Eric Ollerenshaw

Eric Ollerenshaw (born 26 March 1950) is a former Conservative Party politician.

Born in Lancashire, Ollerenshaw became a history teacher and moved to London. In 1986 he was elected to the Inner London Education Authority as one of two representatives of Kensington. This was the only direct election of the authority, which was abolished in 1990. Ollerenshaw was leader of the Conservative froup on ILEA from 1988 until its abolition, and was awarded the OBE.

In 1990 he was elected to Hackney London Borough Council as one of three Conservative councillors representing Springfield Ward. Re-elected in 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006, he was leader of the Conservative group on Hackney council from 1998.

In 2000 the first elections to the London Assembly were held, and Ollerenshaw was elected as a "London-wide" member of the assembly under the "top-up" party list system. He was leader of the Conservative group on the assembly from 2002 until he stepped down at the 2004 election.

Ollerenshaw first attempted to enter parliament at the 1992 general election in the Greater Manchester constituency of Heywood and Middleton. Inn 2007 he was selected as Conservative candidate for the new constituency of Lancaster and Fleetwood. When a generally election was held in May 2010 he won the highly marginal seat. At the next general election in March 2015 he was defeated  by his Labour Party opponent.