Sir Roger James Gale (born 20 August 1943) is a British Conservative Party politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Herne Bay and Sandwich, previously North Thanet, since 1983. He had a career in journalism and broadcasting from 1964, around the same time as he joined the Conservative Party, until 1983.
He was a prominent and vocal critic of Boris Johnson during his leadership of the Conservative Party.
Gale was again re-elected at the 1997 general election, with a decreased vote share of 44.1% and a decreased majority of 2,766.[10] He was again re-elected at the 2001 general election, with an increased vote share of 50.3% and an increased majority of 6,650.[11]
Gale was again re-elected at the 2005 general election, with a decreased vote share of 49.6% and an increased majority of 7,634.[12]
In July 2008, Gale said that capital punishment was a solution to fatal knife stabbings.[13]
At the 2010 general election, Gale was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 52.7% and an increased majority of 13,528.[14][15]
Gale strongly opposed Conservative prime minister David Cameron's introduction of same-sex marriage, stating in the House of Commons: "Marriage is the union between a man and a woman. It is Alice in Wonderland territory, Orwellian almost, for any government of any political persuasion to seek to come along and try to rewrite the lexicon. It will not do".[16]
At the 2015 general election, Gale was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 49% and a decreased majority of 10,948.[17][18]
At the snap 2017 general election, Gale was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 56.2% and a decreased majority of 10,738.[20][21] Gale was again re-elected at the 2019 general election, with an increased vote share of 62.4% and an increased majority of 17,189.[22]
In July 2021, Gale was one of five Conservative MPs found by the Commons Select Committee on Standards to have breached the code of conduct by trying to influence a judge in the trial of former Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke, who was eventually found guilty of three counts of sexual assault and sentenced to two years in prison. Gale was one of three of the group who was also recommended for a one-day suspension by the committee.[25]
On 17 December 2021, following the North Shropshire by-election (when a Conservative majority of nearly 23,000 was overturned leading to a Liberal Democrat win), Gale said, "One more strike and he's (Boris Johnson) out." Gale said that the by-election "has to be seen as a referendum on the prime minister's performance".[26] He later revealed he had submitted a letter of no-confidence in Johnson's leadership to the 1922 Committee.[27]
In the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Gale called for all Russian nationals living in the UK to be forcibly deported, conceding that some "good and honest" people would be forced to leave.[28] Gale said he had changed his mind on challenging Johnson's leadership following the invasion. He said, "we should not seek to destabilise the government of the United Kingdom". Gale also expressed his "fear" about a leadership election.[29]
In February 2016, Gale was nominated for a "Grassroots Diplomat" award for his involvement in the campaign to save and reopen Manston Airport, which is in his constituency.[33]
Personal life
Gale has been married three times: firstly to Wendy Bowman in 1964 (marriage dissolved in 1967), secondly to Susan Linda Sampson in 1971 (marriage dissolved in 1980), with whom he has a daughter; thirdly to Susan Gabrielle Marks, with whom he has two sons.[2]
