JackWilfred

**Jack Darius Wilfred, Viscount Wilfred of Nantwich** AL PC (born 7 December 1998) is a British politician who served as a Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament from November 2014 to October 2015, as an Achievement Lord in the House of Lords from December 2015, and as a Member of the European Parliament from March 2016 to April 2016.

Wilfred has served in several Cabinets and Shadow Cabinets in both senior and junior roles. Most notably, as Secretary of State for Education in March 2015. Wilfred has stood for Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats on three separate occasions, all unsuccessful.

Wilfred is also known as the founder and only leader of the short-lived Equality Party.

## Political career

Wilfred joined the Model House of Commons on 28 September 2014, initially requesting membership of the Green Party and then quickly switching to the Liberal Democrats. On 12 October 2014 Wilfred took over from TheCretinous as a National MP, beating Bnzss in the party primary vote. On the same day, he was appointed as Secretary of State for Innovation & Skills, filling the vacancy left by Morgsie.

At the second general election which finished on 2 November 2014, Wilfred was re-elected as an Member of Parliament for North West England, and was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government six days later. In this role, Wilfred pushed plans for English regional devolution, representation for overseas territories and for other miscellaneous law changes such as the abolition of small coinage and the liberalisation of abortion law. On 6 February 2015, Wilfred was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Education.

After the collapse of the Conservative-UKIP coalition, on 10 March 2015 Wilfred was appointed Secretary of State for Education in the de facto caretaker government. Wilfred created no new legislation in this short time, but as a Private Member's Bill to amend oaths. The bill was rejected.

After the third general election, on 7 April 2015 Wilfred was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Equalities and Shadow Minister of State for Schools in the Conservative-UKIP-Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet. During this time Wilfred unveiled a plan to expand the Single Transferable Vote to local councils in England and Wales, but merged his bill into Demon4372's Local Government (England) bill. When UKIP was removed from the coalition on 23 September 2015, Wilfred was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Education.

Following the fourth general election, on 10 October 2015 Wilfred announced that he would be joining the House of Lords as a life peer, named the Viscount of Nantwich. He was sworn in on 2 December 2015.

On 7 January 2016 Wilfred was announced as the new Minister of State for Science and Universities in the Chamberlain Government. He resigned from this when he left the Liberal Democrats on 18 January 2016 to sit as a Crossbencher.

Wilfred founded the Equality Party on 9 February 2016 to contest the February 2016 general election. Wilfred led the party into the election. In his constituency he won 4 votes and was not elected, and disbanded the Equality Party shortly after to join the Liberal Democrats. On 2 March Wilfred was appointed Secretary of State for Equalities in the new Cabinet.

On 26 March 2016 Wilfred was announced as the lead Liberal Democrat candidate for the European Parliament. On 31 March 2016, the Liberal Democrats won fifth place in the election and a single seat, which Wilfred was elected to. Wilfred resigned as Secretary of State for Equalities immediately afterwards. On 9 April, Wilfred resigned his seat as an MEP, the first to do so in the history of the European Parliament, citing personal commitments, this was made official on 11 April, and Morgsie was nominated as a replacement.

## Political views

Wilfred describes himself as a social liberal, and holds very liberal views on social matters such as abortion, free speech and copyright reform. Wilfred also supports votes at 16.

Wilfred drew attention in October 2014 for advocating the reintroduction of grammar schools, a view against the Education policy at the time.

Wilfred is a staunch republican, and has campaigned for reforms to oaths, Royal spending and freedom of information relating to the Royal Family. Wilfred was the only Liberal Democrat MP to rebel and vote for the Constitutional Monarchy Referendum Bill.

An atheist himself, Wilfred is a secularist, and advocates the separation of church and state. He has also campaigned against faith schools and other religion-based laws.

As Shadow Secretary of State for Equalities, Wilfred drew criticism for his views, which were considered anti-feminist. Wilfred stated that his view was that feminism was a positive movement, but it didn't give issues adversely affecting men the attention they deserved, and that he identifies as an egalitarian.