About Dan

Dan Byles: Member of Parliament for North Warwickshire & Bedworth

Former soldier Dan Byles is the MP for North Warwickshire & Bedworth, and stood successfully at the 2010 general election.

Dan comes from an ordinary background, and he believes strongly that we need more ordinary people in Parliament. Not more lawyers and career politicians, but people who have had real jobs and have lived in the real world.

Dan’s parents separated when he was young, leaving Dan and his sister to be brought up for a time by their mother alone. She opened a small shop, and Dan and his sister used to work for their pocket money. Dan was lucky enough to have opportunities that too many still don’t have. He is the first member of his family to stay on at school beyond 16, and the first member of his family to go to university.

After University Dan served in the Army for nine years, initially with the Light Infantry and then as a Medical Support Officer in the Royal Army Medical Corps. He completed operational tours in Kosovo and Bosnia, and served in the MOD during the Iraq invasion. At one point Dan was the youngest serving Major in the British Army at 27.

The Army gave Dan the opportunity to travel and to take part in some unusual expeditions. He is a double Guinness World Record holder, having once crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 101 days in a 23 foot wooden rowing boat with his mother to raise money for charity. Then in April 2007, Dan and his mother were united in adventure once again when they trekked 650km to the Magnetic North Pole. His mum was 62 at the time!

In June 2007 (six weeks after returning from the North Pole), Dan married Prashanthi in an English church wedding. Then in November, they flew to India for a traditional Indian wedding in her family's home city of Hyderabad.

After serving in the Armed Forces for nine years, Dan became increasingly disillusioned with this government. Eventually he felt he had to stand up and do something. He left a promising career in the Army to stand for election, because he was fed up with the mess politicians were making of the country.

Following the expenses scandal, Dan became determined to get into Westminster to bang some heads together.

Dan says: 

“When I served in the Army, I was taught that integrity and moral courage are two of the most important qualities of leadership. We desperately need some integrity and plain speaking in Parliament.

“Labour had their chance, and they failed. They became morally bankrupt, and thanks to Brown the country is financially bankrupt too. His solution to every problem has been to spend more of OUR money and to leave the country groaning with debt.”

You can learn more about Dan’s non-political expeditions from the other half of his website: www.danielbyles.com

You can download Dan's Declaration of Interest by clicking the link below: