Editing Nicholas Soames (section)

==Parliamentary career==
Soames was elected as the MP for [[Crawley (UK Parliament constituency)|Crawley]] at the [[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983 general election]]. He sat for Crawley until the [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997 general election]] (when [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] defeated the Conservatives in Crawley). In the 1997 election, he retained the constituency of [[Mid Sussex (UK Parliament constituency)|Mid Sussex]] for the Conservatives after [[Tim Renton]] stood down at the election, and Soames remained the seat's MP from then until Parliament was dissolved in November 2019.

He served as a [[Parliamentary secretary]] at the [[Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food]] between 1992 and 1994, as [[Minister of State for the Armed Forces]] at the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] under Prime Minister [[John Major]] between 1994 and 1997, and later as the [[Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (UK)|Shadow]] [[Secretary of State for Defence]] from 2003 to 2005.

In 2002 he was appointed to the parliamentary committee considering the future [[Hunting Act 2004]] that banned hunting with dogs, a policy which he opposed.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Hunt Bill fight for MP |url=https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/6745834.Hunt_Bill_fight_for_MP/?ref=arc |work=The Argus |date=20 December 2002 |access-date=31 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Hunting Bill Speeches – Nicholas Soames|url=https://www.theyworkforyou.com/search/?q=hunting+bill&pid=10555|access-date=31 October 2018}}</ref>

On 9 May 2005, shortly after [[Michael Howard]] announced his intention to resign as leader of the Conservative Party, Soames resigned from the shadow cabinet.{{cn|date=January 2021}}

With [[Frank Field, Baron Field of Birkenhead|Frank Field]] he is a co-chairman of the Cross-Party Group on Balanced Migration,<ref>{{cite web|title=Balanced Migration: About Us |url=http://www.balancedmigration.org/about-us/ |website=balancedmigration.org |access-date=31 October 2018}}</ref> and has advocated in parliament<ref>{{cite web|title=Immigration Speeches – Nicholas Soames|url=https://www.theyworkforyou.com/search/?q=immigration&section=debates&pid=10555#n4 |website=theyworkforyou.com|access-date=31 October 2018}}</ref> and in the media that immigration to and emigration from the UK should be brought into balance.<ref>{{cite web|title='This open-door immigration policy can't go on' – Sir Nicholas Soames and Frank Field in The Telegraph |url=http://www.balancedmigration.org/2016/01/this-open-door-immigration-policy-cant-go-on-sir-nicholas-soames-and-frank-field-in-the-telegraph/|website=balancedmigration.org |date=25 January 2016 |access-date=31 October 2018}}</ref> In parliament he has also spoken in favour of the introduction of a national [[identity card]] scheme<ref name=nsoamesidcard1>{{cite web|title=Identity Card Speeches – Nicholas Soames|url=https://www.theyworkforyou.com/search/?q=identity+card&section=debates&pid=10555#n4|access-date=31 October 2018}}</ref> and advocated them in the national media.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/12041463/ID-cards-are-a-good-idea-and-now-is-the-time-to-talk-about-them.html|title=ID cards are a good idea – and now is the time to talk about them|work=The Telegraph |location= London |date=10 Dec 2015 |access-date=30 October 2018}}</ref>

[[File:Unveiling.Winged.Lion.Prague.2014.pic2.jpg|thumb|Soames with former [[Non-British personnel in the RAF during the Battle of Britain|Czechoslovak RAF members]] in [[Prague]], Czech Republic, June 2014]]

Soames was opposed to [[Brexit]] prior to the [[2016 EU membership referendum]].<ref name="thespectatorwhichtorympsbackbrexit">{{cite news |last1=Goodenough |first1=Tom |title=Which Tory MPs back Brexit, who doesn't and who is still on the fence? |url=http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2016/02/which-tory-mps-back-brexit-who-doesnt-and-who-is-still-on-the-fence/ |access-date=11 October 2016 |work=The Spectator |location=London |date=16 February 2016 |archive-date=3 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203120144/http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2016/02/which-tory-mps-back-brexit-who-doesnt-and-who-is-still-on-the-fence/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In an interview before the referendum he described himself as a [[One Nation Tory]] on the soft right of the party, and compared Brexiteers to 'a growling Alsatian that must be kicked really hard in the balls'.<ref>{{cite web |title=Interview: Nicholas Soames compares Brexiteers to an Alsatian that must be kicked "really hard in the balls" |url=https://www.conservativehome.com/highlights/2016/03/interview-nicholas-soames-compares-brexiteers-to-an-alsatian-that-must-be-kicked-really-hard-in-the-balls.html |website=conservativehome.com |date=March 22, 2016 |access-date=31 October 2018}}</ref>

In April 2019, Soames condemned the United States for [[United States recognition of the Golan Heights as part of Israel|recognizing]] Israel's 1981 [[Golan Heights Law|annexation]] of the [[Golan Heights]]. Soames said it was "a matter of the greatest regret that our allies, the United States, are in clear contravention of [[UN Resolution 497]]", adding that "annexation of territory is prohibited under international law."<ref>{{cite news |title=Jeremy Hunt condemns Trump's recognition of Golan Heights as Israeli |url=https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/jeremy-hunt-condemns-trumps-recognition-of-golan-heights-as-israeli/ |work=Jewish News Reporter |date=2 April 2019}}</ref>

