nicola Jane Aiken (néeDurbin; born 4 February 1969)[1][2][3] is a BritishConservative Party politician who served as theMember of Parliament (MP) forCities of London and Westminster from2019 to2024. She was the leader ofWestminster City Council from 2017 to 2020.[4]
In February 2024, Aiken announced that she would not seek re-election at the2024 general election.[5]
Born inCardiff, Wales, Aiken is the daughter of John and Pamela Durbin.[2][6] Aiken was educated atRadyr Comprehensive School, and theUniversity of Exeter, from where she graduated with a BA in Sociology in 1991.[2]
Aiken first moved toLondon in 1997,[7] and from 2001 to 2009 was head ofpublic relations atBradford & Bingley plc.[2]
In2006, she was elected as aConservative councillor forWestminster City Council, representing Warwick ward, asafe seat covering an area inPimlico.[8] She remained a councillor until she stood down at the2022 election.[9][10][11] Aiken held various positions on the Council, including being the Cabinet Member for Children's Services and Public Protection & Licensing, as well as being the leader of the Council from January 2017 to January 2020.[12][13]
From 2015 to 2018, Aiken was a board member of theChildren and Family Court Advisory and Support Service. She was also a trustee of the board ofThe Royal Parks (2017–20).[2]
Aiken voted to remain in theEuropean Union in the2016 referendum.[14] She later supported Prime MinisterBoris Johnson'sBrexitwithdrawal deal in Parliament,[15] and voted in favour of theInternal Market Bill in 2020.[16]
She was selected as the Conservative Party's candidate for theCentral London seat ofCities of London and Westminster to fight the2019 general election. In early December 2019, Aiken leftTwitter, calling it "toxic".[17] She has since returned to Twitter.[18]
Aiken was elected at that election with 39.9% of the vote and a majority of 3,953.[19]
In Parliament, she was a member of theWomen and Equalities Committee until September 2020. She was appointed vice chairman of the Conservative Party in October 2020, with responsibility for women. Aiken also sits on the UK Delegation forthe Council of Europe and is a Member of theHouse of Commons Commission.
Aiken has pushed for legislation on child safety.[20] She has urged the Tories to increase assistance for private renters.[21] In June 2021, she joined the Monken Hadley Common Bill Unopposed Bill Committee.[22]
Outside of politics, Aiken is a company director at Sprucespace Property Management. She has worked for thePublic Relations and Communications Association in media relations and crisis communications.[23][24]
Aiken has lived in Pimlico for over twenty years, and before that in theBarbican.[7][14] She lists her recreations as walking, pilates and reading.[2]
She married Alexander Stuart Aiken in 2000. Since 2013, he has been executive director of government communications at theCabinet Office for theUK Government. He resigned from the role of a Government Communicator in February 2024 to work as a communications adviser for the UАЕ.[25] From 2000 to 2012, he was director of communications and strategy forWestminster City Council, whilst his wife was a councillor there. Before that, he worked for the Conservative Party as head of its campaigns unit and its press office.[26] The couple have a daughter and a son.[2]
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| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forCities of London and Westminster 2019–2024 | Succeeded by |
