Phil Boswell | |
|---|---|
 Boswell in 2016 | |
| Member of Parliament forCoatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill | |
| In office 8 May 2015 – 9 June 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Tom Clarke |
| Succeeded by | Hugh Gaffney |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1963-07-23)23 July 1963 (age 61) Bellshill, Scotland |
| Political party | Scottish National Party |
| Alma mater | |
| Website | Official website |
Philip John Boswell (born 23 July 1963) is aScottish National Party (SNP) politician who served asMember of Parliament (MP) forCoatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill from2015 to2017.
Phil Boswell was born inBellshill, raised inCoatbridge and worked there in the construction Industry and then for a brief time as a policeman inKilmarnock. Boswell then found work internationally in the construction industry before transferring to the oil industry in Qatar, as a quantity surveyor and contracts engineer.[1] He spent over 15 years in the oil and gas industry, with work taking him to Hong Kong, Malaysia, Egypt, USA, Qatar and the Falklands before returning to Scotland with BP in Aberdeen.[2]
He now works in the Asia-Pacific region as specialist Oil & Gas and Construction Contracts Manager, QS and Disputes Resolution expert.[3]
Boswell was elected as MP forCoatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill at the2015 United Kingdom general election.[4]
He was appointed to thePublic Accounts Committee where he served under the Chairmanship ofDame Meg Hillier untildissolution of Parliament in April 2017. Boswell served on allEnergy Bill Committees whilst at Westminster and was Patron of Chris's House, the Suicide Charity based inWishaw,North Lanarkshire.
Boswell's voting record at Westminster shows that he voted for; the removal of hereditary peers, proportional representation and for UK to remain within the EU. He never voted to reduce local Government funding and spoke extensively on Energy as well as being a co-author of the definitive paper onCarbon Capture and Storage in 2016, titled LOWEST COST DECARBONISATION FOR THE UK: THE CRITICAL ROLE OF CCS, researched, prepared and published for the parliamentary advisory group along with other industry experts such as Professor Stuart Haszledine and under the Chairmanship ofLord Oxburgh.
In May 2016 Boswell was part of the SNP delegation that visitedNATO Headquarters in Brussels andSHAPE Headquarters in Mons all paid for by the donor US Mission toNATO.[5]
In December 2015, though perfectly legal, Boswell was criticised for having previously received an £18,000 interest-free loan from US energy companyPhillips 66 while working for them as a contracts manager. Earlier in 2015, Boswell had tabled a motion in the House of Commons, calling for Chancellor George Osborne to close the "Mayfair tax loophole" tax avoidance scheme. An SNP spokesperson stated that Boswell had always declared his interests, and was committed to ending tax avoidance schemes.[6]
In January 2016 it was announced that Boswell would be investigated by theParliamentary Commissioner for Standards over the claim that he did not properly record his directorship of a company (that had long since ceased trading) in the Commons Register of Members' Interests, thus breaching parliamentary procedure.[7] He was registered withCompanies House as the sole director of Boswell and Johnston Ltd.[8] On 30 March 2016 it was reported that this complaint had been upheld, however the Standards Commissioner stated that Mr Boswell had made a "genuine mistake" and that she did not think this was done in an attempt to conceal his financial interests as zero funds were involved.[9]
In May 2016 Boswell's application for a £555 claimed on parliamentary expenses against the costs of promotional videos was rejected, this followed the Independent Parliamentary Standards Association finding that they were not eligible because they did not relate to parliamentary activities.[10]
The SNP and Boswell lost Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill to Labour candidateHugh Gaffney at the2017 United Kingdom general election by 1,586 votes.[4]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forCoatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill 2015–2017 | Succeeded by |