Soames endorsed [[Rory Stewart]] during the [[2019 Conservative Party leadership election|2019 Conservative leadership election]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Soames |first1=Nicholas |title=Nicholas Soames MP: Only Rory Stewart can sort Brexit, unite our Party and restore Britain to a position of respect in the world |url=https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/political-parties/conservative-party/opinion/house-commons/104454/nicholas-soames-mp-only |access-date=17 June 2019 |work=[[PoliticsHome]] |date=10 June 2019}}</ref>

===Allegations of sexism===

According to the book ''Women in Parliament'' published in 2005, Soames has been named as the most prolific source of vulgar and sexist comments in the Houses of Parliament, with several female MPs stating that he has made vulgar comments to them. Soames regarded the claims as 'nonsense'. <ref>{{cite web |last1=Tweedie |first1=Neil |title=Female MPs round on 'sexist' Soames |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1497730/Female-MPs-round-on-sexist-Soames.html |website=The Telegraph |date=6 September 2005 |publisher=Telegraph Media Group |access-date=19 June 2020}}</ref> [[Barbara Follett (politician)|Barbara Follett]] said in 2007 that Soames was the worst of the sexist MPs in parliament.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cooke |first=Rachel |url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,2062612,00.html |title=Oh babe, just look at us now |work=[[The Observer]] |location=London |date=23 April 2007 |access-date=17 January 2012}}</ref>

On 31 January 2017, Soames made 'woofing' noises at [[Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh]] when she was asking the foreign secretary, [[Boris Johnson]], a question in the House of Commons. Ahmed-Sheikh called a [[point of order]] to bring the [[Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)|speaker]]'s attention to the noises.<ref name="BBC woof">{{cite web |title=Tory MP Soames sorry for 'woofing' at Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38801422 |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=31 January 2017 |date=31 January 2017}}</ref> [[John Bercow]], the speaker, described the noises as "discourteous and that expression should not be used", and Soames was asked to apologise.<ref name="huff woof">{{cite web |last1=Gill |first1=Martha |title=Nicholas Soames Says He Made 'Woof Woof' Noises At Female MP As 'Friendly Canine Salute' |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/nicholas-soames-says-he-made-woof-woof-noises-at-female-mp-as-friendly-canine-salute_uk_588f8226e4b03ab749dd65f6 |website=Huffington Post UK |access-date=31 January 2017 |date=31 January 2017}}</ref> He did so, saying he was only offering her a "friendly canine salute" in reply to her "snapped" question.<ref name="BBC woof" />

===Removal and restoration of whip===
{{Main|2019 suspension of rebel Conservative MPs}}
On 3 September 2019, Soames joined 20 other rebel Conservative MPs to vote against the Conservative government of [[Boris Johnson]] and pass a motion allowing backbenchers to take control of the House of Commons timetable in order to pass a bill to stop a [[No-deal Brexit|no-deal exit]] from the EU without parliamentary approval. Effectively, they helped block Johnson's Brexit plan from proceeding on 31 October.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/09/04/parliament-whip-removed/ |title=Boris Johnson to strip 21 Tory MPs of the Tory whip in parliamentary bloodbath |first=Anna |last=Mikhailova|date=4 September 2019 |access-date=9 September 2019 |via=www.telegraph.co.uk |newspaper=The Telegraph}}</ref> Subsequently, all 21 were advised that they had lost the Conservative whip,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-49578000 |title=What is removing the whip, filibustering and other Brexit jargon? |website=BBC Newsbeat |date=4 September 2019 |access-date=4 September 2019}}</ref> expelling them as Conservative MPs, requiring them to sit as independents.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.parliament.uk/about/mps-and-lords/principal/whips/ |title=Whips |website=Parliament.uk |access-date=4 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/03/boris-johnson-suffers-commons-defeat-as-tories-turn-against-him|title=Boris Johnson to seek election after rebel Tories deliver Commons defeat|access-date=4 September 2019}}</ref> If Soames had decided to stand for re-election in a future election, the party would have blocked his selection as a Conservative candidate.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/09/04/parliament-whip-removed/ The Daily Telegraph] Boris Johnson to strip 21 Tory MPs of the Tory whip in parliamentary bloodbath</ref>

Soames announced that he would not be standing in the [[2019 United Kingdom general election|2019 general election]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-politics-49574291/brexit-winston-churchill-s-grandson-to-have-whip-removed |title=Churchill's grandson to have whip removed |work=BBC News}}</ref> On 29 October, [[Boris Johnson]] restored the whip for him and 9 other MPs.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-50228946 |title=PM readmits 10 Brexit rebels to Tory party |date=29 October 2019 |work=BBC News |access-date=29 October 2019}}</ref>